The Lewis Era vs. The Klitschko Era

[roujinziro]

I really think Lewis' career has been enhanced by the Klitschko era. People didn't appreciate him until he was gone and we were left with what we have today in the heavyweight division. Lewis had the luxury of having big names to beat up, no matter if they were past their prime or not he still fought everyone except for Vitali a second time when he himself realized his skills were slipping.

Wlad also has fought everyone and avenged some of his losses, the major problem is his safety first style with his suspect chin and the fact that there really aren't any big names in the heavyweight division anymore...Ok, I'll be totally honest and say that there aren't any big American names in the heavyweight division. No one takes James Toney seriously anymore, Arreola is seen as exciting but lazy, meaning the biggest name is an upstart Cruiserweight with a big mouth who hasn't fought anyone of note in the division. It's sad to say but the only way Wlad is going to get any credit is to destroy Haye, destroy Arreola, and clean out Chagaev and Valuev, oh and then KO Vitali. Now if Vitali and Wlad split up these opponents and takes two a piece that still does less for their legacy than if either one of them beat those men on their own. If they keep winning, then eventually the world (the US boxing media) will have to recognize their contributions to the sport, but I don't see that happenening until many years after their retirement or if they retire and the heavyweight division goes into and even worse downward spiral.

[La_Vibora]

I stopped reading after the bolded part.

Lewis did a massacre on Klitschko's eye, he got a TKO. Lennox looked like trash and he still managed to damn near rip his eyeball out. Not to mention split his lip in half.

Did Klitschko look good against Lewis? Yes. He certainly did. But he lost, there's absolutely no other way to twist it.

He also lost to Byrd. He may have been winning that fight, but he quit. Meaning he gave up, retired on his stool, giving the victory to Byrd.

As for Lewis - Wlad also got KO'd twice by subpar competition, the difference is Lewis avenged those losses by KO, and has victories over the likes of Klitschko, Tyson, Tua, Botha, Grant, Holyfield, Briggs, Golota, Mercer, Morrison, Bruno, Tucker, and Ruddock.

All that fight proved was that Lennox's skin was more durable than Vitali's skin not that Lennox was the better fighter. You can spin it anyway you want, but Vitali was clearly winning the fight in the eyes of fight fans and the judges as well. Also, as the fight went on, the more it played into Vitali's hands since Lewis fades out around the 7th or 8th round, which is why he has never had a KO past the 8th round, whereas Vitali has multiple KOs between rounds 9-12.

As for Lewis, again he has plenty of nice names on his resume, BUT either they were past their best or simply not that great a fighter anyway with the exception of Klitschko who Lewis was losing to and basically got lucky that the fight didn't last a few rounds more.

[Pullcounter]

Answer the question : Would Lewis still be looked upon as the ATG that he is today if there were two of him, dominating at the same time, and refusing to fight one another?

NO, not under those circumstances

[ßringer]

All that fight proved was that Lennox's skin was more durable than Vitali's skin not that Lennox was the better fighter. You can spin it anyway you want, but Vitali was clearly winning the fight in the eyes of fight fans and the judges as well. Also, as the fight went on, the more it played into Vitali's hands since Lewis fades out around the 7th or 8th round, which is why he has never had a KO past the 8th round, whereas Vitali has multiple KOs between rounds 9-12.

As for Lewis, again he has plenty of nice names on his resume, BUT either they were past their best or simply not that great a fighter anyway with the exception of Klitschko who Lewis was losing to and basically got lucky that the fight didn't last a few rounds more.

Can't the same be said about basically everybody either Klitschko brother fought?

I mean, if you want to break down a guy's record and make it look like ****, you can do it to anybody's if you want.

I could make a thread making Harry Greb and Ray Robinson looking like the world's worst frauds if I wanted.

Some people might even believe it.

But it doesn't make it true.

[La_Vibora]

Can't the same be said about basically everybody either Klitschko brother fought?

I mean, if you want to break down a guy's record and make it look like ****, you can do it to anybody's if you want.

