BoxRec

According to Pat Sheehan of The Sun newspaper, Lennox Lewis will fight on after being told there is a guaranteed £15million for a rematch with Vitali Klitschko.
WBC heavyweight champion Lewis was ready to hang up his gloves after he stopped Klitschko in six rounds to retain his title in June.
But Lewis, 39, has been criticised for the way he fought that night in Los Angeles and wants to put the record straight.
Lewis must tell the WBC his decision to fight on by the end of this month or be stripped of his crown. The former undisputed champ has already seen two of his titles disappear.
He lost the WBA version when Evander Holyfield took court action while the IBF stripped Lewis when he refused to face Chris Byrd.
Lewis' former amateur coach Adrian Teodorescu bumped into him recently. He said: "Lennox asked me if he should keep going or stop fighting. I told him that he had already proved who he was and did not have to prove any more. But I also told him if he wants to take away the bad taste of the Klitschko fight, he should take eight to 10 weeks out of the rest of his life and fight him again.
"Lennox should knock him out, take the money and then retire happy."
Lewis' backers, HBO, have a date in April they want to fill.

I think he should fight him, but be FULLY focused in training, because it ain't gonna be easy.

He shouldn't fight on. People who rate Lennox already rate him highly and he can do no more to improve that.

Those who don't (look at some of the top 15's on the other thread, some still don't rate him in all-time top 15 Heavyweight lists) aren't going to suddenly elevate him off the back of a KO win in a rematch with Vitali.

And the real haters would just move the goalposts yet again claiming a win over Mesi is what he needs.....

The only reason is money, I guess Lennox must be motivated very much by this so maybe we will see him again.

Heavyweight champions seem to be either money obsessed beyond belief (Lewis,Foreman and Holmes) or incredibly naive (everyone else).

Goz wrote:Heavyweight champions seem to be either money obsessed beyond belief (Lewis,Foreman and Holmes) or incredibly naive (everyone else).

Phew, lucky there weren't any sweeping generalisations there!

This is a bad bad move for Lennox.

Although I will watch the fight, I don't see him improving on his showing against Vitali last time out, and i think Vitali is only going to get better, stronger and more confident.

If I were Lewis, I would at least take a tuneup fight, fighting once a year at his age is bad news.

History is very much against Lewis on this one, aside from Foreman, who is something of a physical freak, and won his title from one of the weaker heavyweight champions, nobody has fought successfully for the heavyweight title at Lewis' advanced age.

Lewis would do well to stay retired.

I also don't think that money is Lewis' motivation, he's rich beyond most people's imaginings, having wisely invested his money, it;s about respect, or lack of it.

Who is Lewis' business advisor now, didn't someone just come back into his camp?

To be honest, Pat Sheehan isn't the most reliable of sources, this is the same guy who fell for hoax that Naz was back with Ingle for a rematch with Barrera, didn't even bother to check his facts and just ran with it.

How do these guys hold on to their jobs at the nationals, some of them really are piss poor.

Lewis is a fool, bar money (which he does not need) there is NO advantage to taking this fight.

Besides, april will mean it will be close to a year since hes went into the ring, it will catch up with him and he will lose.

I would love to see this fight more than any other and I really hope it comes off. These are the best 2 Heavyweights in the world and IMO head and shoulders above the rest.

Lewis has got to get in shape though this time which is not going to be easy at his age, especially if he has let himself go over the last 12 months, but I have full confidence in him, if he takes the fight he will get in shape and do the job properly this time. When he does he will go down as the best EVER.

Chambers wrote: When he does he will go down as the best EVER.

If Lewis were to spark VitKlit in the first 30 seconds of the bout it would still have no impact on Lewis's Legacy - he's beaten him once and Klit is not that well respected anyway.

Yet another reason why Lewis doesn't need the fight.

Lugh wrote:

Chambers wrote: When he does he will go down as the best EVER.

If Lewis were to spark VitKlit in the first 30 seconds of the bout it would still have no impact on Lewis's Legacy - he's beaten him once and Klit is not that well respected anyway.

Yet another reason why Lewis doesn't need the fight.

After such an amazing career it would be a shame for Lewis to go out on such a mediocre performance, I am sure he would like to go out without having any unanswered questions hanging over him.

