Lennox Lewis: Could Lewis Still Dominate The Heavyweight Division?

[Big_Deuce]

Anyone who thinks Lennox was on a route to ko vitali is clearly not being objective. Its ok, i understand there are hard core lennox fans, But Point blank,
LENNOX PUNCH STATS WERE DWINDLING! each round
Vitali took a fierce uppercut, that snapped his head back, and STILL kept comming forward.
Lennox lewis was gasping for air during the TKO call, and vitali was Fully energized.
Lennox lewis promised vitali a rematch, THEN RETIRED.
Lennox lewis was out of shape (YOUR THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP) TOO BAD.
Take a look at the Compu Box. Lennox was gettin his arse handed to em, and it was only going to get worse.
Anyone who thinks that Vitali klitschko was not a major factor in lennox lewis retiring, just cannot live with the fact that lennox may of left with the belt after that fight, but vitali left with more. People wanted vitali, and the only reason people cared that lewis retired was because they knew they wouldnt see a Lennox vs vitali II to watch the proper ending!

[skel1983]

Anyone who thinks Lennox was on a route to ko vitali is clearly not being objective. Its ok, i understand there are hard core lennox fans, But Point blank,
LENNOX PUNCH STATS WERE DWINDLING! each round
Vitali took a fierce uppercut, that snapped his head back, and STILL kept comming forward.
Lennox lewis was gasping for air during the TKO call, and vitali was Fully energized.
Lennox lewis promised vitali a rematch, THEN RETIRED.
Lennox lewis was out of shape (YOUR THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP) TOO BAD.
Take a look at the Compu Box. Lennox was gettin his a*** handed to em, and it was only going to get worse.
Anyone who thinks that Vitali klitschko was not a major factor in lennox lewis retiring, just cannot live with the fact that lennox may of left with the belt after that fight, but vitali left with more. People wanted vitali, and the only reason people cared that lewis retired was because they knew they wouldnt see a Lennox vs vitali II to watch the proper ending!

Mate go stick your compu box stats up your arse, i watched the fight, and the majority believe that Lewis was beginning to cominate the fight and his shots were having the more effect, Lewis retired becasue his heart had gone out of the game, he had one objective and it was to get Tyson in the ring he did that, maybe a good ten years to late but he did it, and still looked like he would of beat Vitali.

[Big_Deuce]

ill stick em up my ass, after you take lennox out of yours.
You are absolutely right about his heart not being there, thanks to Vitali klitschko. Again try actually reading the post. I am not saying that vitali is the only reason, but he is a MAJOR factor in the decision to call it quits. Why give the rematch, only to take it away with a retirement?
The majority of WHAT believed he was beginning to dominate the fight. Surely your not talking about the fans, not the fans that were booing the SH!T outta that place. You cant even be talking about the commentators, because they too Resited the COMPU BOX numbers, and agreed lennox was in no shape to go the distance on this fight, and klitschko was winning on rounds, and stamina.
SO im sorry i hit a nerve when i said what i said, But the TRUTH hurts, so live with it.

[El Kabong]

Honestly I think the fight was a see saw battle and yes Lewis won the 5th and 6th rounds but that was IT....Vitali won the 1st through the 4th and crushed him in the 2nd and Lewis shot his load in the 6th.

Vitali was cut, he pressed the issue because it was such a bad cut and therefore forced Lennox to do the same. I think that Vitali was maybe a little gased at the 5th round but he got his second wind after Lewis was on the offensive for those 2 rounds.

Had Vitali not been cut I think Lewis would have been more patient because Vitali wouldn't have had the sense of urgency and he would have been a little more patient as well....in that case the fight goes the distance, Lewis either wins or loses a decision and neither guy gets KO'd because the later the fight goes the more cautious they would become.

I think the way it ended was fine. I am not pleased Vitali lost due to a cut but the cut CAUSED the excitement...it caused them to stand and fight as did lewis getting hurt in the 2nd. Now it would have been EXTREMELY difficult had Lewis been the one to get cut like that...

#1 He wouldn't have retired and would have lost more fights if he didn't get in better shape

#2 People would HATE Vitali and not give him any respect at all because he won by cuts

But Lewis retired as champ like Tunney and Rocky before him and people admire Vitali's heart and courage and he showed everyone what he was about in that fight and his last 2.

So things worked out ok

[El Kabong]

Maxboxing had Vitali winning 1,2,5, & 6

http://espn.go.com/boxing/s/2003/0621/1571337.html

[zhubin]

Are people so desperate for a genuine heavyweight champ that they will over hype the Klitchko brothers?!! Or are some people still holding onto that pipe dream that James Toney will soon become a great heavyweight champ? These are all examples of the horrible current state of the division. I was never a big fan of Lennox. But in his prime, and maybe not so prime, he would have had his way with the current heavyweights. In that Vitali fight he was clearly not in the best shape and he payed the price before the stoppage. But Vitali also looked gassed in that fight...so who knows what would have happened if it hadn't been stopped.

