Comments Thread For: Vitali Klitschko Still Taking Shots at Lennox Lewis

[BillyBoxing]

Wotcha guys. Did this as a little news brief and didn't quite expect this much of a kerfuffle.

I think that Vitali is good for boxing, decent fighter over time and a nice guy, but he's in a pretty weak heavyweight era and could well do without hearkening back to the time when he took on the last dominant heavy, and failed to beat him. He's the one highlighting the L over and over, why not just talk up the good things he's done?

As for the fight itself. It is not about punch stats. Or the scores at the time of the stoppage. John David Jackson out-statted and was out-scoring Jorge Castro but the Argentine landed a more effective, KO, blow and won the fight fair and square.

Vitali hit Lewis with his best right hands, trying to force the KO, he didn't succeed in stopping Lewis and took some rights himself. Lewis turned his shots as he landed them and really dogged them home, they opened the cuts and were, like it or not, the more effective shots. Both men traded, both men stood tall, but one man landed the shots that brought about the end of the fight. The wounds were gaping and the ref, in this instance, decided to stop it, nowt to do with Valero's fight.

Lewis was due to fight Johnson, who is pretty poor, but the fight fell through and Lennox then elected to fight his toughest, youngest rival. Lewis was out of shape, on his last legs, and there for the taking. Vitali tried to take him, he failed. It was a fair result.

HBO's post-fight analysis talked about the 'controversial ending', only controversial if you don't know the rules, or failed to spot that it was a right hand, not a butt, that opened the initial cuts. It was a phony controversy and they pretty much painted Lewis as the fortunate winner.

Lewis then retires, that is his choice. Vitali grabs the belt in a battle with a semi-retired golfer and then defends against Danny Williams, who is quite, quite mad, before preparing for a fight with Hasim Rahman. All the while, Vitali is talking about how that bad man Lennox Lewis promised him a fight only to retire and renege on that promise. Then Vitali breaks down in training, retires, and leaves Rahman in the lurch. So it is Ok for his body to age but Lewis is supposed to ignore the clear signs of aging that he is no doubt showing in training in order to facilitate Vitali. One rule for one and one for the other.

Still, smart move by Vitali, better than coming out with, "Sosnowski, it is what it is."

This fight is obviously a controversial one.

And you posting a book aout it 6 years later proves it.
You just on Lewis side.

How Lewis won was controversial,he just cut Vit badly,he didn't koed big K on the floor,he didn't stop Vit,the ref did.
Lewis was looking almost dead,and Vitali was hot after the stoppage.

It's boxing,but the way Lewis won is ugly,cuz Vit boxed the **** out of Lennox and it's on tape.

[edgarg]

Isn't he the same guy that got banned before? I know because if it is the same guy, he comes out when it's a Lewis-Vitali debate. It's not even funny.

Anyway, Lewis was also training for someone who wasn't great, and he came in bad shape when they pulled out, similar to Rahman. He was heavy, Vitali even said he knew Lewis was too heavy and would get tired.

Vitali was in prime. At 38 Vitali has lost his legs and speed. Even his power is down. At 37 Lewis was also the same, but he would have beaten a 37 year old Vitali IMO.

People forget how athletic a prime or motivated Lewis was.

I like Vitali, he has a good style I like, but he lost fair and square.

Many fights change hands by a KO/TKO, that's the name of the game. You ever last for 12 and win, or you KO the guy. Why didn't Vitali KO lewis in the 6th?

Don't get hit and you don't get cut, whether it is a tear or whatever you mentioned, it was not illegal? Am I right?

Yes Vitali was pissed with that decision, and personally I don't think Lewis was going to go down. He was tired, so was Vitali. Lewis would have torn that eye up and make him blind.

Sometimes I wish they let it continue and Lewis made him blind just so all the fans would shut up about it.

What ARE you talking about?? If you intimate that I was "banned" that is a plain lie. In my very many years of commenting on boxing, or other matters, have never been banned, by anyone, anywhere, anytime.

That is a nasty, insinuating, comment.

My letters are all couched in good taste, if controversial, unlike many on this board, which I would indeed ban, although unfortunately, not yours.

[Shazam!]

Here are rounds 5 and 6, after Lewis had already busted Vitali's eye open. Just for those who didn't see it and are wondering where this fight was heading:

[Neckodeemus]

It is not a case of bias, perspective or 'hating' on one particular fighter, it is simply a matter of stating the facts. Vitali had a good start to the fight, he hit the supposedly glass jawed champion with right hand after right hand. At one point Lewis tries to get his guard up, looks at Vitali's fists and then makes a hash out of avoiding another right, his reflexes were clearly shot and his motivation was gone. Despite this, and you think it was a thumb then throw up the clip, Lewis lands a right hand that lands clean (possibly seam) but is turned so that the skin is screwed and Vitali's eye is serrated. It was a bad cut, a justifiable stoppage and Klitschko had a few rounds to take matters into his own hands by knocking Lewis out. He failed, he lost, he needs to forget about it, and any pact that was made concerning another fight.

Vitali took it upon himself to deny Rahman his shot at the crown so he should understand more than anyone that you have a right to walk away from the sport if you feel that you cannot give 110% in a fight. Lewis's best had been and gone, he was not even at his peak in the Tyson and Rahman fights. His best boxing came a few years prior to that and culminated in the Tua win. Anything after that was downhill, despite a few big wins.

It is Ok to argue that, in your opinion, Vitali is better than Lewis, I admire people who make arguments that are almost wholly lacking in credence, but it is stretching things further than Vitali's open wound to say that this fight ended controversially. There is nothing suspect about hitting a man, inflicting damage and winning a fight, unless you happen to be Luis Resto.

