Was Lennox Lewis a coward for not rematching Klit?

in hindsight I think he definitey WAS. Certainly he was aware that he got hammered hard and looked bad, and to some extent totally lucked out with that thumb that ripped open the eye at the end of that long arcing rainbow punch. If it werent for that , he was certainy behind on all cards. A true champ would not have taken the safe way out, what is there to savor with a lucky win ike that, looking like crap and the crowd booing you? A true champ wouldnt be satisfied going out like that with that dark cloud over your head in your final bout.

He should have reacthed Klit, gotten into the best shae he could, he was only 37, come on, George Foreman fought until 49. Lewis shoud have come back and knocked that jackass out like he came back and sparked Rahman. We say he always got revenge, but he didnt get revenge against Klit did he now.

Had he come back from that shoddiness with a stellar or even solid win over Klit, the world would put him at like #3 or 4 alltime great heavyweight.

He had personal issues as well, like his wife telling him she would leave him if he continued to box.

That mixed with the fact that he knew he was getting beat it hat fight and was lucky to win.

lewis had had an amazing career, had fought some great fighters

i really dont think he decided to call it a day because he was scared of vitali

He went out on a huge win. If he didn't have the desire or feel his body could get ready for another war he was right to retire. What would a rematch and a loss have done to his legacy?

Yes he was behind but I thought he was actually getting on top at the time of the stoppage.

Lewis a coward ? No way. I think deep down he knew he was on the slide and didn't have the hunger any more. You have to respect him for getting out at that point and securing his legacy. God knows how many million he would have got for rematch but he wasn't interested.

Vitali's face was FUBAR and he record books will always show Lewis TKO6 Vitali Klitschko

Wow Brockton, I'm glad you brought this fight to my attention. Hell of a fight.


I don't think he was getting beat bad at all tho. This was a hell of a fight. Klit probably woud have won on points.


At 38-39 years old I definitely don't blame Lewis for not wanting to take another fight like this. The second fight would be similar. Lewis would have to have a high work out put to overcome Klits reach and height advantage.


A younger, better conditioned Lewis, would have the ability to put the work in. At that age he slowed down and lost just enough conditioning for Klit to utilize his reach against him and land those combos.

No he's not a coward, but let's be honest that fight MADE HIM RETIRE. He knew his time was up.

Never in a million years was Lennox a coward, he beat Vitalis face to a pulp and got the win.

He was def slowing down at that point of his career and he retired at the right time.

There's nothing bad anyone can say against Lennox.

Top fighter and a top role model too.

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Originally Posted by smashup

Never in a million years was Lennox a coward, he beat Vitalis face to a pulp and got the win.

He was def slowing down at that point of his career and he retired at the right time.

There's nothing bad anyone can say against Lennox.

Top fighter and a top role model too.

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Truly awful commentator ;D

He would have gotten beaten by a younger fighter who wasn't of his era... he solidified his claims as the best HW of the 80's and 90's... who go into the 00's with younger comp that would definitely out-work him?

Worse than that- a ko one could have stomached, if he was winning technically. But he would have lost on points to Vitali. He couldn't stomach that.

He retired with a win over a great fighter, why not retire on a high?

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Originally Posted by Bo-Bo24

He retired with a win over a great fighter, why not retire on a high?

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It was a rip off of a win

I think rip off is a bit harsh, the cuts were caused by punches, lucky or not. The timing of the stoppage made it very disappointing to watch, but the doctors aren't there to root a guy on or keep score just as the ref isn't, how the fight had gone didn't matter. You could take the biggest fight in the world, have one guy pitching a shutout going into the 12th round, then say he gets tagged a few times and split open. You still can't let him continue with this shit on his face.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5CY45Ic76e...+Klitschko.jpg

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Originally Posted by p4pking

I think rip off is a bit harsh, the cuts were caused by punches, lucky or not. The timing of the stoppage made it very disappointing to watch, but the doctors aren't there to root a guy on or keep score just as the ref isn't, how the fight had gone didn't matter. You could take the biggest fight in the world, have one guy pitching a shutout going into the 12th round, then say he gets tagged a few times and split open. You still can't let him continue with this shit on his face.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5CY45Ic76e...+Klitschko.jpg

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Game
Set
Match

Lewis would have made millions in the rematch though..but he made a smart move and called it a day.

Vitali has dominated this era and hopefully he can dominate and change the bigger issues in his country..

Ali gave Quarry a rematch when Quarry got cut during the fight.....just saying.


Also the scorecards and fan response points to a different winner: Vitali

A win is a win is a win.... Vitali couldn't continue. End of story!

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Originally Posted by ykdadamaja

A win is a win is a win.... Vitali couldn't continue. End of story!

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He could, and he wanted to, but the doctor was right to stop it. Point is Vitali was up on the cards and THAT should have earned him a rematch, but whatever it's all done and dusted and neither guy is fighting again.


