Should Lewis have given Vitali a rematch?

[Neuraxis]

totally disagree...Klitchko was gettin his ass handed to Lewis as the fight progressed...

I guess we were watching a different fight.

[Solo322]

That cut was bad enough that they should've stopped the fight a lot earlier. Lewis likes to jab and open up cuts, had they kept fighting Vitali would have gone down eventually, he could barely see.

[ProBox1]

I'm sorry, I don't care if he was the champ when he retired, I don't share Lewis' or his fans perception of him as a fighter, as a champion. He was a large fighter with decent skills, who was able to make good use of his size and strength, but he was also a dirty fighter, who lost to two journeymen by one-punch knockouts, and then "avenged" his losses against both of them in return matches where one fighter had a nervous breakdown in the ring and refused to fight him, and the other showed up, but sure as hell didn't appear to have any intentions of fighting. The fact that he retired as champ doesn't change that, nor does it change my perception of him as a fighter and a person. He acted like he was really ready to fight VK again, and wasted everyone's time, teasing them with the possibility of a rematch, and then ran with the title. And is it coincidence that it was after the only fight I can recall that he was behind on points and showing no signs of being able to turn the tide? Against McCall and Rahman, his losses came as the result of punches that basically came out of nowhere, in fights where he basically appeared to be holding his own, if not in complete control, whereas against VK, he was losing rounds, had been hurt, and was never able to take control of the fight. What I'm saying is he was losing in a way that can't be argued, you can say he was old, he didn't train, or whatever, but you can't say he wasn't losing. My problem isn't with VK losing the fight, it's with the way LL was still arrogant afterwards, shamelessly claiming the win and eventually refusing to fight VK again by retiring, while still basically talking **** about VK from the sidelines, and refusing to back it up.

McCall was NOT a journeyman when he beat Lewis and Rahman has never been a journeyman. To call Rahman a journeyman is funny when Vitali is fighting him NEXT.

What fault is it to Lewis that Rahman came in fat or McCall had a nervous breakdown because Lewis was beating him that bad. That's like blaming Vitali for Johnson and Sanders (Rahman knocked out) coming in like fat slobs.

Vitali should forget about Lewis and fight Byrd or Ruiz.

And please spare me the "Don King wants options so the fight can't happen crap". Wlad has fought many Don King fighters, before and after he was champ and Don never wanted or got options. Don has stated over and over on TV and in the press that he does not want any options on Klitschko because he is confident his fighters will win.

I may not like Lewis personally because he was a bit too into himself for my tastes and his excuses after losing to Rahman were laughable but, the guy was one of the best "big" men to get into the ring. He was no Jack Johnson, he was no Marciano but he fought and defeated every name heavyweight in the last 15 years. There is not one heavyweight fighter in the last 15 years with a better record from top to bottom then Lewis (fighters who fought at heavy their entire career). He fought everyone except Bowe....who threw his belt in the trash rather then fight Lennox.

The record speaks for itself. Most of the champions around now were B level fighters who noone even cared about back when Lewis was fighting. Now we are forced to watch them because with the exception of Vitali, there is no real heavyweight threat in the entire division.

[Pno]

And please spare me the "Don King wants options so the fight can't happen crap". Wlad has fought many Don King fighters, before and after he was champ and Don never wanted or got options. Don has stated over and over on TV and in the press that he does not want any options on Klitschko because he is confident his fighters will win.

I may not know much about boxing and I could be totally wrong, but I disagree with this statement. The Klitschko camp says the reason they haven't fought another champ IS because DK wants the options. Don King is not ******, that's for sure. We may not like what he does often to boxing, but he's a smart man of business. How could he actually not want a piece of the Klitschkos and honestly think his sad stable of fighters can beat VK unless he IS using foul play tactics?

[phallus]

people ***** and complain that Holyfield is ruining himself by staying around to long, but then turn around and ***** and complain that the 39 year old Lewis should have fought on.

He's 39, has all his brain cells, a new wife, a new daughter, more money than he knows what to do with.

Olympic Gold Medal
3 Time Champion
16 Title defenses

he has nothing to prove to anyone.

i agree, why should lewis come back if he can never be prime lewis again, i think he retired at just the right time, his interest in boxing and training had basically disappeared. if he can't be prime lennox ever again, and i know he can't, it makes no sense at all for him to come back. he took a lickin from Big K but when i watch that fight again i see how the first big right lewis landed nearly knocked frankenstein out. Even an out of shape Lennox beats frankenstein, it just would have taken longer. he was lucky to cut Big K, otherwise he would have had to box for another 6 rounds

[Pno]

i agree, why should lewis come back if he can never be prime lewis again, i think he retired at just the right time, his interest in boxing and training had basically disappeared. if he can't be prime lennox ever again, and i know he can't, it makes no sense at all for him to come back. he took a lickin from Big K but when i watch that fight again i see how the first big right lewis landed nearly knocked frankenstein out. Even an out of shape Lennox beats frankenstein, it just would have taken longer. he was lucky to cut Big K, otherwise he would have had to box for another 6 rounds

while much of this may be true...
I dont like how he said yes to the rematch.. I guess it's understandable when the emotions are high etc..
but showing up at later fights talking trash after he left with the above mentioned situation... just shows little class and too much arrogance.

[ProBox1]

I may not know much about boxing and I could be totally wrong, but I disagree with this statement. The Klitschko camp says the reason they haven't fought another champ IS because DK wants the options. Don King is not ******, that's for sure. We may not like what he does often to boxing, but he's a smart man of business. How could he actually not want a piece of the Klitschkos and honestly think his sad stable of fighters can beat VK unless he IS using foul play tactics?

Don King owns just about every heavyweight in the division. Rahman may beat Klitschko in May and Don will have all four belts. Every way Klitschko turns he must fight a King fighter. Klitschko has to unify the division, he can only go so far by fighting the Williams' and Johnsons of the division. He has to fight Ruiz or Byrd in 05. Even if Vitali beats Byrd, he still has to face Ruiz, then the WBO champ. After all is said, King promotes three Vitali fights without even having options on Vitali. If Vitali unifies the division, most the contenders facing Vitali will likely be King fighters.

[Mr. Untouchable]

Should Lewis have given Vitali a rematch?

I don't know what everyone else say, but i was surprised to see vitali throw jab after jab and actually hit lewis with some god combo's without etting his head knocked off, but I did see vitali almost get his head knocked into a the 4th for 5th row by a dveasting upperct in one of the mid rounds and as lewis rubbed the dreadlocks in teh cut and keep uppercutting Vitali in that eye it started to look worse and worse. They rightfully stopped the fight, because his eye was utterly ****ed up, but regardless of what anyone says...Vitali would have finished the night on his back plain and simple...But!!!!!!! I believe lewis should have not given him a rematch but insisted on a rematch and shut the mouth of all his detractors...But!!!!!! he didn't so all we can do is debate about it instead of talking about how vitali knocked lewis out and in to retirement like tarver did jones...well jones didn't retire, but by the results of his last fight he should have...

[phallus]

while much of this may be true...
I dont like how he said yes to the rematch.. I guess it's understandable when the emotions are high etc..
but showing up at later fights talking trash after he left with the above mentioned situation... just shows little class and too much arrogance.

yeah, i don't think lennox should have talked the trash after IF HE CAN'T come back, which is the case. but, whenever someone talks **** like that and they can't do nothin about it it's just ego trippin, he's tryin to keep the wolf away from the door. lennox knows he's past prime and maybe even wants to face frankenstein again but he's frustrated because he'll never dominate again the way he did when he was prime

[dodge]

He went out on top. Good for him.