Lennox Lewis was going to retire after Tyson

[Someone88]

People who are putting Vitali down are putting Lennox down at the same time.
They both were not in their primes when they fought. It was a great fight which Lennox deservedly won but Vitali showed more IMO.

No it wasn't 'old, outshaped, unmotivated, unprepared, uninterested, lazy, sleepy, fatty' lennox. If he was he would never be able to fought the way he did.

Instead I am saying they are both fabulous fighter.

Some good points made.

[Someone88]

That quote was from his Ringside special interview. (I think)

You were saying?

Yeh right after the fight, recently he said when we were at our best.

[Someone88]

So? What do they have to do with Lennox?

If Lewis was so out of his prime then Vitali would have koed him, that's what I'm saying.

[Skittlez]

People who are putting Vitali down are putting Lennox down at the same time.
They both were not in their primes when they fought. It was a great fight which Lennox deservedly won but Vitali showed more IMO.

No it wasn't 'old, outshaped, unmotivated, unprepared, uninterested, lazy, sleepy, fatty' lennox. If he was he would never be able to fought the way he did.

Instead I am saying they are both fabulous fighter.

It's just banter..

Come on.. it's just like when Calzaghe fans put down RJJ. Everyone knows RJJ is an ATG...

All these tko6 spams.. on that other site.. you make a h2h poll
VITALI VS JOE FRAZIER.
Vitali will still win that poll..

Everyone knows Vitali is the 2nd best heavyweight of this era and #1 H2H of this era. Probably Top 5-10 H2H Overall. And is a borderline HW ATG.

Nobody seriously believe Vitali is a bum....

[Someone88]

He was not near his prime. Nearly 38, highest weight of his career. Common sense.

I don't look at age and judge a fighter's prime by that, I didn't say he was in his prime I said near his prime.

[Someone88]

Lewis was NO WHERE near Prime.

Is that a joke?

The best Lennox Lewis time line of his Prime and Age is right here:


Understand 'Physical Prime' and 'Boxing Prime'

I hope I don't have to explain it.

Lennox Lewis Timeline:

1989-1992 (Debut to Ruddock) Elite Status. Ruddock peak. Heading towards what many thought was going to be an early prime.

Bowe Ducking him had a lot to do with his mental collapse. Lack of motivation.Regression

1992-94 Continued regression fight by fight. Still elite, but no longer focused and showed many errors.


95-99
Physical Prime and boxing Prime. Morrison to Golota.
Got better with each fight. The Lewis that fought Holyfield I would have 10-0 the Mercer that fought 95 Lewis.


2000:
Still in boxing prime, but past physical prime. Fully Motivated.

2001:
Past Boxing Prime, way past physical prime. Zero Motivation.

Rahman II- Past Boxing Prime, way past Physical Prime: Fully Motivated

Tyson- Way past boxing prime, way past Physical Prime: Fully Motivated

2003- Heading towards shot status- zero motivation.

I don't know about all that you said, Tyson was way past his prime when they fought.

[Someone88]

Lewis ddin't "get" anyone. The Klitschko fight was a 10 day notice for Klitschko, becuase things were held up by Lewis squeezing an extra $4 mill out of the promoters. And, whether prime or not, he was "definitely" intending to fight on for a couple more years. He said, on his pompous, foolish pre-fight interview that he was "still learning" and had no intention of retiring yet. He was "like wine, getting better as I'm getting older"...."I'll have one Klitschko foor breakfast and the other for dinner"...... "I'm a specialist, a pugilist(ic) specialist" ...."I'm a real world champion because I've fought in other countries'..(I think he fought in Canada, England and the US (I won't even bother to look it up as it's tryical Lewis Bumpf) He said a few other things.

For those who don't know, Lewis knew that he had a magical escape in the Klitschko fight. His Larry Merchant interview after the fight, and the one a couple of days later show this...clearly. He wouldn't give Klitschko any credit at all, like a little child whose toy had nearly been grabbed away. it could clearly be seen that he was upset, and still shaking.

The return was set for Dec 10th of that year. And Lewis was constantly appearing on TV boasting and predicting what would happen. Nobody seems to recall that he actually made Klitschko attend to Lewises doctor in London just "to make sure the fans won't be cheated" when he splits Klitschko's face again... K appeared on TV 10 days after the fight showing that the cut was stitches out, closed and invisible, and that it had never been serious.

Lewis still wouldn't fight, so Klitschko half killed Kirk Johnson (Lewis's original opponent) in a round and a half,on Dec.10th. The WBC gave Lewis 90 days, or be stripped, and Lewis waited until the morning of the last day and then retired.....

Malice and jealousy were his main characteristics, and he personally telephoned every opponent either Klitschko was fighting, and gave them advice on how to beat them. He had no success.

I'd say that his Klitschko win-even if flawed- will be worth more historically, because of Klitschko's age, later longevity and dominance.

Some good points made.

[F!x]

Lewis retired at the right time, he was literally in the worst shape of his life against Vitali and still smashed him to pieces in only 6 rounds but when you come into the ring in that condition as the champ you know the motivation to train is on the fast decline

[IMDAZED]

If Lewis was so out of his prime then Vitali would have koed him, that's what I'm saying.

And I'm saying obviously he wouldn't because he didn't.

[Skittlez]

The worrying thing for me in regards to

'Prime' Vitali vs 'Prime Lewis'

is that a close to Prime Vitali couldn't ko Lewis with multiple shots.


Also people have to realize Lewis cuts fighters.

Lennox Lewis have the highest cut ratio of any HW Champion in the history of the sport.

He also cuts people in the same places.

Morrison. Tyson. Vitali were all cut at the same place, it's just that Vitali suffered the biggest cut.

Lennox is a cutter. I think he will cut Vitali 10 out of 10 times tbh.