Lewis v Ironfist - What would have happened?

[DavidPayne]

VK also looked resigned to defeat, but then got agitated once pulled out, if I recall.

"Hold me back, hold me back, someone please hold me back"

[overhand_right]

Yeah the old classic, hold me back once the fights officially over and i'm safe. We've all seen that countless times in boxing. Terrence Lewis was a specialist in this field.

[Rocky Balboa]

Having watched this many times, I believe Lewis would have prevailed.

Vitali had thrown his best shots and hadn't managed to dent Lewis, in fact, by the 3rd, Lewis was walking through Vitali's shots.

Vitali was slowing down and was beginning to ship big punishing shots.

Lewis would have stopped him 2-3 rounds later, I think Vitali had given his best already.

I pretty much agree with what you have said, but I have always wondered why Lews never gave Vitali a rematch? I mean, Lewis saying that its time for him retire was a pretty feeble excuse in my view. In my opinion, Lewis knows Vitali gave him a hell of a tough fight & would no doubt have given a tough battle should a rematch have happened.

I remember Lewis never came in tip-top shape for Vitali & at that point, after being relieved to have beaten Vitali, I reckon Lennox knew he was past his best, his skills were not what they once were, etc.

Credit to Vitali for desperately wanting to continue after suffering such a bad cut & slso credit for trying real hard to get a rematch. It was a fight that should have happened.

If Vitali beats Peter & beats him well, then the HW division better look out. Vitali is one of the strongest HW's I ever come across. He made Danny Williams look like a rag doll.

[johnswan1]

I think Baby Bro getting beaten a couple of months after the Vitali fight helped Lewis to retire. Had Wlad not lost, perhaps Lewis would have fought him? Wlad was, after all, considered to be the better of the two brothers at the time.

[Mensa07]

Vitali was a late stand in wasn't he, for Kirk Johnson? Vitali was in training anyway if I recall.. for Sanders maybe? Cant remember.

Im not convinced Lewis had all that much left in the tank, from what I remember didn't he collapse into the press row on his way out of the ring? Granted that was after the fight, maybe the adrenalin would have kept him up longer if he was still actually in the fight.

Lewis shipped some heavy shots that night, if nothing else answered a lot of the lingering Q's about his chin.

That uppercut, in the 5th(?) was a peach, how Vitali stayed on his feet I don't know.

[bennie]

If Vitali licks Sam Peter on October 11, he would have beaten Lewis.

[yiddo14]

I think Baby Bro getting beaten a couple of months after the Vitali fight helped Lewis to retire. Had Wlad not lost, perhaps Lewis would have fought him? Wlad was, after all, considered to be the better of the two brothers at the time.

Before Wlad lost, it was he who was being lined up to fight Lennox before he retired.
Sanders' ruined that one completely and Vitali landed the chance.

[Asterix]

If Vitali licks Sam Peter on October 11, he would have beaten Lewis.

I don't really follow the logic in that.

[Mensa07]

Vitali was a late stand in wasn't he, for Kirk Johnson? Vitali was in training anyway if I recall.. for Sanders maybe? Cant remember.

Im not convinced Lewis had all that much left in the tank, from what I remember didn't he collapse into the press row on his way out of the ring? Granted that was after the fight, maybe the adrenalin would have kept him up longer if he was still actually in the fight.

Lewis shipped some heavy shots that night, if nothing else answered a lot of the lingering Q's about his chin.

That uppercut, in the 5th(?) was a peach, how Vitali stayed on his feet I don't know.

He did a full interview afterwards. Maybe he was floored by the amount of esteem for him in press row? Or the fact his well won TKO was being called 'controversial' by people who had clearly elected to ignore the replays. People saw Vitali do well and got 'white heavyweightitis', the division is still poorly with it.

on his way out of the ring, think it was Doug Fischer reported it (first hand). People saw Vitali leading on the scorecards and still losing the fight while on his feet, plus factor in there is/was a lot of anti-Lewis sentiment out there, thats what the 'uproar' was born out of, not Vitali's skin colour.