Vitali's legacy won't rest on arguments about whether or not he was cheated out of defeating Lewis or deserved a rematch. It will be built on Sanders, Williams, Peter, Gomez Arreola and Johnson, as well as some of his earlier fights. Vitali is not a top-drawer, all-time heavy, he's a decent fighter with a solid chin operating in mediocre waters, more power to his elbow.

PS Sorry for posting another novella. I was going to write, 'Lennox is the greatest fighter of all time and anyone who thinks otherwise is gay!!!'

I'm still trying to get the hang of forum life. Thanks, and lots of love.

[S A M U R A I]

Here's one of my posts from another Vitali/Lennox thread:

THE TRUTH

Vitali was clearly winning the fight 4-2 on all 3 scorecards at the time of the controversial doctor stoppage. Lewis was badly hurt and was staggering around the ring like a drunk, he barely survived the 2nd round. Lewis was getting outboxed, outworked, outlanded and was hurt several times in the fight.

punches landed

Vitali 156

Lewis 102

Lewis was exhausted and worn down from the accumulation of punches, he collapsed onto his stool at the end of the 6th round, Vitali was the fresher of the two, he was a man on a mission that night and would've KO'd Lewis for sure if the fight had continued.

Vitali intimidated the **** out of the scared Lewis after the fight and made him look like a *****. All the fans at Staples Center cheered for Vitali and boo'd Lewis after the fight.

Lewis promised Vitali a rematch.

Vitali destroyed Kirk Johnson in 2 rounds and called out Lewis in the post fight interview. The scared Lewis retired shortly after that fight.

Lewis turned down 25 million dollars for a rematch and retired like a coward because he knew he would get destroyed by Vitali.

Lewis will always be greater than both Klitschko's put together. End of story.



| |

[Mr. Philadel]

Yeah...taking shots is what caused the problems for him in the first place.

nice one!!

[Khmelnytsky]

Vitali took it upon himself to deny Rahman his shot at the crown so he should understand more than anyone that you have a right to walk away from the sport if you feel that you cannot give 110% in a fight. Lewis's best had been and gone, he was not even at his peak in the Tyson and Rahman fights. His best boxing came a few years prior to that and culminated in the Tua win. Anything after that was downhill, despite a few big wins.

It is Ok to argue that, in your opinion, Vitali is better than Lewis, I admire people who make arguments that are almost wholly lacking in credence, but it is stretching things further than Vitali's open wound to say that this fight ended controversially. There is nothing suspect about hitting a man, inflicting damage and winning a fight, unless you happen to be Luis Resto.

PS Sorry for posting another novella. I was going to write, 'Lennox is the greatest fighter of all time and anyone who thinks otherwise is gay!!!'

I'm still trying to get the hang of forum life. Thanks, and lots of love.

Stretching things further. You mean like comparing their retirements in the absurd way that you just did?

-Lennox retiring because he didn't want to risk losing to Vitali in a rematch

- Vitali who after 300+ fights in combat sports (Kickboxing + Boxing) needing surgery on his knees, back, & shoulder.

Oh yeah, Vitali 'denying' Rahman his opportunity is the exact same as what Lennox did. Who is being bias? Dumbass.

That's not even including the fact that when he was healthy he did come back at age 38, after 4 years, no tune up and dominated a belt holder.

[IMDAZED]

Stretching things further. You mean like comparing their retirements in the absurd way that you just did?

-Lennox retiring because he didn't want to risk losing to Vitali in a rematch

- Vitali who after 300+ fights in combat sports (Kickboxing + Boxing) needing surgery on his knees, back, & shoulder.

Oh yeah, Vitali 'denying' Rahman his opportunity is the exact same as what Lennox did. Who is being bias? Dumbass.

That's not even including the fact that when he was healthy he did come back at age 38, after 4 years, no tune up and dominated a belt holder.

Yeah, Lennox retired. Big whoop. I can't believe some of you would've been happy to see a rematch between Vitali and that fat old man. Have you no shame?

And what Klitschko did with Rahman was WORSE. He cancelled, what, four fights? Give me a break. I haven't seen ducking like that before or after.

[BattlingNelson]

What ARE you talking about?? If you intimate that I was "banned" that is a plain lie. In my very many years of commenting on boxing, or other matters, have never been banned, by anyone, anywhere, anytime.

That is a nasty, insinuating, comment.

My letters are all couched in good taste, if controversial, unlike many on this board, which I would indeed ban, although unfortunately, not yours.

Edgarg = ATG poster.

That said Vitali should just let it go. Everybody knows the lummox fight had a controversial ending that should have resulted in a rematch. Fact is that it didn't. It isn't by a longshot the only travesty in the history of our sport.

[Khmelnytsky]

Yeah, Lennox retired. Big whoop. I can't believe some of you would've been happy to see a rematch between Vitali and that fat old man. Have you no shame?

And what Klitschko did with Rahman was WORSE. He cancelled, what, four fights? Give me a break. I haven't seen ducking like that before or after.

Well i shouldn't even respond since you're obviously going to hate on Vitali no matter what but i'm going to anyways.

- I don't believe Lennox was prime but he sure as hell wasn't far off of it. your 'fat old man' bull**** is pathetic. And as i'v mentioned Lennox had no plans of retirement prior to the fight, he was already looking past Vitali who he 'was going to destroy' and onto bigger money fights.

- He weighed in heavier on purpose because he was fighting Vitali, a big guy, and they wanted the extra weight to be able to push him around, be physical with him, leaning on guys to sap their strength which he used his entire career and which steward has used with Volodymyr now too. His weight was a stratagy.

- People 'have no shame' because they wanted to see a rematch yet i'm sure you have no restraint when criticizing Vitali (39) in his last fight vs Johnson or about how he should be fighting Haye at his advanced age