But 12 years later people still recognise that Lewis ducked Byrd;)
He refused to fight him, make of it what you will.
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But 12 years later people still recognise that Lewis ducked Byrd;)
He refused to fight him, make of it what you will.
Well, when you fought Byrd, you also had to fight Jesus, that probably scared Lennox. :-XQuote:
Originally Posted by ross
There are some things that never go away. You have to be man or woman enough to deal with them for the rest of you life.Quote:
Originally Posted by ross
LOL popularity?? One of JC's biggest insecurities was that he wasn't popular enough or given the respect he felt he deserved (he didn't).Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars_axIf true, this is just chicken shit by Ward and his team. Maybe Ward is jealous of Calzaghe's popularity as a champion and the fact that SOG's fights are crap to watch.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tam Seddon
Prime for prime, Ward pitches a shutout. Be's not stupid enough to get caught by those silly windmills of JC just like Bernard wasn't. Hopkins just ran out of steam being 40 something and STILL won the fight I thought. What on earth do you think Ward would do to good ol' JC?
Eubank was given very short notice and had to quickly come down in weight..Once again Philosopher, you manipulate data to suit your arguments. Nobody said Eubank was shot, people only state the obvious. Eubank was drained and on short notice..STILL wasn't easy for JC.
An objective view would be to say both fought each other on short notice, steve collins anyone? It works both ways. Eubank had been training to fight Mark Prince at light heavyweight, He had two weeks to get down to 168lbs. However it is well known that eubank regularly had to shed 15lbs to make weight for many of his SMW fights, he never complained about it so why are you??Quote:
Philosopher you ‘normally’ talk sense but it is fact that Eubanks fought Joe at short notice because he was due to fight on the same card against a light heavy.
Prime calzaghe wins a UD over prime eubank..Quote:
The result would have been the same because Joe would not be denied and you are correct Joe was green because he was did not pace himself in that fight and was exhausted at the end.
Lennox would have beaten Byrd and Ruiz who went on and picked up the titles that Lewis dropped. Lennox had unified the titles and he achieved what he needed to and the politics and corruption to keep the titles would have been a lot of effort for very little reward.[/QUOTE]I agree, although byrd deserved his shot. Natural fight to make back then, bit like wlad v povetkin is now. Lewis vs a southpaw would have been interesting though.
You kidding?Quote:
Originally Posted by AlthugzLOL popularity?? One of JC's biggest insecurities was that he wasn't popular enough or given the respect he felt he deserved (he didn't).Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars_axIf true, this is just chicken shit by Ward and his team. Maybe Ward is jealous of Calzaghe's popularity as a champion and the fact that SOG's fights are crap to watch.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tam Seddon
Prime for prime, Ward pitches a shutout. Be's not stupid enough to get caught by those silly windmills of JC just like Bernard wasn't. Hopkins just ran out of steam being 40 something and STILL won the fight I thought. What on earth do you think Ward would do to good ol' JC?
Eubank was given very short notice and had to quickly come down in weight..Once again Philosopher, you manipulate data to suit your arguments. Nobody said Eubank was shot, people only state the obvious. Eubank was drained and on short notice..STILL wasn't easy for JC.
More than twice as many people were at Calzaghe v Kessler than there were at Hatton v Tszyu;D
Right now if Calzaghe did come back he would still sell out millenium stadium. There isnt another fighter as popular as him around bar Mayweather or Pacquiao.
He would of had no problem with Chris Byrd, considering Wladimir Klitschko who is pretty much similar to Lennox Lewis but not quite as good dominated Chris Byrd in two fights. Also Chris Byrd in 3 fights in a row had controversial decisions vs Oquendo, Golota, McCline. I seriously doubt he doubt of avoided a blown up Cruiserweight in Chris Byrd, considering he took on more dangerous opponents in his career.Quote:
Originally Posted by ross
Quote from Byrd around the time that Lennox refused to defend against him.
"It's Emmanuel Steward. That is the reason why Lennox Lewis will not fight me. Emmanuel knows my style beats Lennox. Lennox would never hit me and Steward wants somebody to stand in front of Lennox. That's why Lennox wants to fight the Klitschko brothers, because they will stand flat-footed in front of him. Lennox is too big and too slow and he is older now. He is 37 years old. My reflexes are quicker. I would make him look silly. I am too great of a challenge. You go ask anybody in the top ten, "Who do you NOT want to fight?" and everyone will tell you "Chris Byrd" because I am too quick, too slick and I will make you look bad. I wish Lennox had been a man about this. Evander Holyfied has said he wants to avoid me but he has always stepped up to the plate. Evander has never ducked a challenge. All of the great boxers fight everyone. Look at Ali! Look at Holyfield! Lennox will go through the rest of his life with people saying he avoided me. How can you say someone is not worthy who has earned the #1 spot? It is greedy. A true champion fights anyone in the division. I would fight whoever was there if I was champion. I have already proven I will fight anybody, anywhere. I have lost to Ike Ibeabuchi and Wladimir Klitschko. Ike would have been the future of boxing if he had stayed out of trouble and Wladimir is considered one of the best. Lennox was beat by Hasim Rahman and Oliver McCall. If I am not worthy, are Rahman or McCall worthy because they beat him?"
