Lennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko
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Jabs | Lewis | Klitschko |
---|---|---|
Landed | 52 | 77 |
Thrown | 120 | 240 |
Percent | 43% | 32% |
Power Punches | Lewis | Klitschko |
Landed | 50 | 79 |
Thrown | 102 | 192 |
Percent | 49% | 41% |
Total Punches | Lewis | Klitschko |
Landed | 102 | 156 |
Thrown | 222 | 432 |
Percent | 46% | 36% |
Lennox Lewis 256 lbs beat Vitali Klitschko 248 lbs by TKO at 3:00 in round 6 of 12
- Date: 2003-06-21
- Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Referee: Lou Moret
- Judge: Tom Kaczmarek 56-58
1 9102 9103 1094 9105 9106 109 - Judge: James Jen Kin 56-58
1 9102 9103 9104 9105 1096 109 - Judge: Pat Russell 56-58
1 9102 9103 1094 9105 9106 109
- Promoter: Gary Shaw
- Ring Announcer: Michael Buffer
- World Boxing Council Heavyweight Title (2nd defense by Lewis)
- The Ring Heavyweight Title (2nd defense by Lewis)
- Program Cover
- Photo: Klitschko's face after the fight
Notes
- Lewis was originally scheduled to fight Kirk Johnson, who pulled out of the fight on June 6 because of a partial tear of his left pectoral muscle. Klitschko, who had been scheduled to fight Cedric Boswell on the undercard of Lewis vs. Johnson, agreed to fight Lewis on June 9.
- Klitschko was the WBC's No. 1-rated heavyweight contender.
- Lewis was guaranteed $7 million and Klitschko $1.4 million.
- At 256½ pounds, Lewis was fighting at the heaviest weight of his career.
- Lewis was a 4-1 favorite.
- Total attendance was 15,939, and paid attendance was 8,490. The breakdown is as follows: 7,466 were sold at full price; 1,024 were sold at a discount; 4,868 were given away; and 2,581 were suite seats or part of a sponsorship package.
- The gate was $2,523,384.
- The fight aired live on HBO's World Championship Boxing and was watched in 4.6 million homes. It was the network's highest rated fight since Oscar De La Hoya vs. Oba Carr on May 22, 1999.
- A right hand from Lewis opened a grotesque cut over Klitschko's left eye in the third round.
- Dr. Paul Wallace, the ringside physician, told the referee to stop the fight after the sixth round due to the cut over Klitschko's left eye.
- Klitschko required 60 stitches to repair four cuts on his face and one cut in his mouth.
- HBO's Harold Lederman had the fight scored 57-57 after 6 rounds.
- This was Lewis' last fight. He announced his retirement on February 6, 2004.
- While reflecting on the fight 15 years later, Lewis stated that Klitschko was the most difficult opponent he ever faced.<REf>Epic klitschko and Lennox Lewis going at it 15 years after fight.</ref>
Quotes
- "I was getting to him. Look at his face. Just look at the state of his face. It was only a matter of time. It was deteriorating. The referee saved his face." – Lennox Lewis
- "Right now, I feel like the people's champion. I did not want them to stop the fight. My strategy was to take it into the seventh and eighth rounds. My strategy was working. I knew his conditioning was not good." – Vitali Klitschko
- "I asked him to look at me and, when he lifted his head, his eyelid covered his field of vision. He had to move his head to see me. If he had to move his head to see me, there was no way he could defend himself. If he got hit with an overhand right, he might not be able to see it. It was a dangerous situation." – Dr. Paul Wallace on why he stopped the fight
Articles
- "Lewis Cuts The Deepest And Retains His Title" By Mike Freeman, New York Times, June 22, 2003
- "Lewis-Klitschko, Part II, Could Generate Interest" By Mike Freeman, New York Times, June 23, 2003
- "Paid Attendance Light for Title Bout" By Steve Springer, Los Angeles Times, June 24, 2003
- "Cut Short" By Franz Lidz, Sports Illustrated, June 30, 2003
Preceded by: Lewis vs. Tyson |
WBC Heavyweight Title Fight # 88 |
Succeeded by: V. Klitschko vs. Sanders |