Lennox Lewis - How good was he?

[damuttz112]

Tyson clearly ducked Lewis on multiple ocassions. He/don king paid him $6 million I think NOT to fight him. Then he said multiple times that he wasn't quite ready for him.

Lewis was clearly not at his best vs Vitali. He was demotivated and hadn't trained properly. He was by no means shot, but he was not the Lennox that turned up for Tyson. That's for damn sure.

This is true, post-prison Don paid Lennox to step aside and took on Holyfield thinking he was past it (didn't look good at all in his last couple of fights) and what a surprise they got.

[Elroy1]

Yep, inactive for a year and the heaviest of his entire career. He was just hitting his prime in time for Vitali.

See, this is exactly what I'm talking about.. He talked good, he LOOKED good (can't point to anything otherwise), he only weighed in FIVE LBS heavier than usual and pretty much exactly the same as he did in another of his big fights.

And yeah, inactive for a year, as if that's an something difficult to overcome... There's this strange concept that a long break HEALS the body sometimes. There's this strange thing called sparring which keeps fighters sharp and develops skills inbetween fights. If you think Lennox got up off the couch to fight Vitali or Johnson your a fool! This is boxing, Lennox did not compete to lose and does not take top contenders like that lightly. He didn't become champion by being naïve!

[LacedUp]

See, this is exactly what I'm talking about.. He talked good, he LOOKED good (can't point to anything otherwise), he only weighed in FIVE LBS heavier than usual and pretty much exactly the same as he did in another of his big fights.

And yeah, inactive for a year, as if that's an something difficult to overcome... There's this strange concept that a long break HEALS the body sometimes. There's this strange thing called sparring which keeps fighters sharp and develops skills inbetween fights. If you think Lennox got up off the couch to fight Vitali or Johnson your a fool! This is boxing, Lennox did not compete to lose and does not take top contenders like that lightly. He didn't become champion by being naïve!

If he looked good then why did everyone incl the entire HBO staff comment on his shape and how badly he looked before the fight and as he entered the ring? He was clearly at his worst, there's no way around it.

But even at his worst, he still managed to smash Vitali's face to bits. Imagine if he was actually in shape.

[Weltschmerz]

If he looked good then why did everyone incl the entire HBO staff comment on his shape and how badly he looked before the fight and as he entered the ring? He was clearly at his worst, there's no way around it.

But even at his worst, he still managed to smash Vitali's face to bits. Imagine if he was actually in shape.

Imagine if he would actually give Vitali the much warranted rematch. Too bad he didn't have the balls to do so.

[LacedUp]

Imagine if he would actually give Vitali the much warranted rematch. Too bad he didn't have the balls to do so.

.......................

[Weltschmerz]

Vitali took the fight on just 10 days notice.

Vitali was clearly winning the fight 4-2 on all 3 scorecards at the time of the controversial doctor stoppage. Lewis barely survived the 2nd round and almost got KO'd, he was badly hurt, holding on for dear life, wobbling everywhere and staggering around the ring like a drunk. Lewis was badly hurt several times in the fight and was getting outboxed, outworked, outmuscled and outlanded by Vitali.

punches landed

Vitali 156

Lewis 102


Lewis was exhausted, worn down and hurt from the accumulation of punches and was ready to get KTFO again, he collapsed onto his stool at the end of the 6th round, Vitali was clearly the fresher of the two, he was a man on a mission and would've KO'd Lewis for sure if the fight had continued.

After the fight, Vitali intimidated the **** out of Lewis and made him look like a *****.

All the fans at Staples Center cheered for Vitali and booed Lewis after the fight.

Lewis promised Vitali a rematch.

Vitali destroyed Kirk Johnson in 2 rounds and called out Lewis again in the post fight interview. The scared Lewis retired shortly after that fight.

Lewis turned down 40 million dollars for a rematch and retired like a coward because he knew he would get destroyed by Vitali.

Vitali dominated Lewis and scared his ***** ass into retirement.

George Foreman: "Vitali was winning the fight. Lewis got lucky. There has to be a rematch!"

Jim Lampley: "A lucky escape for Lewis who was clearly losing the fight"

Even Emanuel Steward was upset and pissed off at Lewis for blatantly ducking a Vitali rematch.

Lewis is scared to death of Vitali.

[Axl Rose]

Very good thread. Lennox Lewis is one of the best out there, no doubt in my mind.

But if we are critical, alot of hes victory was against fighters who were over the top when he faced them. Bruno, Tyson, Holyfield, (McCall shoould never have faught in the rematch) and Tony Tucker.

Bowe may or may not ducked him, but they did agree to fight each other in March 1995. So Bowe was ready. When Lewis lost hes title to McCall in september 1994, a non-title fight went out the window.

Lewis was clearly in trouble early in hes career against Bruno, Mercer, McCall and partly against a over the hill, ******* addicted Tony Tucker. if he had met Tyson or Holyfield in the early 90s i think he would have lost.

What was clear when he faught Holyfield in 99 was that Holyfield had lost some of hes speed that he so well showed against Tyson a couple of years earlier.

in 1992, i Think Rid**** Bowe would have won the fight.

