Should Lewis have given Vitali a rematch?

[KidBlackie]

[[[vitali also only had 2 weeks to train for lewis- but he was more physically sound because lewis hadn't been doing anything but partying and celebrating his tyson victory.]]]
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Dead wrong there. Lewis had been training for a full 8 weeks for a 12 rd title fight. Moreover Lewis would fly Manny out to England now and again and train with him for a week or two to stay sharp before he ever started his 8 wk camp. Vitali was the late sub for Tyson who pulled out of the undercard. Vitali had been training one wk for the 10 rd non title undercard when he accepted the upgrade to 12 rd title fight with 2 weeks left for a total of 3 wks of training to Lewis' full 8 weeks.

Now, if you know anything about conditioning, then you know that endurance does not start to show significant gains from training until approx 3 weeks of excercises. Lewis knew this, so while Lewis was tailing off his training regimen the last 2 weeks to build strength and reserve and sharpness, Vitali was trying to quickly build what endurance he could.

If Lewis had really wanted Vitali, he could have scheduled him for a megamoney fight in England or Germany on even training footing. Lewis didn't want that, instead he succeeded in obtaining a significant training advantage because he knew Vitali was game to fight him under any conditions.

[Mike_R]

well damn, i didn't know any of that, so i'm clearly wrong there. but he still won off a cut face that i don't think would have been a problem for lewis to open in a rematch, it's the same fist + face equation between the two, and that kind of thing wouldn't have changed no matter how either of them trained. i still feel lewis made a good choice retiring when he did, but it was ****ty as far as how it went down for vitali. but he still got the title so no harm no foul, he just didn't get a chance to prove he can beat a nearly 38 year old lewis who had no will to fight anymore.

[Pno]

2 weeks to train wasn't the point. the point is lewis got out and stayed out sooner than later, it was a smart decision. if they fought again vitali would be cut again. lewis managed to do it while looking horrible, if he was good to go in the same way he was against tyson or the rahman rematch- vitali at his best still could never win. the fact that vitali is considered 'the man' right now is a big reason why the vast majority of people think the heavyweight division is so weak. i like the klitschkos, don't get me wrong. i'd watch them before any other heavyweights right now, but lewis was out of their league. vitali also only had 2 weeks to train for lewis- but he was more physically sound because lewis hadn't been doing anything but partying and celebrating his tyson victory. because, again, that was all he had left to do in his eyes. then he found out he'd be defending against some short bum so he barely trained (like an *******), but then all of the sudden he has a klitschko on his hands which completely changes any sort of a fight strategy he had together.
lennox lewis is a ****y dude, and that is the main weakness he has ever shown me. but again don't get me wrong because vitali is really good. he's just not that good.

any champ that doesn't prepare for a fight, regardless of who he's defending his title against isn't a good champ..

[Bozo_no no]

any champ that doesn't prepare for a fight, regardless of who he's defending his title against isn't a good champ..

If Lewis had have lost, that may be a valid point.

But he didn't lose.

Vitali did.

[Pno]

well damn, i didn't know any of that, so i'm clearly wrong there. but he still won off a cut face that i don't think would have been a problem for lewis to open in a rematch, it's the same fist + face equation between the two, and that kind of thing wouldn't have changed no matter how either of them trained. i still feel lewis made a good choice retiring when he did, but it was ****ty as far as how it went down for vitali. but he still got the title so no harm no foul, he just didn't get a chance to prove he can beat a nearly 38 year old lewis who had no will to fight anymore.

Lewis may have been a good boxer, but the only thing he did by doing all this was prove his arrogance, as opposed to him being a good champion. A good champion has dignity and respect for others, and would have given a rematch to someone if a good fight was stopped due to a cut.

[Pno]

If Lewis had have lost, that may be a valid point.

But he didn't lose.

Vitali did.

you should try to follow the conversation....
someone was saying that Lewis didn't train due to celebrating beating up Tyson and was using that as an excuse or a point, I was simply stating that any good champ should prepare and try to maintain physical peakness.

[Bozo_no no]

you should try to follow the conversation....
someone was saying that Lewis didn't train due to celebrating beating up Tyson and was using that as an excuse or a point, I was simply stating that any good champ should prepare and try to maintain physical peakness.

My point stands, there's no need for an excuse when you win.

Lewis was old, at a career high weight, and was coming off a year's inactivity.

He still beat Vitali.

If it was going to happen for Klitschko at any point, it was that night. Instead, he got his faces punched into ground beef.

I would have like to have seen a rematch, but I also think way too many great champions stay around way too long.

Lewis is a smart guy, and if he didn't know after the Tyson fight that his heart wasn't in it anymore, he did after fighting Vitali.

Thank Holyfiled for showing Lennox that it's better to walk away on top.

[Pno]

My point stands, there's no need for an excuse when you win.

Lewis was old, at a career high weight, and was coming off a year's inactivity.

He still beat Vitali.

If it was going to happen for Klitschko at any point, it was that night. Instead, he got his faces punched into ground beef.

I would have like to have seen a rematch, but I also think way too many great champions stay around way too long.

Lewis is a smart guy, and if he didn't know after the Tyson fight that his heart wasn't in it anymore, he did after fighting Vitali.

Thank Holyfiled for showing Lennox that it's better to walk away on top.

Lewis did punch the hell outta Klitshcko's face, but he didn't "beat" him, the doc had to stop it to protect VK. Vitali gets hit, he stays up and keeps fighting, Lewis gets hit, he falls to the canvas, starched, still trying to throw punches, asking "what happened?" when Rahman's wearing his belt.

[Bozo_no no]

Lewis did punch the hell outta Klitshcko's face, but he didn't "beat" him, the doc had to stop it to protect VK. Vitali gets hit, he stays up and keeps fighting, Lewis gets hit, he falls to the canvas, starched, still trying to throw punches, asking "what happened?" when Rahman's wearing his belt.

Does it make you feel better to word it like that?

Lewis suffered one punch KO's and won the rematches.

He then retired having beaten everyone he's ever faced, a shoe in for the hall of fame.

Klitschko lost by TKO to the two top fighters he's ever faced, didn't avenge either loss, and has Corrie Sanders and Larry Donald as the best names on his resume.

The only way he'd get anywehere near the HOF is if he bought a ticket.

It's fun spinning things to sound worse, isn't it?

[j]

nobody answered my question though. should've rahman rematched lewis? since he beat him decisively the first time, why need a rematch?

just curious to hear opinions.