Why Does Vitali Get More Credit for Losing to Lewis than Rahman Gets for Winning?

[Salardo]

......I'm 31......Lewis in 2003 was a shell of what he was in the mid 90's. He also came into the ring at a career high weight, noticeably in not as good of shape as previous years. He was even heavier at 256 than when Rahman KO'd him, when he weighed 253 and looked a bit out of shape compared to previous fights.

and I am 33 years old and you have NO IDEA what you are talking about. Lewis was in his prime when he fought Vitali Klitschko and if you can't see that or don't know that you just don't care about the truth.
I followed his whole career and he wasn't past his prime AT ALL when he fought Klitschko. But I understand as a Klitschko hater you would say something like that cause Klitschko was at times beating him up pretty good and Lennox looked really bad at times in that fight.
Some hater somehow comes up with the argument "Lewis was old and way past his prime" and all the other idiots repeat that BS on this forum. All these ******ed kids here on this forum have no clue what they are talking about. When Lewis fought Klitschko most of the pple who post in this thread were still in elementary school. I wasn't. I was 24 years old and watched the fight live on TV. I know Lewis was ducking both Klitschkos since years before the fight happened. Lewis just never fought them. And then suddenly he gave Vitali a chance, but Klitschko only had 2 weeks to prepare cause Lewis didn't want to face a Klitschko who was well prepared for Lewis. Lewis probably paid off his opponent back then to pull out of the fight and Lewis knew all the time he would fight Klitschko, but Klitschko didn't know it.
Anybody who was following boxing back then knows both Klitschkos were chasing a fight with Lennox since YEARS.

[Safety]

Damn, I never thought of it like that.

[joseph5620]

and I am 33 years old and you have NO IDEA what you are talking about. Lewis was in his prime when he fought Vitali Klitschko and if you can't see that or don't know that you just don't care about the truth.I followed his whole career and he wasn't past his prime AT ALL when he fought Klitschko. But I understand as a Klitschko hater you would say something like that cause Klitschko was at times beating him up pretty good and Lennox looked really bad at times in that fight.
Some hater somehow comes up with the argument "Lewis was old and way past his prime" and all the other idiots repeat that BS on this forum. All these ******ed kids here on this forum have no clue what they are talking about. When Lewis fought Klitschko most of the pple who post in this thread were still in elementary school. I wasn't. I was 24 years old and watched the fight live on TV. I know Lewis was ducking both Klitschkos since years before the fight happened. Lewis just never fought them. And then suddenly he gave Vitali a chance, but Klitschko only had 2 weeks to prepare cause Lewis didn't want to face a Klitschko who was well prepared for Lewis. Lewis probably paid off his opponent back then to pull out of the fight and Lewis knew all the time he would fight Klitschko, but Klitschko didn't know it.
Anybody who was following boxing back then knows both Klitschkos were chasing a fight with Lennox since YEARS.

That's a flat out lie. Also, both had two weeks notice but they were scheduled to fight in December anyway.

[Salardo]

Great read.

And Yes .. People rather glorify a lost than an actual win.. Vitali also avoided Rahman FOUR times in one year....Back when Rahman meant something.,

lol. What kind of crap is this?? Klitschko had injuries all the time before he took a break from boxing. That is why he had to pull out of the fight and he lost a big big payday. He would have smoked Rahman like he smoked all the other guys on Rahman's level (Herbie Hide, Vaughn Bean, Larry Donald, Kirk Johnson, Corrie Sanders, Arreola, Sam Peter)

[Simurgh]

Could we please stop with official and unofficial ("uncle") FACTS!

Only relevant info is their fight. No expert/boxer ever doubt Vitali's chin or skills. I really find quite funny people are working so hard trying to dismiss Vitali. And I don't get the agenda.. You can like/love other fighters and still respect Vitali.

Lewis in that fight wasn't in his prime and wasn't best ever but neither was Vitali.
I choose Vitali that fought Peter/Gomez/Arreola over the one that fought Lennox every time.
He was much more matured, smarter and overall better boxer! Prior to Lennox fight he was used to finish the guys with pure aggressiveness..

