Was Lennox Lewis set up to lose against Vitali Klitschko?

[Anthony342]

I already know all your secrets, Rusty. Most notably, that you're a dumb f*** that DKSAB. Sounds more like you might have been a victim of of one of those piledrivers and got dropped on your head. Lomachenko ranked over Robinson. Knew there was a reason why I didn't bother with your posts anymore.

[rudy]

- -OP confused for sure.

First and last time Vit was on HBO he was savaged by Merchant when his team withdrew him while leading wide against Byrd because of a shoulder that required surgery and rehab.

Vit had won 3 lawsuits requiring Lewis to fight him that were ignored. The only monkey biz was when Tyson withdrew from the undercard and Vit his late replacement and then Lewis opponent hurt his delicate bosom and withdrew that upgraded Vit to main event.

In short, Lewis jerked a lot of strings to suddenly satisfy the lawsuit.

Then he ducked his biggest career purse for the rematch to retire days before WBC would be stripping him. Lewis the Lion went out like a lamb that has been grinding his gears ever since.

Please tell me where Lewis ducked him before this fight please dont make lies and try to make it outs as history.

Show me the lawsuits papers blantant lie.

Lewis fought everybody Tyson was the one who gave up title rather than fight Lewis remember that

[W1LL]

Please tell me where Lewis ducked him before this fight please dont make lies and try to make it outs as history.

Show me the lawsuits papers blantant lie.

Lewis fought everybody Tyson was the one who gave up title rather than fight Lewis remember that

That poster QueensberryRules clear has an anti-Lewis agenda. Not even worth giving him a response. Doesn't know what he's talking about and has built his own fictitious narrative.

[Monzon99]

Vitali had to take Lewis court four times for the fight, he was WBC mandatory. Sound familiar. The inside rumor is that Vitali paid Kirk Johnson to fake the injury and he stepped in, with a promise to fight Kirk later. Lewis was out for a year after Tyson and when he found out Kirk pulled out he could not duck Vitali so he fought him. It was an incredible fight. Before the fight with Vitali Lewis never said a word about retiring, he was planning on sticking around for more fights (watch the pre fight HBO interview with LL). But Vitali was much tougher than LL realized and he barely won by lucky cuts. Lewis did not immediately retire. He waited and hoped Vitali would lose to Corrie Sanders and Kirk Johnson and he openly predicted Vitali would lose both of those fights. After Vitali won those two fights, then Lewis officially retired. He clearly ducked the Vitali rematch. Vitali taught him a lesson. Lewis was no longer sure he was the best or that he could beat Vitali a second time. Vitali taught Lennox a lesson in self doubts. Those doubts forced Lewis to retire.

[Mario040481]

That poster QueensberryRules clear has an anti-Lewis agenda. Not even worth giving him a response. Doesn't know what he's talking about and has built his own fictitious narrative.

Dude has Valuev beating Holyfield, doing it like so... "-Some say U still mad Valuev undefeated and challenging Rocky's undefeated heavy record and whooped U ol'Holyfool as gentle as he could so he wouldn't get sued for killing an unlicensed fighter"*

Cereal milk bout choked me to death
* https://www.boxingscene.com/forums/s...90&postcount=3

[Rusty Tromboni]

I already know all your secrets, Rusty. Most notably, that you're a dumb f*** that DKSAB. Sounds more like you might have been a victim of of one of those piledrivers and got dropped on your head. Lomachenko ranked over Robinson. Knew there was a reason why I didn't bother with your posts anymore.

You're adorable, Shortbus.

I won't tell you the truth about Pro-Wrestling... or Santa.

In fact, I hope he brings you a nice train set.

It'll give us a break from your inane comments.

[Rusty Tromboni]

That poster QueensberryRules clear has an anti-Lewis agenda. Not even worth giving him a response. Doesn't know what he's talking about and has built his own fictitious narrative.

Queenie says a lot of weird sh.it, but he also has good insights.

Lewis was getting rave reviews for Boxing a shut-out against Tua, avenging his loss to Rahman in equally violent fashion, and giving Tyson an unholy prolonged drubbing. No one was calling him old, or fat. But it was suspicious that he was so uncommitted to fighting Klitchko. And the circumstances which resulted in the fight's actual occurrence were even more suspicious, still.


This is all accepted knowledge. If you were alive and following Boxing at the time, none of this is disputable. Revisionists will obviously question it. They'll also make ridiculous claims for why Lewis didn't need to offer a rematch.

