Vitali Klitschko: " Make no mistake. If the fight had been allowed to continue, I would have knocked Lennox Lewis Out. It's not even debatable"

[ilovemesomeboxing]

I found this old article and thought I'd share it.

In a interview with The Edmonton Journal, former heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko spoke about the most famous bout of his career, the 2003 six-round war with Lennox Lewis. Klitschko says if the fight was not stopped on cuts, he would have knocked Lewis out. During the back and forth action, Klitschko suffered several big cuts on his face and the severity of the cuts led to the stoppage.

"A rematch with Lennox was the fight that I had always wanted since our fight in 2003 in Los Angeles. Many people have said that our fight was the best heavyweight fight in a long time and wanted to see the rematch. Unfortunately, Lennox decided to retire instead of fighting me again. I think his decision was based on the fact that he was losing the fight on the scorecards and I really believe that I would have knocked him out if the referee would have let the fight continue, it's not even debatable" Klitschko said.

Klitschko retired in 2005 after he was unable to shake several injuries. He returns to the in October against WBC heavyweight champion Samuel Peter. Vitali has been out of the ring since 2004.

"I am looking forward to regaining the WBC heavyweight championship. As I have announced, I will participate in the election for mayor of Keiv to be held May 25. However, this will not deter me from my goal of reclaiming the WBC championship. These are my two primary goals at this time. What happens after that, only time will tell," Klitschko said. "When my ring career is over, I will support Wladimir in his effort to become the unified heavyweight champion and our boxing promotion company K2 Promotions. However, my focus will be on my political career in Ukraine."

Klitschko would later give his reasons as to why the heavyweight division is currently being dominated by fighters from Europe.

"I believe the reason for this is that there is now access to better training facilities and trainers than we had under the Soviet era, when we were only allowed to compete as amateurs and professional boxing did not exist. I remember when I was coming up in the gym, we had to share training equipment with the whole team and we did not have our own equipment," Klitschko said.

[paulf]

If Fury-Usyk had been stopped on a cut (or whatever reason) in the 6th, we would have not seen all the drama that unfolded after. We would have never known.

Likewise, go back and watch the 6th round of Lewis-Klitschko. Lennox lands a DEVASTATING uppercut a minute in. Vitali was working hard but wasn't landing the big shots anymore. Lewis landed another solid uppercut at the bell. But Lewis was also more exhausted than Vitali.

We Will NEVER know what would have happened had it not been stopped. That's all there is to it. Anything anyone says is just fanfiction. Fantasy.

It's a damn shame it was stopped.

I will say Lewis made the right choice to bow out, because there was no way he was going to beat a motivate Klitschko in the rematch.

[BKM-]

If Fury-Usyk had been stopped on a cut (or whatever reason) in the 6th, we would have not seen all the drama that unfolded after. We would have never known.

Likewise, go back and watch the 6th round of Lewis-Klitschko. Lennox lands a DEVASTATING uppercut a minute in. Vitali was working hard but wasn't landing the big shots anymore. Lewis landed another solid uppercut at the bell. But Lewis was also more exhausted than Vitali.

We Will NEVER know what would have happened had it not been stopped. That's all there is to it. Anything anyone says is just fanfiction. Fantasy.

It's a damn shame it was stopped.

I will say Lewis made the right choice to bow out, because there was no way he was going to beat a motivate Klitschko in the rematch.

The question is, what is a better position to be in as a fighter? To be spent from punching the crap out of your opponent? Or to be spent from getting badly concussed repeatedly while also being tired?

Answer should be obvious.

[ilovemesomeboxing]

I will say Lewis made the right choice to bow out, because there was no way he was going to beat a motivate Klitschko in the rematch.

We don't know that. We do however know how Lennox does in rematches.

[Pac=Duran]

If Fury-Usyk had been stopped on a cut (or whatever reason) in the 6th, we would have not seen all the drama that unfolded after. We would have never known.

Likewise, go back and watch the 6th round of Lewis-Klitschko. Lennox lands a DEVASTATING uppercut a minute in. Vitali was working hard but wasn't landing the big shots anymore. Lewis landed another solid uppercut at the bell. But Lewis was also more exhausted than Vitali.

We Will NEVER know what would have happened had it not been stopped. That's all there is to it. Anything anyone says is just fanfiction. Fantasy.

It's a damn shame it was stopped.

I will say Lewis made the right choice to bow out, because there was no way he was going to beat a motivate Klitschko in the rematch.

Lennox was getting the better of Vitali but he was tiring out.

Fact is none of this matters cos "Look at the state of his eye!"

[Willow The Wisp]

I remember thinking what a bad cut it was and the stoppage was a good one.
What I see as the Overriding factor in the fight, and in Lewis' decision to call it a day is the fact that Lennox Lewis was born in 1965, and Vitali Klitschko was born in 1971.

No disrespect to Vitali, who is a credit to the sport, but Lewis was a fighter from a past era when they fought, and there were plenty of contenders of Vitali's own era who he never met.

[hugh grant]

Well, you mightve best lennox. It is unsatisfactory to see a cuts stoppage

[Dolor]

I really liked Vitali as a fighter, always rooted for him, and admired his effort against Lewis. But that statement is nonsense.

After the cut, there was no way he could have won the fight. He clearly had trouble seeing, and Lewis was therefore able to hit him with big shots (which, granted, he took very well). But from the cut onwards, this was only going to end in a loss for Vitali, and he might have taken some serious damage (not only to his eye).

Now WITHOUT the cut, I think the fight might have ended with an UD or an SD for Vitali. But that is pure speculation.

[Wilder's Sauron Costume]

I remember a bit about that fight... who knows what would have happened if it continued. Vitali sure was pissed off in the ring when the fight was stopped... stamina wasn't an issue for him. If memory serves, I think Lewis was starting to fade. Too bad about the cut.

[Sweet Pea 5O]

War of the Titans type of stuff. The shots these guys were landing...

There is a uppercut that Lewis lands on Vitali in that 6th round that I still can't believe he walked through.

Amazing fight.