Klitschko was ahead on all three scorecards...

[bennie]

Lennos Lewis should agree to a rematch with world heavyweight title rival Vitali Klitschko, according to ring legend George Foreman.
The fomer world champion was watching ringside in Los Angeles six months ago when Lewis scored a sixth-round technical knockout over Klitschko when the giant Ukrainian sustained cuts to his left eye.
Klitschko had dominated the early stages of the fight and, when the referee waved it off, he was ahead of Lewis on all three judges' scorecards.
Lewis, a veteran at 38, is now considering whether to hang up his gloves or fight Klitschko again next spring.
Foreman, who won the world heavyweight championship on his 25th birthday in 1973 and then made history 20 years later by becoming the oldest ever heavyweight title-holder at 45, insisted that Lewis should go back for a rematch.
In London to promote his new Cafe George food griller, Foreman said: "If Lewis walked away from Klitschko now, he might end up spending the rest of his life regretting he didn't prove that he could beat this guy fair and square."
In a remarkable testimony to Lewis, the American added: "I believe he will fight on.
A challenge has been made by Klitschko and Lewis has never, ever, been afraid of a challenge.
"How do I know that? Because of what I saw in that first fight between those two.
"Klitschko caught Lewis by surprise early on and, at the end of one round, Lewis just flopped down on to his stool. At that moment I saw the question 'what am I fighting here for?' appear in his face.
"As a boxer who has been where Lewis was at that moment, I could read what was going on in his mind," added Foreman.
"A clever champion like him will have all his money tucked away safe. A lot of men in his position then would have turned their back on Klitschko and said 'forget it'. But he got up off his stool and continued with the fight.
"That proved he's a fine, tough man. He's up there in my top five of all time after Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Jack Dempsey and Jack Johnson.
"He's aggressive, he uses all his skills including that long, left jab, and has a right hand he throws like a baseball bat. But he has always handled himself like a gentleman.
"Believe me, there's never been a champion like that

[jamesmcdonnell]

I guess big George doesn't consider cutting someone's face to ribbons with punches, forcing the ringside doctor to stop them fair and square?

Christ, Lewis is an old man now, why risk it, I don't see Lewis coming in much sharper than he did last time, and he will find it every bit as hard to get in shape.

Stay retired Lennox, forget about it.

[Lugh]

Lennos Lewis should agree to a rematch with world heavyweight title rival Vitali Klitschko, according to ring legend George Foreman.
The fomer world champion was watching ringside in Los Angeles six months ago when Lewis scored a sixth-round technical knockout over Klitschko when the giant Ukrainian sustained cuts to his left eye.
Klitschko had dominated the early stages of the fight and, when the referee waved it off, he was ahead of Lewis on all three judges' scorecards.
Lewis, a veteran at 38, is now considering whether to hang up his gloves or fight Klitschko again next spring.
Foreman, who won the world heavyweight championship on his 25th birthday in 1973 and then made history 20 years later by becoming the oldest ever heavyweight title-holder at 45, insisted that Lewis should go back for a rematch.
In London to promote his new Cafe George food griller, Foreman said: "If Lewis walked away from Klitschko now, he might end up spending the rest of his life regretting he didn't prove that he could beat this guy fair and square."
In a remarkable testimony to Lewis, the American added: "I believe he will fight on.
A challenge has been made by Klitschko and Lewis has never, ever, been afraid of a challenge.
"How do I know that? Because of what I saw in that first fight between those two.
"Klitschko caught Lewis by surprise early on and, at the end of one round, Lewis just flopped down on to his stool. At that moment I saw the question 'what am I fighting here for?' appear in his face.
"As a boxer who has been where Lewis was at that moment, I could read what was going on in his mind," added Foreman.
"A clever champion like him will have all his money tucked away safe. A lot of men in his position then would have turned their back on Klitschko and said 'forget it'. But he got up off his stool and continued with the fight.
"That proved he's a fine, tough man. He's up there in my top five of all time after Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Jack Dempsey and Jack Johnson.
"He's aggressive, he uses all his skills including that long, left jab, and has a right hand he throws like a baseball bat. But he has always handled himself like a gentleman.
"Believe me, there's never been a champion like that

I agree with Big George that there has never been a more "civilised" champ - but he shouldn't give VitKlit a re-match.

It's now a big risk IMO - a risk he doesn't need - he has a stoppage win over VitKlit.

I don't really understand how Klit is moaning - he got stopped on WITHOUT ANY QUESTION the most horrendous set of cuts I've ever seen in a Heavyweight bout and was lucky to last as long as he did.

The cuts were caused by punches so I don't see what the problem was.

[Goz]

I guess big George doesn't consider cutting someone's face to ribbons with punches, forcing the ringside doctor to stop them fair and square?

Christ, Lewis is an old man now, why risk it, I don't see Lewis coming in much sharper than he did last time, and he will find it every bit as hard to get in shape.

Stay retired Lennox, forget about it.

Spot on, I hate this almost generalised acceptance that Lewis somehow controversially won that fight. He DID win fair and square and within the rule, he never butted or fouled Vitali, he stopped him on cuts plain and simple.

Sure you can speculate over what the outcome might have been had the fight not been stopped but hey that's boxing.

I'll remind some of these people what they were saying when Tszyu or Judah stop Hatton on cuts (example) and they say Hatton is no good and lost his title bid fair and square.

Colin Jones was robbed against Don Curry and everyone knows it!!!

[Kilburn]

Thing is Goz if Hatton lost on a cut after six rounds against Judah or Tszyu it's pretty unlikely that he'd be ahead on the scorecards at the time.

But Klitschko did lose fair and square, and personally I wouldn't be overly concerned for Lewis in a rematch. He had to absorb a lot more punches against Vitali than usual but absorb them he did. And Lewis is the proven 12 round fighter (albeit an old one now). Klitschko could never outlast him IMO.

[jamesmcdonnell]

An interesting historical footnote to all of this.

Back in 1972, 37 year old Floyd Patterson, long past his best, took on then 30 year old Ali, in a rematch, and was expected to get taken apart.

Patterson came in in tremendous shape, weighing 188, spot on his peak fighting weight, and turned in the performance of his life, outspeeding, outhitting and outboxing Ali for 6 rounds.

Ali looked listless and in poor shape, and was noticably getting fatigued by the pressure that Patterson was maintaining, and was well behind on all scorecards when the fight was stopped on cuts and swelling far far less severe than the ones sustained by Klitchsko.

This fight barely gets a mention these days, and i never realised just how badly Ali was getting beaten until I saw the fight.

My point is, Lewis' win over Klitchsko will in time cease to be controversial, so just hang them up now.

[stujones]

People my think I'm mad but I believe Foreman is saying this to fulfil his own agenda. He believes HE can BEAT Vitali, he knows he can't beat Lewis.

I would like to see Lewis in two more fights (or pack it in now). If he is to return then he must face Vitali, and if successful which I think he will be. I wouldn't mind seeing an easy send off against Mesi (cause that would earn some big bucks and its another fighter who some people have been championing).

So if he is to fight again, I wish it would be with Vitali.