Lewis beat Vitali - Fair and Square

[Dye]

vit was scheduled to fight some journeyman guy. I forget his name but jameel mcline ended up knocking him out. they both took each other on short notice and both had different styles to deal with

exactly.............

[mECHsLAVE]

Lewis had a plan for 3 more fights, but Vitali canceled that plan and Lewis retired.

If not for the freak cut(tear) on Vitali's eyelid caused by the side of Lennox's glove, then Lennox would have had to win 5 of the next 6 rounds in order to beat Vitali on points. Looked unlikely to me. And Lennox never "hurt" Vitali in the fight. I think that freak cut saved Lennox. Others think Lennox would have stopped him, or pitched a shutout to win. I see either of those as highly unlikely.

Lennox is then offered upwards of 20 mil for a rematch, and turns it down and cancels the rest of his planned fights rather than face Vitali again.

That pretty much says it all.

[Parody]

and thats no reason for Lewis to come in out of shape it's not Vitaly's fault

It was Lewis's fault coming in the worst shape of his career, but Vitali was in a better shape..Imagine If lewis WAS in shape would what the fight be like, how different

[j]

vit was scheduled to fight some journeyman guy. I forget his name but jameel mcline ended up knocking him out. they both took each other on short notice and both had different styles to deal with

read my last post!!!!!!!!!! it was cedric boswell that vitali was supposed to fight. then vk was supposed to fight lewis in the winter of that year.

did you know that lewis' fight against kirk johnson was originally supposed to be a tune up fight for a future rematch against mike tyson? i wonder how long lewis was going to try to "duck" vitali before being ordered to fight klitschko.

It was Lewis's fault coming in the worst shape of his career, but Vitali was in a better shape..Imagine If lewis WAS in shape would what the fight be like, how different

i don't think it would've changed anything. personally, i feel that they're equals. they basicaly cancel eachother out in terms of advantages and weaknesses.

[Parody]

[Mr. Ryan]

I personally agreed with the stoppage, but at first I was incensed because of the spirited effort Vitali Klitschko was putting forth. Vitali was cut in the third with a grazing right hand above the left eye, and that cut was deep as ****. His left eye looked like a piece of fresh cut fish. The cut was situated right in the spot where all the nerves met that controlled function in his eyes. Had he been allowed to continue with his eye in that shape, he might've lost function in his eye. I know for a fact he couldn't see **** because when the doctor asked him how many fingers he was holding up, he had to turn his whole head around.

However, if not for the cut, Lewis was going to get stopped by Klitschko. He was poorly out of shape, and judging by the way Lewis sank to his stool at the end of the sixth, probably wasn't going to make it through the next two rounds because of his exhaustion. But things are as they are, and Lewis escaped for the moment with his title.

[Parody]

IMO Lennox Lewis was a very smart fighter...

[j]

parody, you're from london, so it doesn't surprise me that you favor lewis. it's actually a pet peeve i have of fans who simply root for fighters because they are the same nationality. i keep thinking like, damn, be original and have a mind of your own. same thing goes for americans who think that the heavyweight sucks right now because there is three champs that are from europe.

[j]

asian sensation, pretty decent post. i don't think it would've mattered what shape lewis was in - vitali would've been very capable of beating an in-shape lewis. besides, i don't think lewis was very out of shape, just not quite in top form perhaps.

too bad lewis chickened out of the rematch. at least he appeared to chicken out. i mean what fighter wouldn't want to leave the sport with 10+ million more and no questions left?

[Mr. Ryan]

asian sensation, pretty decent post. i don't think it would've mattered what shape lewis was in - vitali would've been very capable of beating an in-shape lewis. besides, i don't think lewis was very out of shape, just not quite in top form perhaps.

too bad lewis chickened out of the rematch. at least he appeared to chicken out. i mean what fighter wouldn't want to leave the sport with 10+ million more and no questions left?

Yeah, Lewis was very uncomfortable with fighting a guy with a longer reach than him and whose style was very scientific as well. What made things even more confusing was Vitali's aggressiveness and making him fight at a torrid pace for big men.

I don't think Lewis chickened out, he just knew he couldn't beat Klitschko at his advanced age. It sucks because him not fighting Klitschko again has become a big part of his legacy. But I guess getting stopped in your last fight is worse than retiring as the champion.