[Salardo]

That's a flat out lie.

the problem with guys like you is that you don't understand boxing. You see how Lewis looked against Klitschko and therefore you say "he was past his prime". What you don't understand is that for both Lewis and Klitschko this was a special fight cause both couldn't fight "tall" like they did in all their other fights. Cause this time they were facing an opponent who was as tall and big as themselves. Previously Klitschko and Lewis always had a size and/or reach advantage over their opponent and they could keep their opponents at the end of their jabs. But this time this wasn't possible cause the size/style matchup was different. And that is why Lewis looked totally different in that fight.
But he wasn't past his prime AT ALL. And I have seen all his fights and followed his career and there was no indication of him being past his prime. He avenged the loss against Rahman in spectacular fashion before the Klitschko fight and then smoked (a past prime) Tyson.

[joseph5620]

the problem with guys like you is that you don't understand boxing. You see how Lewis looked against Klitschko and therefore you say "he was past his prime". What you don't understand is that for both Lewis and Klitschko this was a special fight cause both couldn't fight "tall" like they did in all their other fights. Cause this time they were facing an opponent who was as tall and big as themselves. Previously Klitschko and Lewis always had a size and/or reach advantage over their opponent and they could keep their opponents at the end of their jabs. But this time this wasn't possible cause the size/style matchup was different. And that is why Lewis looked totally different in that fight.
But he wasn't past his prime AT ALL. And I have seen all his fights and followed his career and there was no indication of him being past his prime. He avenged the loss against Rahman in spectacular fashion before the Klitschko fight and then smoked (a past prime) Tyson.

I understand boxing well enough to see through BS. Lewis at 38, inactive for a year, and the heaviest of his career was not "prime." The other lies you told are not even worth a response.

[FrankieBruno]

Lewis was way past it, he had grey hairs for godsake

He took the fight on short notice, just shows you what a tough ****a Lewis was

He gave Vitali his shot, u get one shot at Lewis, if u knock him out u will a rematch to do it again, of u dont then thats it

Lewis knew his body was over, he'd been in so many wars, he was nearing 40 and struggling with fitness and legs and injuries, he did the right thing and retire, dont think he wanted to carry on training.

Vitali had a chance he just cudnt hang with the old timer

[Simurgh]

Lewis was way past it, he had grey hairs for godsake

He took the fight on short notice, just shows you what a tough ****a Lewis was

He gave Vitali his shot, u get one shot at Lewis, if u knock him out u will a rematch to do it again, of u dont then thats it

Lewis knew his body was over, he'd been in so many wars, he was nearing 40 and struggling with fitness and legs and injuries, he did the right thing and retire, dont think he wanted to carry on training.

Vitali had a chance he just cudnt hang with the old timer

All the respect to Lennox for giving Vitali a chance as didn't have to.

But looking at all the other fights Lewis ever fought I really can't see this fight would be dramatically different if Lennox was in his 'prime' or 'primer'.

If you take 'prime lennox' (lennox that fought holyfield, mavrovic or mercer) I don't see anything that much more impressive than what he showed in Vitali's fight. He might be more athletic, but he never was especially fast guy.

His chin always was ok, nothing extraordinary so he would still be stunned by clean vitali's shot. I simply can't see what he was doing bad, or worse than he was normally doing in his whole career.

People should give Vitali due credit rather than saying Lennox was bad when he wasn't doing anything dramatically worse than normal.

[FrankieBruno]

All the respect to Lennox for giving Vitali a chance as didn't have to.

But looking at all the other fights Lewis ever fought I really can't see this fight would be dramatically different if Lennox was in his 'prime' or 'primer'.

If you take 'prime lennox' (lennox that fought holyfield, mavrovic or mercer) I don't see anything that much more impressive than what he showed in Vitali's fight. He might be more athletic, but he never was especially fast guy.

His chin always was ok, nothing extraordinary so he would still be stunned by clean vitali's shot. I simply can't see what he was doing bad, or worse than he was normally doing in his whole career.

People should give Vitali due credit rather than saying Lennox was bad when he wasn't doing anything dramatically worse than normal.

A prime Lennox would not have come into the ring looking sloppy and out of shape, he was out of the ring for one year, so you could see he had fallen out of love with the sport, but like all boxers thought he could just lace them gloves up and see if he still had it, but he didnt.

Lewis was moving slower and slower as the years went by, a prime lewis was faster, more crispy with his attack, and moves around better. Lewis started to look sluggish, thats just the facts of age and long lay offs