[Captain Hook]

If Vitali licks Sam Peter on October 11, he would have beaten Lewis.

Eh?! How did you come to that conclusion? Or have you been sniffing glue.

[Poncey]

[quote="Terry D]He did a full interview afterwards.[/quote]

Yep, which lead to his uncomfortable mini-fued with Larry Merchant.

[Poncey]

Doesn't he always. It gets quite uncomfortable in Taylor v Pavlik 2 (I think) where they argue on the mic then stop speaking to each other.

[Mensa07]

Given the heavyweight Champion collapsing into the press tables I would expect more than one report, and some footage, find it and share it...

nah.

Kirk Johnson comes in. Does well and is then stopped on cuts. Would he be made Champion (by this I mean foisted on us as linear) by the Ring and HBO? No chance. My left bollock stands more chance of being named Champion than that scenario panning out. Ditto for Ruiz or Byrd.

conjecture.

Vitali was given a massive boost because he is caucasian and I'm sorry but there are more sources showing that this impacts on a heavyweight fighter than there are sources saying Lewis did a Victorian dame on his way out of the ring.

I have no idea what a victorian dame is. Don't take it so personally, I'm just saying Doug Fishcer reported Lewis collapsed exhausted on his way out of the ring, why you getting so mad about it?

[DavidPayne]

To be fair, the entire dbaye is conjecture. If we stick to the facts. Lewis won. Klitschko lost. End of debate.

Without imaginary endings where would be...Eldarado, Albion Market...

[Khaosai-Galaxy]

Dr Ironfist,



yup, thats an excellent nickname, that is

[DavidPayne]

Terry D, I take your point. And the Ring cheapened their ranking irrevocably by anointing VK so swiftly but I think Lewis failed to earn similar plaudits at the same pace because he was, variously, surrounded by Holyfield, Tyson, Bowe and a cavalcade of other belt holders.

VK had his brother...Brewster?.....Ruiz.

VK should have been made to beat his contemporaries as every other weight class champion has.

Beating a semi-retired Sanders, a Kirk Klump and Danny Bakewell should never have earned him that badge.

[Mensa07]

the boo'ing didnt surprise me, there was always an undercurrent of resentment from the US fight fan towards LL, tho since he retired I notice he gets a lot more err...'love' from america.

I'm curious if nothing else to see how Vitali looks in his comeback, what was it like 4 years ago now since he bludgeoned Danny?

whatever happened to David Tua? thats one dude I wouldn't fancy a dig off.

[DavidPayne]

Tua was to face Greenberg next, I think that was the crack. Oh, erm.....I see so....erm what now?

"Lets watch Something ABout Mary again, I love what that bird does with her hair".

[Poncey]

It was Tua v Greenburg on July 19, then became Tua v X and Greenburgh v Y on the same bill.

Then just Greenburgh v Z in August.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Having watched this many times, I believe Lewis would have prevailed.

Vitali had thrown his best shots and hadn't managed to dent Lewis, in fact, by the 3rd, Lewis was walking through Vitali's shots.

Vitali was slowing down and was beginning to ship big punishing shots.

Lewis would have stopped him 2-3 rounds later, I think Vitali had given his best already.

I pretty much agree with what you have said, but I have always wondered why Lews never gave Vitali a rematch? I mean, Lewis saying that its time for him retire was a pretty feeble excuse in my view. In my opinion, Lewis knows Vitali gave him a hell of a tough fight & would no doubt have given a tough battle should a rematch have happened.

I remember Lewis never came in tip-top shape for Vitali & at that point, after being relieved to have beaten Vitali, I reckon Lennox knew he was past his best, his skills were not what they once were, etc.

Credit to Vitali for desperately wanting to continue after suffering such a bad cut & slso credit for trying real hard to get a rematch. It was a fight that should have happened.

If Vitali beats Peter & beats him well, then the HW division better look out. Vitali is one of the strongest HW's I ever come across. He made Danny Williams look like a rag doll.