Why can't people just appreciate that fight which was a really fun fight? That was an exciting fight...though people will say it was "sloppy" but that's because it was a spur of the moment fight and I think that added to why it was such a fun fight to see unfold.

Lennox had achieved everything by the time he fought Vital I, he had unified the titles, beaten Holyfield and Tyson, beaten the pretenders like Tua and Grant, avenged his loss against Rachman. After vitali he would have had to face others like Peter, Wlad, Ruiz, Value .... So where does he stop? He retired at the right time.

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Originally Posted by ykdadamaja

He would have gotten beaten by a younger fighter who wasn't of his era... he solidified his claims as the best HW of the 80's and 90's... who go into the 00's with younger comp that would definitely out-work him?

Worse than that- a ko one could have stomached, if he was winning technically. But he would have lost on points to Vitali. He couldn't stomach that.

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Really? I only think a handfull of fighters in the history of the sport would come out on top of Lewis if they were to fight prime v prime.

I respect his decision even though I was sort of a fan at least he was man enough to not sit alone in a room because he took that other fight that may have had him talking out of one side of his mouth saying these words,"Do you think I carried this thing a little too far?"

We don't get to choose how we lose or win... it is determined. Vitali could not continue under those circumstances. This is why we have judges, ring doctors and a ref. Vitali could not continue- if left up to him, he would have lost an eye.
:rolleyes:

This is PROFESIONAL SPORTS, ladies... better yet, PROFESSIONAL BOXING! A large way where it is different from amateurs is the fact that everything is everything- particularly with boxing. You can win every round, win on all scorecards, be miles ahead on points, but if you're eff'd up, then you're eff'd up. Period. A win is a win is a win....
:cool:

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Originally Posted by Master

Lennox had achieved everything by the time he fought Vital I, he had unified the titles, beaten Holyfield and Tyson, beaten the pretenders like Tua and Grant, avenged his loss against Rachman. After vitali he would have had to face others like Peter, Wlad, Ruiz, Value .... So where does he stop? He retired at the right time.

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#1 Lewis avenged defeat vs Hasim Rahman and NOT light flyweight Muhammad Rachman...HUGE difference.

#2 No Lennox Lewis would not have been obligated to fight anyone else but HAD HE there were only 2-3 viable candidates WBA title holder John Ruiz, IBF title holder Chris Byrd, and perhaps Kirk Johnson who he had originally scheduled to fight or Corrie Sanders.

He did retire at the right time and no that doesn't make him a coward, he was smart to retire when he did.

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Originally Posted by El Kabong

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Originally Posted by Master

Lennox had achieved everything by the time he fought Vital I, he had unified the titles, beaten Holyfield and Tyson, beaten the pretenders like Tua and Grant, avenged his loss against Rachman. After vitali he would have had to face others like Peter, Wlad, Ruiz, Value .... So where does he stop? He retired at the right time.

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#1 Lewis avenged defeat vs Hasim Rahman and NOT light flyweight Muhammad Rachman...HUGE difference.

#2 No Lennox Lewis would not have been obligated to fight anyone else but HAD HE there were only 2-3 viable candidates WBA title holder John Ruiz, IBF title holder Chris Byrd, and perhaps Kirk Johnson who he had originally scheduled to fight or Corrie Sanders.

He did retire at the right time and no that doesn't make him a coward, he was smart to retire when he did.

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Number 1 you knew who I meant.

Number 2 some dick would have said what about this guy or that one ....

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Originally Posted by Master

Number 1 you knew who I meant.

Number 2 some dick would have said what about this guy or that one ....

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How difficult is it to spell Rahman it's 'Rah' then '-man'....plus he's like 200 pounds heavier than Rachman.



That makes no sense, Lewis retired without fighting those guys anyway, he had no plan to fight Ruiz or Byrd much less the others because he felt they were beneath him and they did not deserve any attention from him regardless of how the fight vs Vitali went. Sure Byrd and Ruiz had a point what with holding the belts and all but Lewis let go of those a long time ago with no intention of reuniting them.

No. Lewis was not a coward. He was smart and a realist.

Let's say Lennox DID continue boxing, who would have finally ended his title reign?

Lewis knew when to retire, he would've lost any rematch with Vitali and knew that too. His time was up.

@El Kabong I think guys like Valuev or prime Haye would outhustle him as he approached 39 or 40 years old.

Valuev wasn't "out hustling" anyone neither was Haye

Unlike most fighters, Lewis retired at exactly the right time. Vitali gave him hell, he heeded the warning and walked away with a win in his last fight and as a champion.

Look at someone like Tyson. Should have retired or been banned for life after the second Holyfield fight, but he fought on as a shadow of his former self for the money and ended up taking an embarrassing beating from Lewis and losing to mediocre fighters after that.

Don't even get me started on Holyfield!

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Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

@El Kabong I think guys like Valuev or prime Haye would outhustle him as he approached 39 or 40 years old.

