Was Lennox Lewis in his PRIME when he stopped Vitali Klitschko?

[BigAlexSand]

Lewis was far from his Prime! Anyone who claims he was, is just ignorant. Lewis was out of shape, with little desire to continue to fight and was getting old.

[DreamFighter]

I applaud him, Lewis, for an outstanding career, like I said 3rd best HW ever. He did not have his heart in the ring anymore and walked away a proud champion rather than fight the rematch vs a young bull who was close to beating him. Lewis' prime was 1999-2003 BTW. He was less than 2.5 years removed from Rahman I and II fights and the Tyson fight. It is from 1999-2003 that he went from an excellent HW to an ATG,look it up. Respect 2 ATG top 10 HW, watch the fight again and again, appreciate, and wonder what the rematch would have held ??? Lewis was in his prime, he just thought that he was fighting Curt Johnson up until 2.5-3 weeks prior to fight.****, both he and Vitali could have drank together then whooped Curt Johnson.

aha, I see, lovely.

What makes them bloom in the 30s?

[Jedi Vader]

“So, when it came time for me to see if I should fight Klitschko again, I thought - at my worst, at my worst! I beat Klitschko and look what I did to his face! I was at my worst - just think what would’ve happened if I’d trained just a little bit harder. I didn’t need to fight him again.”

Former heavyweight king and all-time great Lennox Lewis gave an exclusive and highly interesting interview on T.V last night in the U.K, as he spoke candidly before Sky Sports cameras. The retired legend, now aged 45, made it abundantly clear he will NOT be fighting again; saying how he is aghast to see former foes Evander Holyfield, Hasim Rahman and Shannon Briggs still trying to recapture what they were able to do in their twenties - an “impossible” goal, according to the three-time ruler.

The hour-long interview was full of interesting and revealing comments from the father of three, but it was when he spoke about his epic, somewhat controversial fight with Vitali Kitschko (Lewis’ final fight) that Lennox was most interesting.

Lewis spoke about how he is “always” asked why he never came back to fight Klitschko again, and he gave his reasons for not returning to give us the fight some fans (and Vitali himself) have obsessed about ever since 2003.

“People always ask me why I never came back to fight [Vitali] Kitschko [again],” Lewis said to Sky Sports. “The reason was, I had no hunger for Klitschko - he never said he wanted to eat my children, he never bit me in the leg (as former opponent Mike Tyson had done). He never did anything like that.

“So, when it came time for me to see if I should fight Klitschko again, I thought - at my worst, at my worst! I beat Klitschko and look what I did to his face! I was at my worst - just think what would’ve happened if I’d trained just a little bit harder. I didn’t need to fight him again.”

Indeed, fans do tend to forget that Lewis, who had originally trained for a fight with Kirk Johnson the June night he met late replacement Klitschko, had only a limited amount of time to get ready for “Dr Iron Fist” and his style of fighting. Yet still Lewis busted up Klitschko and won via TKO.

Lewis was asked if he feels he would have won had the fight not been stopped due to the quite horrific cuts Klitschko suffered in that great action fight.

“Of course,” Lewis answered. “What I did to Klitschko was, I brought him into the deep water. After five rounds, that was it - the same as it was with Frank Bruno. That’s the problem today with the heavyweights, they only train for a five round fight, and that’s why the Klitschkos beat them, because they are in such great condition.”

Lewis was asked just who gave him his toughest-ever fight. And though Lennox said all his fights were tough in one way or another, the name Ray Mercer came up.

“Ray Mercer was tough,” Lewis admitted. “They put me in a small ring with him! That was a great fight. They really wanted to test my heart, so they gave me that fight. He [Mercer] asked me some questions with his combinations, and I answered him with combinations!”

As to the two losses Lewis suffered in his pro career - to Oliver McCall in 1994 and to Hasim Rahman in 2001 (both avenged) - the 45-year-old gave his reasons for why he lost the two big upsets; McCall first:

“The first loss, to McCall - his right hand got there first,” he said. “And then the referee counted fast. I was up on my feet, and I was like “what are you doing!?” “Let me go on.” But that loss helped me, that and the loss to Hasim Rahman - in that it rekindled the flame that was dwindling in me.”

