Vitali's favourite subjest comes up again

[Lenny]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/ma ... -lewis-mum

[CheckHook]

Doubt he will ever get over it, the loss will always haunt him I'm sure. To be honest though, I never understood the big deal. I think when you carve up a mans face, in the ring, to the point where he is pissing blood like a stuck pig its time to stop the fight. Maybe they should've let it continue though so he could've lost an eye.... Would've been different if it was an unnoticed clash of heads or Lewis would've fought on but avoided Klitschko. The fact is Klitshcko didn't protect himself well enough to see the final bell.

[jinjang]

true. but a rematch was clearly needed to see who the better man was.

[forcefraser]

The better man was Lewis. No doubt. He was getting to Vitali and would have stopped him late on.

Vitali fought great early on, but he took some damaging punches that caused the cuts.

[Captain Hook]

x2

Was never going to be any other outcome than a Lewis win. He had success early, started to fade and was cut to ribbons. End of....

[banjo]

It was a great fight too while it lasted, don't think there's been a heavyweight contest as good as that since.

Almost seven years have passed *sigh*

[yiddo14]

"In the referee's opinion the cut had been caused by a punch, which meant that Lewis was automatically declared the winner"

Er, it WAS a punch that caused the cut. Infact it was a series of punches that caused a series of cuts. It's simple really, still I guess they have to word it like that.

Lennox looked awful that night and for me he looked in better shape for the Rahman fight when he DID actually lose.

Lewis was still starting to take over, but of course, it's not easy to predict what would have happened(apart from Vitali needing a glass eye and probably a further 200 hudred+ stiches to sew his face up after). I have always thought Lennox would have gone onto win.

[charlieb]

I remember thinking Tarver deserved a rematch against Jones after their first fight, I'm glad Lewis got out, this is a brutal sport.

I still think an out of shape Lewis was well on his way to stopping VK though. It's not as though Lewis could've known that Vitali would go on to be the subsequent generation's ruler, I'm sure if he had've done, he might've had the motivation to fight a man who (at the time) had already lost to Chris Byrd and was viewed as being the lesser fighter of the 2 K brothers. Lewis timed his exit rightly, at the time.

[jinjang]

I agree, but it was hardly conclusive!!

[jamesmcdonnell]

true. but a rematch was clearly needed to see who the better man was.

It was needed for Vitali, Lewis had been contemplating retirement for some time, and clearly wasn't as motivated in training for the fight againt Vitali - he looked like a sack of shite in there.

Frigging hell, Vitali will still be calling lewis out when he's 70!

[Twinkle Toes]

If I recall correctly, he wasn't actually training for Vitali, it was a late pull out by Kirk Johnson that resulted in the Vitali match being made.

It was something like 10 days notice - A lot of champs in this day and age would say no thanks to stepping in with the number one challenger with such short notice.

[jamesmcdonnell]

If I recall correctly, he wasn't actually training for Vitali, it was a late pull out by Kirk Johnson that resulted in the Vitali match being made.

It was something like 10 days notice - A lot of champs in this day and age would say no thanks to stepping in with the number one challenger with such short notice.

Yes, clearly Lewis hadn't exactly bust a nut for Johnson, then at late notice takes on a mean hombre like Vitali, and he get's criticised - go figure.

[nobby_nobbins]

The problem is that some people don't understand the difference between an unsatisfying ending and a controversial ending. Opening up severe cuts with punches is a legitimate way of winning a fight (cc Cassius Clay v Henry Cooper) but it is not satisfying for the fans when the bleeding loser still has plenty of fight in him.

[rhino222]

watch the video again, it was not a punch that caused the cut but the wrist strap/tape on lewis glove as he rubbed it hard passed the eye of vitali.

all in all it was a good fight, kudos to lewis for defending his crown against the number one fella at short notice. lewis was gassed very early on but showed heart, vitali showed heart, power and a great chin (remember that uppercut..owch !!) ...

we will never know the result, personally i thought the fight could still have gone either way.

[hitman_hatton1]

the division has completely gone to pot since that fight.

not helped by vitali sitting on the sidelines for 4 and a half years.

[hitman_hatton1]

we will never know the result, personally i thought the fight could still have gone either way.

oh yeah deffo.

lewis had a good 6th rd.

but vitali still had plenty left.

evidenced by the way he got off his stool when the doctor stopped him on the cut.