I disagree with you when you say that Vitali is not that well respected, I think he is in many peoples eyes (mine included) the natural successor to Lewis's crown. Lewis has already beaten him, but not in convincing styleI I would have liked to know how the fight would have finished if it wasn' for the cuts as it ruined what would have been a fantastic climax to the fight

Chambers wrote: I disagree with you when you say that Vitali is not that well respected, I think he is in many peoples eyes (mine included) the natural successor to Lewis's crown.

Don't you get it yet Chambers? Vitali is well respected until Lewis knocks him TFO. Then he will become a bum or a shot fighter who doesn't enhance Lewis's legacy in the slightest a la Tua, Grant, Tyson, Holyfield e.t.c

Despite Sheenan being a prize twat, I think he might have it right for once: Lewis will fight Vitali again, and not just for the money ( how much can one man spend? ) It's all about glory, performing on the World stage and ( hopefully ) scoring a sensational knock out.
The feeling of winning a heavyweight title fight must be unbelievable. It's gonna be hard for LL to walk away from that excitement, into a normal life.

How many heavyweight champions manage to walk away for good while still champ? Seems to be near impossible for most.
I wouldn't be suprised to see him carry on well into 2005.

Lewis, like Joe Louis before him, does better in rematches....but he's in the twilight of his career now and this is obviously a dangerous fight to take. He'll be a slight favorite I guess, but not by much.

If he decides to take the fight I'll be looking forward to it. Their first fight was one of the best of last year, and the rematch might be even better.

MW - I think the thing is though that I feel if Lewis beats Klitschko the majority of naysayers will give Lennox little credit for it. If he loses however it will prove once and for all that he is and always was a chump.

There is no value in the fight from a legacy-enhancing perspective.....

You're right Goz, it'd be a disaster if he loses, but I'm guessing he'll take the fight. At least that seems to be what a few writers like the well connected Mike Katz are saying.

If he trains right he should win it though, and I don't think he was really training hard for Kirk Johnson ( and can you blame him?! ).
If he wins his critics will still be singing the same old song, but who cares.
Like Larry Holmes before him, he'll probably get no credit till 5 years after his reign has ended.

MightyWarrior wrote: Like Larry Holmes before him, he'll probably get no credit till 5 years after his reign has ended.

I dont think so, Holmes dominanted more in my opinion, and beat tougher opposition, he went 48-0 and was never knocked clean out by glorified Journeymen like Mccall and Rahman.

However Holmes and Lewis are very similar in one way, neither have the most exciting style in the world, both dominated in a way there era, and both needed big names to make big box office, (ali and cooney for holmes, and Tyson and Holyfield for lewis)

If in 5 years, people consider Lewis as good as Holmes, in my opinion would be vastly underrating Holmes.

Lewis, is just the best of a very very poor bunch.

The_Power wrote: Lewis, is just the best of a very very poor bunch.

That's exactly what was said about Holmes during his reign - poor man's Ali etc..
Holmes had better powers of recovery than Lewis I'll admitt. He was caught with a few sucker punches in his time too, but escaped by the skin of his teeth.
The ref who stopped Lewis in the first McCall fight would've certainly stopped Larry as he staggered around the ring after the Shavers knockdown. Holmes was given the chance to carry on and somehow recovered. Lewis was never given the chance to do the same in the McCall fight.
Holmes will probably be rated above Lewis, but I still think LL will eventualy be remembered as one of the better title holders, a true champ who never ducked anyone.

I think it's safe to say that Lewis was expecting an easy nights work, he probably looked at what happened to Wlad and thought he'd to what Sanders did but to Vit.
Also factor in that Lewis was sparring short guys in prep for Johnson and it's not too hard to imagine a better return performance. Lewis was a little heavy but he wasn't in bad condition, not the best shape he's ever been, but not bad. The problem was he wasn't prepared strategically, rather than physically.

You also have to remember that Lewis was initially training to fight the "mild bovine of the northern tundra" Kirk Johnson ..a fighter who is much differant and obviously less formidible than V. Klitchko..


I think if Lewis perepares adquately to fight a tall man and whips himself into top condition he'll pound Kltchkoo bro .#1 into an even bloodier mess in less time..

