Vitali vs. Lennox

Highlights of Klitschko vs. Lewis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BH6LvUS__M&feature=related

My thoughts are this had to be the toughest fight either guy had ever been in, especially Vitali.

Comments?

It made Lewis realize he's too old and he better retire as champ before he gets taken over. Prime Lewis is still better than Prime Vitali though.

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

It made Lewis realize he's too old and he better retire as champ before he gets taken over. Prime Lewis is still better than Prime Vitali though.

I tend to agree freak, but keep in mind that even "prime Lewis" could be knocked out. Unlike most of Vitali's fights since then, he was evenly matched against Lewis in size, speed and power. It's really hard to say what might have happened if this fight hadn't been stopped because of a cut, I doubt that it would have gone another 6 rounds or to a decision, but Vitali was up on all the score cards when the fight was stopped.

When lennox was focused he was damn near unbeatable but when he loss focuse he could be beat by any1(Rahman).

timthebim wrote:

When lennox was focused he was damn near unbeatable but when he loss focuse he could be beat by any1(Rahman).

You stole my thought. A focused Lewis was 1 of the best Heavyweights ever but when he was off his game he was awful.

timthebim wrote:

When lennox was focused he was damn near unbeatable but when he loss focuse he could be beat by any1(Rahman).

The biggest knock on Lewis was suppose to be his weak chin, but I don't think it was near as bad as some folks let on, Rahman just got lucky and caught his sweet spot, and the fight against McCall should never have been stopped.

BTW, I believe Lewis was one of the top 10 heavyweights of all time.

Ring wrote:

timthebim wrote:

When lennox was focused he was damn near unbeatable but when he loss focuse he could be beat by any1(Rahman).

The biggest knock on Lewis was suppose to be his weak chin, but I don't think it was near as bad as some folks let on, Rahman just got lucky and caught his sweet spot, and the fight against McCall should never have been stopped.

BTW, I believe Lewis was one of the top 10 heavyweights of all time.

I agree. Lewis is top 10 and a focused Lewis could probable beat any heavyweight ever not including Ali and Louis.

Ring wrote:

timthebim wrote:

When lennox was focused he was damn near unbeatable but when he loss focuse he could be beat by any1(Rahman).

The biggest knock on Lewis was suppose to be his weak chin, but I don't think it was near as bad as some folks let on, Rahman just got lucky and caught his sweet spot, and the fight against McCall should never have been stopped.

BTW, I believe Lewis was one of the top 10 heavyweights of all time.

Ansd how many others on that list were KO'd in their primes by two different mediocrties?

I thought Lennox was on his way to a stoppage victory that night. Watching it since? I'm not so sure.

I think a way more intresting fight would be Wlad-Lewis and BTW have no clue on who is even better than the other in that one. Wlad and Lewis are both better than Vitali.

marbleheadmaui wrote:

Ring wrote:

timthebim wrote:

When lennox was focused he was damn near unbeatable but when he loss focuse he could be beat by any1(Rahman).

The biggest knock on Lewis was suppose to be his weak chin, but I don't think it was near as bad as some folks let on, Rahman just got lucky and caught his sweet spot, and the fight against McCall should never have been stopped.

BTW, I believe Lewis was one of the top 10 heavyweights of all time.

Ansd how many others on that list were KO'd in their primes by two different mediocrties?

I don't know Marble, Max Schmeling was a fairly mediocre HW when he KO'd Joe Louis in their first fight, and just because alltime greats like Ali, Marciano, Dempsey, et al, were never persay 'knocked out' when they were champions, doesn't mean they couldn't have been if they were hit just right.

Like I said, Lewis got careless, and got nailed with a perfect shot in the Rahman fight (shit happens sometimes when you're clowning), he came back in the rematch, avenged the loss and showed the first fight was a fluke. The fight against McCall should never have been stopped..

Against Rahman he was over weight and didn't train properly. Didn't he shoot a movie or something just before the fight?

Ring wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

Ring wrote:

timthebim wrote:

When lennox was focused he was damn near unbeatable but when he loss focuse he could be beat by any1(Rahman).

The biggest knock on Lewis was suppose to be his weak chin, but I don't think it was near as bad as some folks let on, Rahman just got lucky and caught his sweet spot, and the fight against McCall should never have been stopped.

BTW, I believe Lewis was one of the top 10 heavyweights of all time.

Ansd how many others on that list were KO'd in their primes by two different mediocrties?