I think the reason Lewis didn't give him a rematch, was he just could not motivate himself to get back in the gym. Manny Steward had already said prior to the Vitali fight that Lewis wasn't spending as much time in the gym, and he was finding it harder to get him to work properly.

Credit to Vitali my arse - he desperately wanted Lewis, because he knew Lewis was old, slowing and his balance was going, and knew that was his best chance of getting universal recognition as champion. Lewis would have been 38 by the time he got in the ring, and Vitali knew he would have a better chance second time around.

Lewis had proven everything he had to prove in his career by that point - plenty of fights have been stopped on cuts, there's nothing controversial about it. Lewis took on Vitali as a stand-in opponent at the last minute, how many heavyweight champions would have taken on Vitali in place of lardarse Johnson? Lewis could just have taken on some soft touch no-mark, but instead took on Vitali, who was considered the danger man of the division, and a far more dangerous proposition than Johnson.

Vitali is pretty old now, what is he 36? He's been inactive for the last 2 1/2 years, and he's a known steroid abuser, whose body has broken down repeatedly, he's not the future of the division, he's a former champ with a couple of fights left in him. If you want a dominant champion, look elsewhere.

[DavidPayne]

The division really needs Sam Peter to destroy the VK myth. He may prove not to be up to it but it will say a lot for Wladimir if big-brother bosses Sam Peter around.

Ideally, either Haye or Povetkin emerge to dominate and beating leading contenders.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Personally, I don't see Povetkin as the division's saviour, he's okay, but I don't see what the massive fuss is about.

I think Wlad would beat Povetkin with the jab and right cross.

[Lenny]

Personally, I don't see Povetkin as the division's saviour, he's okay, but I don't see what the massive fuss is about.

I think Wlad would beat Povetkin with the jab and right cross.

But Povetkin will come at Wlad throwing punches which nobody has done for quite a while now. Whilst I think he needs to improve his defense and add some head movement, I think he is more than capable of making Wlad implode with fear.

And i'll still be very surprised to see Vitali make it through a complete training camp but even if he does he is the last thing the division needs.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Personally, I don't see Povetkin as the division's saviour, he's okay, but I don't see what the massive fuss is about.

I think Wlad would beat Povetkin with the jab and right cross.

But Povetkin will come at Wlad throwing punches which nobody has done for quite a while now. Whilst I think he needs to improve his defense and add some head movement, I think he is more than capable of making Wlad implode with fear.

And i'll still be very surprised to see Vitali make it through a complete training camp but even if he does he is the last thing the division needs.

I think the problem for Povetkin, like it was for Ibragimov, who is not a bad fighter at all, is that Wlad knows how to use his physical advantages without letting the other guy do anything. I think Povetkin has a better chance, but it's not so easy to get to Wlad.

Povetkin will have to throw caution to the wind a bit, and take some big digs to get close if he is going to win I think.

[johnswan1]

Personally, I don't see Povetkin as the division's saviour, he's okay, but I don't see what the massive fuss is about.

I think Wlad would beat Povetkin with the jab and right cross.

But Povetkin will come at Wlad throwing punches which nobody has done for quite a while now. Whilst I think he needs to improve his defense and add some head movement, I think he is more than capable of making Wlad implode with fear.

And i'll still be very surprised to see Vitali make it through a complete training camp but even if he does he is the last thing the division needs.

I think the problem for Povetkin, like it was for Ibragimov, who is not a bad fighter at all, is that Wlad knows how to use his physical advantages without letting the other guy do anything. I think Povetkin has a better chance, but it's not so easy to get to Wlad.

Povetkin will have to throw caution to the wind a bit, and take some big digs to get close if he is going to win I think.

They said the same about Peter. Wlad should have KO'd him if he wasn't so terrified of getting hit himself. Peter is one dimensional and terrible. I can't see where the next universally recognised champion will come from but I hope it doesn't turn out to be another fat bastard.