ElJefe wrote: ↑05 Jun 2018, 18:52
As others have said, Lewis was a smart fighter who did well in rematches. I think the 'trouble' Holyfield gave him in the rematch is over-exaggerated as a response to the backlash about the robbery in the first fight. People go too far the other way. Lewis won BOTH fights by at least a few rounds.
No, the complaint in the rematch was that the judges had arrived with filled out scorecards gifting it to Lewis to make up for the controversy of the draw in the first fight. Holyfield was (unfairly) tainted by Eugenia Williams and Don King, and he was a Showtime fighter boxing on HBO, so there was absolutely no sentiment favouring him before the fight--it was his performance in the ring, beating Lewis at the age of 37, that earned him praise.
I'm not talking about the officials. I'm talking about the fans. It was closer (imo) than the first fight, so I think a lot of fans exaggerate and claim that Holyfield deserved something from it. That's just what I see online.
It's gone from "Holyfield did better in the 2nd fight than the 1st, even though the scorecards were wider to Lennox" to "If Holyfield deserved a draw in either fight, it was probably the second" to some people claiming that he actually did deserve a draw or more in the rematch.
ElJefe wrote: ↑05 Jun 2018, 18:52
As others have said, Lewis was a smart fighter who did well in rematches. I think the 'trouble' Holyfield gave him in the rematch is over-exaggerated as a response to the backlash about the robbery in the first fight. People go too far the other way. Lewis won BOTH fights by at least a few rounds.
No, the complaint in the rematch was that the judges had arrived with filled out scorecards gifting it to Lewis to make up for the controversy of the draw in the first fight. Holyfield was (unfairly) tainted by Eugenia Williams and Don King, and he was a Showtime fighter boxing on HBO, so there was absolutely no sentiment favouring him before the fight--it was his performance in the ring, beating Lewis at the age of 37, that earned him praise.
I'm not talking about the officials. I'm talking about the fans. It was closer (imo) than the first fight, so I think a lot of fans exaggerate and claim that Holyfield deserved something from it. That's just what I see online.
It's gone from "Holyfield did better in the 2nd fight than the 1st, even though the scorecards were wider to Lennox" to "If Holyfield deserved a draw in either fight, it was probably the second" to some people claiming that he actually did deserve a draw or more in the rematch.
No, numerous ringside journalists scored it for Holyfield on the night. Boxing Monthly collated them all in their fight review (Dec 99). People thought Holyfield won then and they think he won now, 19 years later. Nothing has changed.
HomicideHenry wrote: ↑07 Jun 2018, 17:39
#2- That Lewis knew that the division was "in good hands" if he walked away because Lewis recognized the greatness of potential that Klitschko had.
You honestly believe that Lewis felt some paternal instinct for the division?
In fact, it was common practice for ex champions to assist in the transition to the next champion after their retirement. Marciano did this, as did Tunney, as did Louis and Jeffries. Lewis did the same by saying that Klitschko was "the man" after he was leaving.
lewis would have prepared better and it would
be .a multi knockdown slugfest, that could go
either way. in the end i favour lewis to win two
out of three.
In fact, it was common practice for ex champions to assist in the transition to the next champion after their retirement. Marciano did this, as did Tunney, as did Louis and Jeffries. Lewis did the same by saying that Klitschko was "the man" after he was leaving.
Yet he supported Corrie Sanders all the way in his fight against Vitali. Corrie did well, BTW, considering he was even older than Lewis (when Lennox fought Vitali) and definitely was in a worse shape.
In fact, it was common practice for ex champions to assist in the transition to the next champion after their retirement. Marciano did this, as did Tunney, as did Louis and Jeffries. Lewis did the same by saying that Klitschko was "the man" after he was leaving.
So because Jim Jeffries reffed a Marvin Hart fight 100 years ago, or because Rock for a fee called a Patterson fight, you believe that Lewis was 'thinking of the division' and admiring Vitali's 'greatness' altruistically retired? What an utterly ridiculous idea. You'd have to know literally nothing about Lewis to even think it. The awful disarray the division fell into in his absence pleased him no end--that is his character.