I could make a thread making Harry Greb and Ray Robinson looking like the world's worst frauds if I wanted.

Some people might even believe it.

But it doesn't make it true.

That is what I said, I see their records being on the same level except Lewis had a longer reign, I am guessing that you agree with me on that. And how am I making Lewis' record look like ****? He was easily KOed by one shot twice against subpar opponents McCall and Rahman. None of his best wins were against fighters while in their prime(Holyfield and Tyson), if thats the standard then I guess Joe Calzaghe is the greatest fighter that ever lived since he beat both Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones back to back. If he had truly defeated Vitali and not won on a fluke that would have sealed his legacy imo.

[roundingace]

Klits need to fight each other. Until they do or retire, the HW division is a joke because THAT is THE ONLY meaningfull bout left, after the Haye fight, which may turnout to be just alot of talk and not much else. Get it on Klits! I know they're brothers but hey, they shouldn't have entered the same weight division then. Aren't we as fans getting cheated out of one of the best HW fights to be made!! I mean think about THAT build up. Come on, this is the fight game, not the brotherly love game, get it on!

[J.B.moneY.]

i bet they throw some astronomical amount of cash to get them to fight....everybody has there price

[MonsieurGeorges]

All that fight proved was that Lennox's skin was more durable than Vitali's skin not that Lennox was the better fighter. You can spin it anyway you want, but Vitali was clearly winning the fight in the eyes of fight fans and the judges as well. Also, as the fight went on, the more it played into Vitali's hands since Lewis fades out around the 7th or 8th round, which is why he has never had a KO past the 8th round, whereas Vitali has multiple KOs between rounds 9-12.

As for Lewis, again he has plenty of nice names on his resume, BUT either they were past their best or simply not that great a fighter anyway with the exception of Klitschko who Lewis was losing to and basically got lucky that the fight didn't last a few rounds more.

That fight just HAD to be stopped. Trust me, I would've loved to see Vitali knock Lennox's block off but it was a cut stoppage if I've ever seen one and they could've called it a round before they did! You also got to keep in mind that was not the best Lennox Lewis, far from it. He was fat and looked off balance all night. They should've rematched as soon as the cut healed but they didn't so that's that.

As for your second point, I disagree. Lennox beat the best guys in the division and usually looked great doing it. If you take a look at his era, who is number 1 if it isn't him? hell, he is probably number 1 and 2 and 3

[La_Vibora]

That fight just HAD to be stopped. Trust me, I would've loved to see Vitali knock Lennox's block off but it was a cut stoppage if I've ever seen one and they could've called it a round before they did! You also got to keep in mind that was not the best Lennox Lewis, far from it. He was fat and looked off balance all night. They should've rematched as soon as the cut healed but they didn't so that's that.

As for your second point, I disagree. Lennox beat the best guys in the division and usually looked great doing it. If you take a look at his era, who is number 1 if it isn't him? hell, he is probably number 1 and 2 and 3

There is no debating that the fight had to be stopped, I am just making the point that it was a fluke win, he won not because he was the better fighter or because he knocked him, but only because of his skin. I don't buy this out of shape excuse, even if he was really out of shape, then that was his problem for showing up to the toughest fight of his career out of shape. Again, I don't think he was as out of shape as people make it, his weight was higher than usual sure, but that is natural for a fighter as he ages. BTW, Lennox was always off balance quite a bit, this time he was going against a bigger fighter like Vitali with a good jab which made it more apparent.

I am not arguing that he didn't beat the best of his era, its just that his era wasn't that good, I think Vitali at his peak beats Lewis at his peak, he just lucked out on a freak win and ran into retirement rather than give a rematch.

[Mugwump]

There is no debating that the fight had to be stopped, I am just making the point that it was a fluke win, he won not because he was the better fighter or because he knocked him, but only because of his skin.

I'm not sure what your point is. The strength (or lack thereof) of a fighter's skin has always been a valid means of arriving at a decision in boxing. You get cut - you lose. Them's the rules. Nothing fluke about it.