That's just his opinion though which is fair enough, but he says Lennox Lewis wouldn't hit him but Wladimir Klitschko hit him plenty and battered him around the ring twice. I just don't see why Lennox Lewis would duck a feather fisted blown up Cruiserweight.Quote:
Originally Posted by ross
Lennox Lewis would do just what Wladimir Klitschko did, keep him at range with the jab. And then occassionally fire right hands. I can't see Chris Byrd lasting the full 12 with a puncher like Lennox Lewis, he would be embarrassed and KO'ed just like he was with Wladimir Klitschko.
This was back then though. After he made Vitali quit;)Quote:
Originally Posted by ICBThat's just his opinion though which is fair enough, but he says Lennox Lewis wouldn't hit him but Wladimir Klitschko hit him plenty and battered him around the ring twice. I just don't see why Lennox Lewis would duck a feather fisted blown up Cruiserweight.Quote:
Originally Posted by ross
Lennox Lewis would do just what Wladimir Klitschko did, keep him at range with the jab. And then occassionally fire right hands. I can't see Chris Byrd lasting the full 12 with a puncher like Lennox Lewis, he would be embarrassed and KO'ed just like he was with Wladimir Klitschko.
Whatch this, Byrd made Vitali look a twat!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FecLhLS8ibI
This is pointless. The guy is 40 now and has been out of training for years.
I think Ward should be thinking about moving down a weight and going for another seemingly invincible fighter in Martinez. After Martinez beats Chavez junior, I see no reason for this fight not to happen. I think Ward would win but you know that his jaw will definately be tested in this one.
Team Johnson dare Jeffries to come out of retirement This guy could not even agree to 170.Quote:
Team Ward dare Joe Calzaghe to come out of retirement
F$%^off.
I love how it'os turned into a lewis thread lol. I dnt know why ppl r using byrd v wlad as to how lewis would handle byrd! Silly comparison. Wlad is more athletic and moves better than lennox IMO plus he know's how to fight southpaws (He's fought more southpaws than any other HW champ ever!). Holy lost to every Southpaw he ever fought, tyson and lewis never fought one (Not anyone world class anyway) Ali only fought 2, mediocre richard dunn and half decent karl mildenberger (who frustrated the hell out of ali) Ali said mildenberger was his trickiest ever fight (style wise)! Lennox never fought any quick/slick fighters like byrd or haye so u have no idea how he would do against them!
Byrd deserved his shot. And so what if he won a close one over mcline, it wasn't controversial, byrd was schooling him at times, mcline was huge with a massive reach and byrd boxed toe to toe with him (Don't forget mcline had just beaten up michael grant and shannon briggs! And would put peter down 3 times too!) Mcline was touted for big things until he crumbled vs wlad! If lewis could give kirk johnson a shot why not byrd?? Byrd was his mandatory! It's irrelevant that lewis would be fave to beat him.
Heres what happened....Lewis defended his WBC & IBF titles against Mike Tyson 6.8.2002 he then had to defend his title against No1 contender Chris Byrd and refused so was stripped... Lewis then chose to fight the amazing Kirk Johnson in defence of the pitiful IBO belt, Johnson pulled out due to injury so Lewis brought forward his mandatory WBC defence against Vitali Klitschko from December 2003 to June 2003.. u cant act like byrd so far beneath u u dont need to fight him then go beat up Botha lol.
In truth tho Lewis probably just thought im not gonna look good against Byrd.. Emmanuel Stewart told Lewis that Byrd could make him look very bad and that it could harm Lewis standing..so they avoided him, yet think if we only had one governing body with only the one belt
Lewis was a fat shell of himself and he was still dominating! Come on, so lewis is prime ducker now?Quote:
Originally Posted by THE PHILOSOPHER
He dropped his belt rather than face his mandatory! What does that tell u? A champ faces his mandatories. I think he avoided sanders too.Quote:
Lewis was a fat shell of himself and he was still dominating! Come on, so lewis is prime ducker now?
Prime Sanders might have ko Lewis. Prime 100% Fully Motivated Corrie Sanders.
Sanders KO Lewis 2
Byrd SD Lewis 12
Sanders vs. Byrd for the true undisputed title and lineage. Book it, baby! Vanilla SouthPaw beat the Chocolate Southpaw is the real question? Sanders has reach and power..but Byrd has slickness? I'm totally torn.
As for fat old lewis u are talking shit! He was 250 for tyson, 256 for VK and 246 for holy. Secondly he was only a year older than wlad is now when he retired and had just put on one of his career defining performances in his superfight with tyson! What the hell was the 235lb version of tyson that lewis fought? He went onto get kayoed by danny williams! Tysons average prime weight was 220lbs! (see bruno fights!) How about a 38 yr old holy? Double standards anyone! Lewis a shot linear champ....go figure!!
If anyone was a shell it was 32 yr old vitali klitschko who had carried numerous injuries through from his kickboxing days and had 11 days notice to fight the linear champ! Secondly vitali weighed 250lbs he regularly scaled at 245lbs so if lewis was 5 lbs overweight so was vitali! Personally i dont think we truly ever saw the best vitali klitschko! I mean he has been plagued with injuries his entire career, most brought about through his pro career in kicboxing as a youth (a much more brutal game than the boxing am's or pro boxing!)
If u want to talk prime lewis then let's talk about when lennox blew it in the 90's against tyson by being blown out in 2 by featherfisted mcall!