[Rocky Balboa]

The better man was Lewis. No doubt. He was getting to Vitali and would have stopped him late on.

Vitali fought great early on, but he took some damaging punches that caused the cuts.

Lewis was the better man that night, but Lennox knew if there was a rematch Vitali would have faired better! Lewis knew his own skills were eroding, knew he found it harder to train as hard to get in top shape! Lennox came in heavy for Vitali, having claimed he was in better shape for Vitali than he was Tyson some 12 months earlier!

Vitali suffered a bad cut, but the cut was what won it for Lewis & credit to him for slicing up Vitali, but the rematch would have been different! Lennox was flagging in the fight & he was blatantly relieved to get by with a win!

[Asterix]

watch the video again, it was not a punch that caused the cut but the wrist strap/tape on lewis glove as he rubbed it hard passed the eye of vitali.

Isn't is caused by the punch at 8:57 here? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDot0rbYSfo

Edit: 3:03 here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9OkXnea ... re=related
It wasn't caused by the wrist strap/tape on Lewis's glove.

[Lenny]

watch the video again, it was not a punch that caused the cut but the wrist strap/tape on lewis glove as he rubbed it hard passed the eye of vitali.

Isn't is caused by the punch at 8:57 here? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDot0rbYSfo

Edit: 3:03 here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9OkXnea ... re=related
It wasn't caused by the wrist strap/tape on Lewis's glove.

No it was definitely the rubbing, it was just after Lennox gave Vitali a noogie and pulled his nose. Watch the video again

[jamesmcdonnell]

watch the video again, it was not a punch that caused the cut but the wrist strap/tape on lewis glove as he rubbed it hard passed the eye of vitali.

all in all it was a good fight, kudos to lewis for defending his crown against the number one fella at short notice. lewis was gassed very early on but showed heart, vitali showed heart, power and a great chin (remember that uppercut..owch !!) ...

we will never know the result, personally i thought the fight could still have gone either way.

I agree, but those cuts only happened because Lewis was throwing those punches. It's not like the easter bunny caused them. These things happen.

[TheDrowningMan]

Vitali was fighting like a far less positive and attacking John Ruiz towards the end of the final round. Both were knackered, but Klitschko was holding on for dear life and flopping all over the place.

[J]

yawn...this coming fomr a man who next defends against the great ..wait for it...Albert Sosnowski.

I hope the pole chins him which of course he wont but i will still hope it happens.

jesus h........a man seriously taking on sub european level heavies (sorry albert but you are a decent trier but little above british level in reality) and expects credence to be taken about his opinion.

Go away you boring robotic whining cry baby. Just go away. please.

[crusader]

Vitali has fought much better opposition than sub par European level fighters. Arreola, Johnson, Peter, Gomez, Sanders, and Johnson were all top ten world ranked fighters or close to it when he easily beat them and he went toe to toe in a great war with an all time great HW in Lewis. Saying his opinion is worthless because of his level of opposition is stupid. At least he is staying active unlike so many other champions now a days. I guess some people don't like that though.

I would have loved a rematch between Lewis and Vitali. Their fight was excellent and it was unfortunate the ending was rather undramatic.

[Rich]

Just watched the fight again and I had Lewis going one up after the 6th where he was coming on strong, but if you watch him slump down at the end of the round just before its stopped, its clear he didnt have much left in the tank and looked pretty sluggish all night tbf. As much as it pains me to say, the reality is that Klit had more left and but for the cuts looked most likely to win, but the cuts were caused by a punch so fair result.

[J]

Vitali has fought much better opposition than sub par European level fighters. Arreola, Johnson, Peter, Gomez, Sanders, and Johnson were all top ten world ranked fighters or close to it when he easily beat them and he went toe to toe in a great war with an all time great HW in Lewis. Saying his opinion is worthless because of his level of opposition is stupid. At least he is staying active unlike so many other champions now a days. I guess some people don't like that though.

I would have loved a rematch between Lewis and Vitali. Their fight was excellent and it was unfortunate the ending was rather undramatic.

active? are you for real? Nothing about a 30-4 year hiatus for injury that suddenly cleared up, the opponents you cherry pick there are accross a six/seven year period and still dont stack up very well.
Or are you trying to say Vitali has fought great opponents...now that is plain stupid.

My point is if he is so great there are better opponents out there than bloody albert sosnowski, so stop bleating aobut something that happend nearly a decade ago and concentrate on fighting better opponents now.