Comments Thread For: Photos: Vitali Klitschko, Lennox Lewis - Face To Face To Reflect

[Boxing Goat]

Thats dope he took the fight on 16 days notice. These punks today, never happen.

If he truly knew how special Vitali was at the time, he probably wouldn't have gone through with it.
But, Lennox did do it and took his lumps to outlast Vitali as it was so fair play to him. That said, Vitali was training for a far lesser fighter as well. Not the ATG Lennox the Lion. A rematch would have been fricken awesome!

[robbyheartbaby]

Man what a fight, Vitali took Lennox to the limit, a 37 year old Lennox that is. I remember being so impressed Lewis took the fight on 2 weeks notice too, you don't see nobody do that these days. While Vitali was winning the fight I really felt that Lewis came back well in the fifth and sixth round and yes that cut was grotesque the fight had to stop.

[markther]

The best HW division era in history???

Ali, Foreman, Frazier, Norton

or

Tyson, Lewis, Holyfield, Bowe

I would have said the 2nd one if Bowe and Tyson fought and Bowe and Lewis fought. Holyfield was the only one who fought all (3) contemporaries.

Joshua, Wilder, Whyte, Povetkin,....pathetic!

[vitali1999]

Why take 20 mil when it's time to retire? People say he ducked Vitili, but on the opposite end we bash guys who stick around for the paycheck.

They both retired at the top. Unlike many others, Holyfield, Tyson. The list goes on and on

[ADP02]

That L did more for Vitali than any of his wins did. He looked bloody unstoppable. That image of him trying to convince the ref to let him continue wth his face all carved up...I don't think I was ever in awe of a performance of his again until he just DOMINATED Sam Peter after 3-4 years out of the ring.

Yup, people were back on the Vitali bandwagon after that L. He showed that he can take a punch! Some of those shots from Lennox … wow! Mind you, Lennox looked out of shape in that fight.

[joe strong]

Would have been a great rematch if Vitalis eye would of held up. Lewis turned down 20 million for the rematch.

Yes it would have been great but I think Lennox knew it was time to retire & having to train for a beast like Vitali again was probably a little more than he was interested in doing at 38. He won the fight at the end of the day but he knew that a rematch could very well go either way & he wasn't willing to consider a possibility of a trilogy if needed.

[_Rexy_]

Yup, people were back on the Vitali bandwagon after that L. He showed that he can take a punch! Some of those shots from Lennox … wow! Mind you, Lennox looked out of shape in that fight.

Still. People were thinking vitali was soft after that RTD loss to Byrd. He got fans after that.

Then his boring brother ruined the division lol

[joe strong]

The best HW division era in history???

Ali, Foreman, Frazier, Norton

or

Tyson, Lewis, Holyfield, Bowe

I would have said the 2nd one if Bowe and Tyson fought and Bowe and Lewis fought. Holyfield was the only one who fought all (3) contemporaries.

Joshua, Wilder, Whyte, Povetkin,....pathetic!

Useless info but Frans Botha was the only one who fought Tyson, Holyfield, Lewis & Wlad Klitschko... The one HW who never gets enough credit. Add Briggs & Moorer... He fought 6 former world champions including the big 3 of the 90s... minus Bowe...

[vitali1999]

Yes it would have been great but I think Lennox knew it was time to retire & having to train for a beast like Vitali again was probably a little more than he was interested in doing at 38. He won the fight at the end of the day but he knew that a rematch could very well go either way & he wasn't willing to consider a possibility of a trilogy if needed.

I admire both Lewis and Klitschko for knowing when to retire. They both hung them up with the title in hand. Went out on there feet instead of there backs

[alexjust]

Can never forget that Lewis uppercut in the 5th, I think. It was perfection and surely would have crumbled 99% of heaavyweights. Vitali's whiskers were maybe the greatest ever.

Spot on. I still remember the sound of that punch. It's like a cannon went off. Even the commentator said it would have been enough to decapitate a bull. Vitali? I don't think he even noticed to be honest...his chin is out of this world. A rhino would envy his jaw.