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:D..... A "prime" Valuev couldn't outhustle Lennox Lewis today!

If Lennox had rematched Vitali I'd imagine both would be better prepared and it could have been quite different, who's to say? Maybe Lewis knew he couldn't get back to his best form, felt fortunate to have gotten the win and had some personal reasons to retire. To imply he's a coward for that is pretty much nuts.

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Originally Posted by El Kabong

Valuev wasn't "out hustling" anyone neither was Haye

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you clown i was agreeing with you

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Originally Posted by El Kabong

Ali gave Quarry a rematch when Quarry got cut during the fight.....just saying.


Also the scorecards and fan response points to a different winner: Vitali

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Too bad the damage inflicted by Lewis negates the scorecards and the 95% of idiot fans scoring the fight. Because 95% of people who claim to be boxing fans don't know shit and their opinions are irrelevant. But Vitali was up.

You need to remember, Vitali could have won every round, but a few more punches to that eye and it could have been career threatening.

Good stoppage and fair win.

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Originally Posted by El Kabong

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Originally Posted by Master

Number 1 you knew who I meant.

Number 2 some dick would have said what about this guy or that one ....

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How difficult is it to spell Rahman it's 'Rah' then '-man'....plus he's like 200 pounds heavier than Rachman.



That makes no sense, Lewis retired without fighting those guys anyway, he had no plan to fight Ruiz or Byrd much less the others because he felt they were beneath him and they did not deserve any attention from him regardless of how the fight vs Vitali went. Sure Byrd and Ruiz had a point what with holding the belts and all but Lewis let go of those a long time ago with no intention of reuniting them.

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I was on a tablet and the thing corrects things when they do not correcting. There are some dick posters who say Byrd would have beaten him and he avoided Ruiz.

What is wrong with you?

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Originally Posted by Master

I was on a tablet and the thing corrects things when they do not correcting. There are some dick posters who say Byrd would have beaten him and he avoided Ruiz.

What is wrong with you?

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Very well

Chris Byrd was a very good boxer...but he wouldn't beat Lennox. Lennox DID avoid Ruiz because Johnny did want that match, but it's best that Ruiz did get avoided because Lennox would have smacked the piss out of him. Ruiz had a hard time with an ancient Evander Holyfield...he did get the nod in 1 of the 3 fights vs Evander but when guys like RJJ and James Toney can just school him then you have to figure Lennox would have stopped him early.

I think Lewis could have held on for a while longer especially had he avoided a rematch with Vitali. Wladimir was not 100% ready for Lennox until maybe 2005/2006. Sam Peter could have gotten an early shot, wouldn't have won, but would have been interesting. Corrie Sanders would have been a great fight for Lennox a little dangerous too, but again at that point in his career Lennox was just too smart for the division.

wasnt lewis preparing to fight someone else, then on last minute it was the klit. If he had prepared himself for klit, he would have beat klit even worse.

Also why rematch, why end up with brain damage?

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Originally Posted by chris6878

wasnt lewis preparing to fight someone else, then on last minute it was the klit. If he had prepared himself for klit, he would have beat klit even worse.

Also why rematch, why end up with brain damage?

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Lennox was preparing to fight Kirk Johnson, Vitali was preparing to fight Cedric Boswell so to assume if Lennox had more time he'd have won more handily is stupid. What if Vitali had been specifically training for Lennox as well? Ever stop to think of that?


Why would Lewis have brain damage from a rematch especially if he was doing so well?

Its a shame that to this day vitalis greatest performance was his loss against lennox..

In a way, i wish vitali was around the mix during prime tyson etc.

Imagine a prime oliver mccall and prime vitali going at it!

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Originally Posted by El Kabong

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Originally Posted by Master

I was on a tablet and the thing corrects things when they do not correcting. There are some dick posters who say Byrd would have beaten him and he avoided Ruiz.

What is wrong with you?

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Very well

Chris Byrd was a very good boxer...but he wouldn't beat Lennox. Lennox DID avoid Ruiz because Johnny did want that match, but it's best that Ruiz did get avoided because Lennox would have smacked the piss out of him. Ruiz had a hard time with an ancient Evander Holyfield...he did get the nod in 1 of the 3 fights vs Evander but when guys like RJJ and James Toney can just school him then you have to figure Lennox would have stopped him early.

I think Lewis could have held on for a while longer especially had he avoided a rematch with Vitali. Wladimir was not 100% ready for Lennox until maybe 2005/2006. Sam Peter could have gotten an early shot, wouldn't have won, but would have been interesting. Corrie Sanders would have been a great fight for Lennox a little dangerous too, but again at that point in his career Lennox was just too smart for the division.

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I am agreeing with you Lennox would have beaten Byrd, Ruiz and the others but he achieved everything by that time and if he was not motivated any more so he could have easily lost. Just as Rocky could have lost against Patterson or Liston. Not because they were better but Rocky was older and unmotivated.