I don't know Marble, Max Schmeling was a fairly mediocre HW when he KO'd Joe Louis in their first fight, and just because alltime greats like Ali, Marciano, Dempsey, et al, were never persay 'knocked out' when they were champions, doesn't mean they couldn't have been if they were hit just right.

Like I said, Lewis got careless, and got nailed with a perfect shot in the Rahman fight, he came back in the rematch, avenged the loss and showed the first fight was a fluke. The fight against McCall should never have been stopped..

Max Schmeling was NOT a mediocre heavyweight. He beat eight ranked heavies and was also a GIGANTIC puncher. You are woulda coulda-ing all the others. The fact is only Lewis lost this way. In fact even outside heavyweights I cannot think of a fighter we'd agree was great who was KO'd in their prime by two different mediocrities. This isn't religion for me, I am happy to be proven wrong, but I think this says a lot.

ONCE is a fluke...twice? Not so much.

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

Against Rahman he was over weight and didn't train properly. Didn't he shoot a movie or something just before the fight?

Some shit like that, but the main thing he did to get knocked out was to clown, drop his hands and get careless.

marbleheadmaui wrote:

Ring wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

Ring wrote:

timthebim wrote:

When lennox was focused he was damn near unbeatable but when he loss focuse he could be beat by any1(Rahman).

The biggest knock on Lewis was suppose to be his weak chin, but I don't think it was near as bad as some folks let on, Rahman just got lucky and caught his sweet spot, and the fight against McCall should never have been stopped.

BTW, I believe Lewis was one of the top 10 heavyweights of all time.

Ansd how many others on that list were KO'd in their primes by two different mediocrties?

I don't know Marble, Max Schmeling was a fairly mediocre HW when he KO'd Joe Louis in their first fight, and just because alltime greats like Ali, Marciano, Dempsey, et al, were never persay 'knocked out' when they were champions, doesn't mean they couldn't have been if they were hit just right.

Like I said, Lewis got careless, and got nailed with a perfect shot in the Rahman fight, he came back in the rematch, avenged the loss and showed the first fight was a fluke. The fight against McCall should never have been stopped..

Max Schmeling was NOT a mediocre heavyweight. He beat eight ranked heavies and was also a GIGANTIC puncher. You are woulda coulda-ing all the others. The fact is only Lewis lost this way. In fact even outside heavyweights I cannot think of a fighter we'd agree was great who was KO'd in their prime by two different mediocrities. This isn't religion for me, I am happy to be proven wrong, but I think this says a lot.

ONCE is a fluke...twice? Not so much.

Whatever Marble, I see Max Schmeling as a jouneyman who's big claim to fame was knocking out Louis, and winning the vacant HW crown via a DQ against Jack Starkey, other then that he wasn't any better than Rahman, look at his record.

Yes, flukes, Lewis proved this by avenging his only 2 losses and ruling the HW division for the better part of 10 years, if you choose to see it differently, hey boxing is subjective, and that's your perogative.

rahdman did not get lucky that fight..i watched that fight in a sportsbar with a refferee..after 3 rounds i said to the bartender this guys going to knock lewis out..you could see litterly rahdman measuring lewis and moving inside with a jab for range finding distence..a guy next to us said i was full of it..i said lewis is 20-1 favorite give me 7-1 only if he gets koed..that guy lost 700 that night...excuses excuses..he wasnt focused.he was out of shape etc etc.0
he got koed cause radman fought smart that night..you could see it coming...noo luck at all..
after the fight lewis in his arragance said they stoped the fight cause i didnt beat the count..they stoped the fight..larry merchant saID YOU GOT KNOCKED OUT.. not beating the count lennox means you got knocked out..noo lucky punch..it was set up for a few rounds..koed with one shot..

like i said before, lewis looked the worst ive ever seen him in that fight and he still won. vitali also hit him with big shots and couldnt even put him down. i agree when lewis said that he would have KOd him in a few more rounds.

Ring wrote:

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

It made Lewis realize he's too old and he better retire as champ before he gets taken over. Prime Lewis is still better than Prime Vitali though.

I tend to agree freak, but keep in mind that even "prime Lewis" could be knocked out. Unlike most of Vitali's fights since then, he was evenly matched against Lewis in size, speed and power. It's really hard to say what might have happened if this fight hadn't been stopped because of a cut, I doubt that it would have gone another 6 rounds or to a decision, but Vitali was up on all the score cards when the fight was stopped.

Dougie Fisher said in his mailbag on ringtv.com that Lennox stumbled/staggered a couple of times on the walk from the ring to the locker room. Never knew that. Both guys were taking big power shots that night.