Another fight i would love to see is Lennox vs Larry Holmes in hes prime.

[LacedUp]

Vitali took the fight on just 10 days notice.

Vitali was clearly winning the fight 4-2 on all 3 scorecards at the time of the controversial doctor stoppage. Lewis barely survived the 2nd round and almost got KO'd, he was badly hurt, holding on for dear life, wobbling everywhere and staggering around the ring like a drunk. Lewis was badly hurt several times in the fight and was getting outboxed, outworked, outmuscled and outlanded by Vitali.

punches landed

Vitali 156

Lewis 102


Lewis was exhausted, worn down and hurt from the accumulation of punches and was ready to get KTFO again, he collapsed onto his stool at the end of the 6th round, Vitali was clearly the fresher of the two, he was a man on a mission and would've KO'd Lewis for sure if the fight had continued.

After the fight, Vitali intimidated the **** out of Lewis and made him look like a *****.

All the fans at Staples Center cheered for Vitali and booed Lewis after the fight.

Lewis promised Vitali a rematch.

Vitali destroyed Kirk Johnson in 2 rounds and called out Lewis again in the post fight interview. The scared Lewis retired shortly after that fight.

Lewis turned down 40 million dollars for a rematch and retired like a coward because he knew he would get destroyed by Vitali.

Vitali dominated Lewis and scared his ***** ass into retirement.

George Foreman: "Vitali was winning the fight. Lewis got lucky. There has to be a rematch!"

Jim Lampley: "A lucky escape for Lewis who was clearly losing the fight"

Even Emanuel Steward was upset and pissed off at Lewis for blatantly ducking a Vitali rematch.

Lewis is scared to death of Vitali.

Do you have a source with $40 million being on the line?

[Elroy1]

Yeah Laced Up you shouldn't have brought out that chest nut.. It opens the tin of worms like happened just above lol.

I've seen the HBO coverage of that epic fight many times, it's my favourite version.

And yes, it was noted that Lennox, entering the ring, looked a little softer than usual around the middle and weighed in the heaviest of his career (by a very small fraction!)

And that's it... This whole "worst shape of his life" business is basically BS...

Besides, Lennox Lewis is a boxer-puncher, he can afford to come in FIVE ****ing lbs chubbier than optimal, his style is not exactly dependant on maximum athleticism.

What's more, I am a firm believer that as a HW boxer ages, he could and should not come in so fine as they did when younger, as their speed and athleticism lessens the extra weight for sapping, power, chin etc can often compensate. We seen this with Lewis throughout his career. He'd been putting on weight the whole time...

It should be no SURPRISE how much he weighed. I even think WK could begin to come in a bit heavier these days, I think Povetkin would have gassed should he of had to hold up another 10lbs all night LOL.

As for LEwis, I wonder if he would have LASTED (i.e. not been KOed) had he come in much lighter than 250 for the VK fight. Something tells me he wouldn't have.

[LacedUp]

Yeah Laced Up you shouldn't have brought out that chest nut.. It opens the tin of worms like happened just above lol.

I've seen the HBO coverage of that epic fight many times, it's my favourite version.

And yes, it was noted that Lennox, entering the ring, looked a little softer than usual around the middle and weighed in the heaviest of his career (by a very small fraction!)

And that's it... This whole "worst shape of his life" business is basically BS...

Besides, Lennox Lewis is a boxer-puncher, he can afford to come in FIVE ****ing lbs chubbier than optimal, his style is not exactly dependant on maximum athleticism.

What's more, I am a firm believer that as a HW boxer ages, he could and should not come in so fine as they did when younger, as their speed and athleticism lessens the extra weight for sapping, power, chin etc can often compensate. We seen this with Lewis throughout his career. He'd been putting on weight the whole time...

It should be no SURPRISE how much he weighed. I even think WK could begin to come in a bit heavier these days, I think Povetkin would have gassed should he of had to hold up another 10lbs all night LOL.

As for LEwis, I wonder if he would have LASTED (i.e. not been KOed) had he come in much lighter than 250 for the VK fight. Something tells me he wouldn't have.

I thought it reminded me of the way he looked against Rahman 1. Demotivated and out of shape. I think it's clear for everyone to see that he by no means was the same fighter he was when he met Tyson. That's indisputable.

But regardless, it's Lewis' own problem what kind of shape he's in. Not Vitali's. He can only beat the Lewis in front of him, and unfortunately it didn't play out for him that night.

As I said before, I can fully understand that him and his fans wanted the rematch. I wanted it too. But I think Vitali has a lot to thank Lennox for as well, as that performance changed the course of his entire career.

I don't think you can say that being heavier would be an advantage for Lennox. He's taken big punches before, he had a good chin. Besides, Vitali is not really a one punch KO artist, he wears his opponents down. He was really awkward for Lewis that night - yet Lewis still found a way to win.

People were mad at Lennox, but he didn't stop the fight ffs! Vitali needed 50 stitches. With regards to a rematch, Lennox just didn't have the desire anymore - why should he risk his legacy, knowing he wasn't the same fighter as he once was?

I applaud him for that, and think more fighters should follow suit.