Was Lennox Lewis set up to lose against Vitali Klitschko?

[billeau2]

- -Poor logic ain't cuttin' it...

Exactly! Its good that you have "self regulated" and we all look forward to a reprisal where most of the inanity you call facts can be reevaluated. You have taken that proverbial first step Q...More power to you!

Here to start you off on your journey...Is the definition of a fact

A fact is a thing that is known, or proved to be true... Go get em tiger!

[BKM-]

Vitali cornered Lennox. If he ducked Vitali two weeks before then he looks like a coward. Lewis was cornered and was forced to fight Vitali. Remember, the Tyson fight was a year earlier. Lewis sat out for a whole year at 37-38. He could not afford to waste any more time. Vitali was smart and tricked Lennox into the fight by buying off Kirk to step aside.

Lewi

Vitali had no leverage as being the man with the low name value(again he was not even a star yet at that time, you would know if you followed the sport at the time) and low repuation(still known as the quitter who went no mas against a cruiserweight). He could have easily ducked him without any backlash. There was no public outcry for this fight.

I like how you ignore how Lewis being out of shape completely destroys any argument you have about Lewis fearing Vitali before fighting him.

Yeah I'm terrified of this fighter who I don't want to fight so you know what? I'm gonna fight him on short notice while being out of shape(which goes against my entire career of great discipline) while I have all the leverage as the undisputed world famous champ while he's unknown with a bad reputation. Makes perfect sense.

[Monzon99]

Lewis was in top shape, if he was not he would have been knocked out. He will his way to a miraculous victory over his toughest opponent. Yes he was heavier but it was muscle not fat. His body looked as good as ever, as it always did. Older means pounds add on but there were no rolls of fat or soft spots. Lewis was in top shape, the Johnson fight was important for him, he was not taking Johnson lightly. He never took anyone lightly. We never saw Lewis fat. Lewis only mistake in his career was going to South Africa late because he was filming that movie Oceans 11 and he struggled with the altitude while Rahman got there a month early and adapted to the altitude. Lewis was winded after a mile of jogging days before the fight. The altitude killed him and Rahman was in the best shape of his life. Lewis learned from that and was ready for Kirk/Vitali. But Vitali was an all time great in the making and Lewis barely survived. Lewis won but he lost his confidence and ducked the rematch. Lewis was not sure if he could beat Vitali a second time and meekly retired, breaking his word of promise to Vitali. Vitali made a liar out of Lennox. Lennox showed fear and respect to Vitali by ducking him. Lewis spoke no words about retiring before the fight, he talked about having several more fights. It's on the HBO pre fight interviews. But Vitali changed all his plans.

[Monzon99]

Lewis is still in awe of Vitali. But his ego prevents him from ever giving Vitali his full respect. What Vitali did to Lennox that night was one of the most impressive performances in hwt title history even though he lost, Vitali won the event. Vitali appreciates Lennox is the one who made him an all time great, like Duran did for Leonard in Montreal. Vitali knows that Lennox was afraid of a rematch because he knew he would lose. Vitali knows Lewis was booed out of the Staples Center arena, an unfair unjust conclusion punctuation to an all time great career. But he shows nothing but respect for Lennox.

Lennox always takes cheap shots at Vitali, saying he was not in shape, Vitali was not his toughest fight but Hoyfield was (LOL, both Holy fights were boring sparring sessions, Vitali was life and death for Lennox). Lewis is still bitter about having his career ended by Vitali and how it ended by being booed as he left the Staples Center ring.

Lewis was maybe the GOAT but his career did not end the way he wanted it to end. Vitali forced him out before he wanted to go out. But that's boxing. As Larry Merchant said, "The theater of the unexpected."