Here was a guy bi.tching about how he wasn't appreciated, and how he was all about building a legacy that would be viewed in retrospect as one of the greatest. He sounded a lot like Holmes, really.

So, then,
1) why did it take so long for the Klitchko fight to happen?

2) Why did it happen under such a shady circumstance?

3) Why was the championship fight stopped when Lewis was gassed-out - not before, when the cut was already bad; or latter when Klitchko might surge back?

4) Why didn't this guy so obsessed with his legacy, and so convinced of his greatness, offer a rematch to prove he really was the better man, and that, as his fans have proffered, the closeness of the original fight was simply a result of Lewis' being unmotivated and unthreatened by Klitchko?

I am a big Lewis fan. I rank him top 5 ATG Hw. I rank him really favorably in theoretical match-ups.

But the point of the matter is that Klitchko was green and unprepared, but he still gave the best Lewis more than the champ could handle.

Anyway, Fury beats them both on the same night.

[Rusty Tromboni]

Vitali had to take Lewis court four times for the fight, he was WBC mandatory. Sound familiar. The inside rumor is that Vitali paid Kirk Johnson to fake the injury and he stepped in, with a promise to fight Kirk later. Lewis was out for a year after Tyson and when he found out Kirk pulled out he could not duck Vitali so he fought him. It was an incredible fight. Before the fight with Vitali Lewis never said a word about retiring, he was planning on sticking around for more fights (watch the pre fight HBO interview with LL). But Vitali was much tougher than LL realized and he barely won by lucky cuts. Lewis did not immediately retire. He waited and hoped Vitali would lose to Corrie Sanders and Kirk Johnson and he openly predicted Vitali would lose both of those fights. After Vitali won those two fights, then Lewis officially retired. He clearly ducked the Vitali rematch. Vitali taught him a lesson. Lewis was no longer sure he was the best or that he could beat Vitali a second time. Vitali taught Lennox a lesson in self doubts. Those doubts forced Lewis to retire.

Look at you dumping facts on the morons.

Pretty soon they'll be calling you racist and stupid.

Dude has Valuev beating Holyfield, doing it like so... "-Some say U still mad Valuev undefeated and challenging Rocky's undefeated heavy record and whooped U ol'Holyfool as gentle as he could so he wouldn't get sued for killing an unlicensed fighter"*

Cereal milk bout choked me to death
* https://www.boxingscene.com/forums/s...90&postcount=3

And yet there are people here saying that Lewis was old, and Klitchko was in his prime.

Clearly the footage doesn't support that.

The lighter, gun-shy Lewis could never take the kinda power that Klitchko hit him with, or take command behind his jab.

Likewise, it would be a full decade before we really saw Vitali come into his own.

Queenie has her warts, but in this discussion they're not showing.

[elfag]

Lennox Lewis was out of shape, and still bullied Vitali Kiltschko.

Lewis had nothing left to prove, if Kiltschko could not put him down or beat him 'At his worst' I don't think he done enough to force a rematch 'George Foreman was the only pundit, who pointed out that Lewis was just not in shape physically/technically'.

bullied? he was losing 4-2, he got lucky there was a cut.

There was huge demand for a rematch, Lewis was 37 at the time, he turned down the career high payday.

The unprepared excuse is lame, Vitali likewise had 2 weeks notice to prepare to face an ATG and the lineal champ, he thought he was fighting a cab driver all training camp. You think he might not prepare differently had he known he was facing lennox? This could all be sorted out in a rematch but Lennox said nope, duck duck goose.

[billeau2]

This fight polarizes people, it is one of "those."

Lewis habitually fought all commers. He took on young lions instead of stupid manditories while the Klits fought crap. Thats a fact to remember.

lewis was preparing for a scrub, thats a fact.

Vitalie had a chance to assert the fact that he was better, he couldn't. His face was torn to shreds, he was starting to fade, and in fairness Lewis was not looking great himself. But Lewis took Vitalie's shots, and vice versa. vitalie certainly had the right to say he handled himself, and so did Lewis.

If Lewis decided to retire, does it matter why? What if he was afraid of a fight with vitalie? Should he have went on and fought others...or taken a fight he was in no position to go into? We have to count what we have about this fight, not Allegations about a second fight.

Vitalie was not a green fighter. He was in many respects highly underrated, i always thought he was better than vlad, by a long shot.

Lewis may have been frightened off if anyone wants to believe that... But it did not prevent him from taking massive firepower from Vitalie and delivering it back in spades. we can see what happened by the appearance of both men after the fight. Neither guy flinched, and both had their moments...Great fight while it lasted.