And why he lost to Rahman?

“Everything was not aligned for me that day. Ask ten people why I lost that fight and they’ll give you ten different reasons. It was the altitude, the different timing, being in a different place - I‘m not trying to make any excuse. But it was a lucky shot, to tell you the truth. In the second fight he never touched me and he couldn’t understand it.”

Lewis did indeed look flawless in the 4th-round KO revenge win over “The Rock,” and he explained to Sky Sports viewers the difference between the lucky punch Rahman won with, and the deliberate shot he himself won the second fight with.

“A lucky shot is a shot that is thrown one time and connects one time,” he explained. “It’s not like the man meant to do it. In the second fight between me and him, I was throwing my right hand from round one, that means I meant to knock him out with that right hand. That was no lucky shot I knocked him out with!”

It’s tough to argue with much of what Lennox says, and maybe now fans will put to rest the idea that he “ducked” a return with Vitali Klitschko.

Indeed, even his harshest critics will surely agree: Lennox Lewis did all that was required of him during his tenure in the sport of boxing!

http://www.e a s tsideboxing.com/weblog/news.php?p=25904&more=1

[marvelousmatt]

what makes them bloom in their 30s?

Usually, they learn how to use their advantages better or get better through trials in the ring that challenge whether or not they want to do this job anymore. A lot of the ATG have learned to use their jab and height to dominate in their 30's and later...see Holmes, Vlad, Foreman, Lewis, etc... A lot of the ATG HW have abandoned that reckless style of go for broke early KO's and learned their craft by breaking down opponents then KO.A lot have gotten old time trainers to teach HW boxing which is a whole new animal as well.

Now imagine a fighter like David Price or Deontay Wilder , nearing 30,great pedigree, and a huge dude with an Emmanuel Stewart-type trainer who teaches him how to use his 6'9" height and stop pawing with that "jab" ....scary.

[DreamFighter]

Usually, they learn how to use their advantages better or get better through trials in the ring that challenge whether or not they want to do this job anymore. A lot of the ATG have learned to use their jab and height to dominate in their 30's and later

aha you mean they haven't learnt to use their jab and height at all in the amateur days or in their twenties?
You mean it takes them decades to realise they are tall?
Are you referring exclusively to boxers with severe learning difficulties?
Maybe then it might take them 15 years to dawn on them what a jab is.

And hey whats that bit about learning if they want to do boxing as a job in their 30s??? Who leaves it till their 30s to decide on their career? Maybe 30something guys who still live with mum, yes. Boxers retire in the 30s for sure to start OTHER careers. But I am not sure a boxer spends 15-20 years getting punched in the face because he's not sure boxing is for him lol.

...see Holmes, Vlad, Foreman, Lewis, etc

so.... all these guys bloomed in their thirties, hey? lets see then ...
Holmes was never go for broke at top level, and lost three times in his thirties, he got steadily worse, not better.
Foreman was much better when young, and NEVER fought in his thirties at a competitive level. What were you thinking when mentioning him??
Lewis learned to fight cautiously in his twenties, but never got over his lack of concentration which he carried into his 30s.

I think you might be referring to Klitschko alone when you talk about abandoning a reckless style yes?

I don't mean just Klit or those who are SO THICK that it takes them 15 years to realise they are taller than everyone else. I mean in general as is your claim, why do HW boxers come of age in their 30s?

[BattlingNelson]

Make a thread asking whether the pope is a catholic as well.

This is so ****** and redundant.

[RespekonMyName]

I think Lewis reached his physical peak in '97 against Golota.

[extant]

Lennox would have gotten KO'd if not for those cuts to Vitali face... He was getting TAGGED all night long. He was actually losing that fight. He wasn't dominating... And NO, he was FAR from his prime.

[Jedi Vader]

Make a thread asking whether the pope is a catholic as well.

This is so ****** and redundant.

Enough for you to read it and feel compelled to respond to it.

[BattlingNelson]

Enough for you to read it and feel compelled to respond to it.

I don't expect you to understand, but threads like these is what makes NSB schit. Why doesn't TS argue the point in the very thread where he saw this odd postulate? Is it really neccessary to make a new thread?