There is no excuse for coming in at anything less than 100%, Lewis paid for such arrogance against Rahman, I find it hard to believe he would make the same mistake against Johnson....

At 38 it's a lot harder to get into top fighting shape, partly due to lack of motivation, partly from wear and tear of years of training, and years of getting out of shape.

I have a horrible feeling Lewis is going to get mullered in a rematch.

People should never underestimate how much of an impact poor conditioning has on boxer. If you're out of shape you can look bad or lose against anyone who is half decent. Lennox was in bad shape in the Vitali fight.

I want there to be a white heavyweight champion more than you'd ever know, but, I don't want it to be Vitali Klitschko.

No disrespect to the guy but he's not that good. He hits hard and he's got a decent chin but that's about it, people try and say he's fast, bullshit, the man's like a clumbsy old cart horse, I'd rate him as the 'number 2' heavyweight, not because he's the second best, but because he's shit. Roy Jones and James Toney would both box his ears off. Far too much emphasis is put on size, don't be taken in by it.

The only thing we can learn from the fact Vitali Klitschko is ranked second in the heavyweight rankings is that heavyweight boxing is in a shit state and we should all concentrate on watching the lower divisions.

To suggest Lennox should not take the rematch is a bit daft, IMO. People go to war for a few hundred quid a week, they could get shot, have their legs blown off, or get raped up the arse by an interrogator. Lennox could earn as much as 15 Million Pounds for one boxing match against a lumbering Ukranian in a pair of Satin Hugo Boss shorts. 15 MILLION QUID, it doesn't matter who you are, that is too good an offer to refuse.

To the Americans who say Lennox shouldn't get $27.5 Million, you have to remember Lewis is British, at the moment the dollar is as weak as piss, it sounds like a ludicrous amount but your currency is not worth a lot in comparison to the pound.

Lennox has a business empire estimated at £150M, or around $200M, he really doesn't need the money.

The point is that it would be a bum way to end his career if he got fucked up by Vitali, who he would have bludgeoned to the canvas two years ago.

Vitali looked pretty quick to me against Johnson, Roach has imroved his balance and his timing, and his jab looked good too. Vitali isn't quite the carthorse he once was, and he has a deceptively awkward style.

The Sun's Pat Sheehan is write (for once) in that Lewis has till the end of this month to decide whether to fight Vitali Klitschko or not. If he doesn't make a decision, he'll be stripped by the WBC.
Bob Mee has confirmed this in today's Telegraph. And Bob Mee doesn't bullshit.

Not sure how the rematch would turn out. Lewis wasn't in the best of shape last time BUT I'm not certain that this wasn't partly deliberate, Lewis has shown in the past that he will vary his weight depending on strategy and I suppose he felt the need to be heavy to maul Klitschko around.

So if Lewis climbs into the ring in better shape that will be a positive, however this could be outweighed by being a year older and inactive AND Vitali possibly improving (although the Johnson fight was hard to tell for sure, Kirk is shite).

As a Lewis fan I'd be worried if they meet again and it would be a shame to go out being stopped by a man who would have gotten stretched Micheal Grant styleee a couple of years back.

Lewis has proven he can take Vitali's best punches and still keep coming forward so I'm not concerned about him getting KO'd. And like I've said before, if there's one thing Lewis knows it's how to get through 12 draining rounds no matter how knackered he is, while Klitschko is going to do bloody well to win rounds in the second half of the fight IMO. He himself was hurt and exhausted at the end of that sixth round last time.

I've seen a few people suggesting that Klitschko showed improvement in the Johnson fight but I didn't see it at all. Vitali was just the same - fit, strong and awkward. Johnson was an embarrassing blob nothing more.

There were definite improvements in Vitali, I cannot believe you couldn't see them.

Admittedly he was up against a barrell of lard, but Vitali fought far more aggressively than usual, and went looking for the KO, instead of waiting for it to happen like he used to.

Vitali definetly looked better balanced, and his handspeed looked markedly better to me.

What would have happened after that 6th round is anyone's guess, nobody can put their hand up with any authority and claim to know for sure who would have prevailed, both men looked tired both men had been hurt, and Lewis could well have gotten stopped, as could Vitali.