[Bx730NY]

Anyone who thinks Lennox was on a route to ko vitali is clearly not being objective. Its ok, i understand there are hard core lennox fans, But Point blank,
LENNOX PUNCH STATS WERE DWINDLING! each round
Vitali took a fierce uppercut, that snapped his head back, and STILL kept comming forward.
Lennox lewis was gasping for air during the TKO call, and vitali was Fully energized.
Lennox lewis promised vitali a rematch, THEN RETIRED.
Lennox lewis was out of shape (YOUR THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP) TOO BAD.
Take a look at the Compu Box. Lennox was gettin his a*** handed to em, and it was only going to get worse.
Anyone who thinks that Vitali klitschko was not a major factor in lennox lewis retiring, just cannot live with the fact that lennox may of left with the belt after that fight, but vitali left with more. People wanted vitali, and the only reason people cared that lewis retired was because they knew they wouldnt see a Lennox vs vitali II to watch the proper ending!

I agree with you and I have posted similar takes but some of these guys think Lennox was gods gift to the HW division and don't like to see things for what they are. Vitali was going for the kill and the way I see it, Lewis quit while he still had most people believing he was the best. He was on his way to being KOed and he knows it and that's the real reason he retired rather than let people realize that he can't beat Vitali. Good post!

[Majesty]

From what I saw Vitali dominated Lennox early, but then Lennox started to come on and was winning rounds and was on the verge of taking over the fight and then the fight was stopped on Vitali's cut.

[NuthaPug]

Good thoughts, Lyle, in factoring in the effect the cut had on contributing to the activity level of the fight.

The final outcome, had the fight continued, is obviously an unknown. Clearly Vitali was the far more active and deserved to be where he was in terms of the cards at the end of round 6. But it is far from clear that the rest of the fight would have continued to go his way.

Looked like Lewis was beginning to hit his stride and if so that would have changed things. But we'll never know.

[El Kabong]

It was the BEST of a bad situation

What we expected:
1: Lewis wins an easy KO
2: Lewis wins a boring UD
3: Vitali quits on his stool
4: Vitali shocks everyone and KO's Lewis

What we learned:
1: Lewis CAN take a punch
2: Vitali can take a punch
3: Lewis was on the decline
4: Vitali was on the rise
5: Vitali showed EVERYTHING a champion needs
6: Vitali didn't quit

So in essence we learned it was Lewis' time to leave and he did so with a win and a valiant effort vs a young strong fighter. We also learned Vitali is no quitter and he gives the fans what they want KO's!

[Majesty]

It was the BEST of a bad situation

What we expected:
1: Lewis wins an easy KO
2: Lewis wins a boring UD
3: Vitali quits on his stool
4: Vitali shocks everyone and KO's Lewis

What we learned:
1: Lewis CAN take a punch
2: Vitali can take a punch
3: Lewis was on the decline
4: Vitali was on the rise
5: Vitali showed EVERYTHING a champion needs
6: Vitali didn't quit

So in essence we learned it was Lewis' time to leave and he did so with a win and a valiant effort vs a young strong fighter. We also learned Vitali is no quitter and he gives the fans what they want KO's!

Wish we'd learned how he'd do against a top 10 Heavyweight in top form.

[Samson3000]

Anyone who thinks Lennox was on a route to ko vitali is clearly not being objective. Its ok, i understand there are hard core lennox fans, But Point blank,
LENNOX PUNCH STATS WERE DWINDLING! each round
Vitali took a fierce uppercut, that snapped his head back, and STILL kept comming forward.
Lennox lewis was gasping for air during the TKO call, and vitali was Fully energized.
Lennox lewis promised vitali a rematch, THEN RETIRED.
Lennox lewis was out of shape (YOUR THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP) TOO BAD.
Take a look at the Compu Box. Lennox was gettin his a*** handed to em, and it was only going to get worse.
Anyone who thinks that Vitali klitschko was not a major factor in lennox lewis retiring, just cannot live with the fact that lennox may of left with the belt after that fight, but vitali left with more. People wanted vitali, and the only reason people cared that lewis retired was because they knew they wouldnt see a Lennox vs vitali II to watch the proper ending!

Why are you using the term 'anyone who thinks Lennox was on route to KO Vitaly?'

HE TKO'D HIM. Forget being on route. Vitaly got stopped on cuts, which came from a right hand. Why do people get so caught up in fantisizing about what 'might have' happened? The only thing that's concrete is WHAT HAPPENED. Vitaly got TKOd. And spare me the 'oh well, um, he didn't get knocked out, it was just from cuts.' If the man didn't rip open like a b!tch maybe he would have stood a better chance. Lennox gets the W and a notch in the KO department. Time to accept it and move on.

[Big_Deuce]

ill accept that when you accept that lennox ran like abitch not to rematch vitali

[Taeth]

How could this guy say that Lennox had slow hands? Name one boxer that was 6'4 or over 230 that ever had faster hands then young Lennox... even heavier Tyson threw combinations like young Lennox did.

[mucho testosterone]

Absolutely UN-f***ng-believable!!!

The amount of denial on this thread is ridiculous..

I just don't have the energy to bash Lewis nor do I feel it necessary but come on guys! Half of us have the fight on tape and the other half have seen it a dozen times. There is no denying that Lewis was on his way to getting KOed. He was more out of gas than I'd seen him previously. He was getting outpunched by a gross margin and the shots that he did land weren't phasing Klitschko.

What we have is a bunch of Lewis fans looking back in the past through rose colored glasses. Sorry guys but he wasn't close to making a comeback in the fight. I've said this a million times before, watch the tape...hell even listen to the commentating. Even Foreman knew Lewis was going to go!