Heavy weight division, what a joke!

yo

Erm, he has only had one actually, against Lewis?

 

What about the IBF eliminator with Chris Turd?

 

Lazy bastard...

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=1853&cat=boxer

MTF

 

Right on the money...

MTF :bears:

 

That's not a title fight though, he would still have to have beaten Holyfield to win the belt.

 

Oh look! He weighed 3lbs more than the night he was blasted out by a man who couldn't carry Klitschkos jock.

The worst-prepared Lewis EVER was was the night he fought Rahman in South Africa.

Worst prepared in terms of both mental and physical outlook.

Frank Maloney, a midget of ill repute, has tried to argue that the night he lost to McCall was the worst, but Frank is a retard anyway. A small Cockney-Irish...Uggggghh...I wish I could just drown him, like an unwanted cur.

 

So he was even more out of shape than his worst night yet still managed to beat Vitali? :dunno:








:stir:

 

Yeah, and he weighed a full TEN pounds more on the night he clubbed Klit into a series of facial vagina's than he did when, fit and focused, he brutally avenged that shock loss to Rahman.

Lewis was at a career high weight when he fought Klit. He was at his second heaviest when he lost to Rahman. A pattern emerging, perhaps?

I think you are barking up a particularly wrong tree here Paddy

MTF :stir:

 

Yeah...that's us all told!

MTF :kick:

 

He was not at his worst the night he beat Vitali. Nowhere near his worst. How can my saying he was at his worst the night he lost to Rahman possibly weaken my argument. Please...this is fightbeat, not Sky Sports. Argue candidly folks.

His heaviest does not mean his worst. He probably declined to knock off a few extra lbs once he knew he was fighting Vitali.

He was at his worst the night he showed up at altitude with Steward talking shit about how they dont need to acclimatise as they were "always on the road anyways"

 

Of course he was better when he fought Vitali. He was older and fatter. Those always make you better. Right?

Geez.

 

Against Rahman, he couldn't breathe right after 2 rounds.

And come on FFS.....he was what, 36 when he fought Vitali? Stop trying to make out he was the 2nd coming of the 2nd coming of George Foreman {The First}

 

If the first Rahman fight was in the USA or UK/Europe I think Lewis would have won despite being in such awful shape. Altitude is a bitch.

 

As far as fighting at altitude goes, he was in poor shape. It's just that he arrived so late. You see, the point I am trying to make is that Lewis preparations cost him, the same way Vitali's lack of preparation may have cost him.

Lack of prep because you had no notice, or because you had plenty of notice but were too damned arrogant, is still lack of prep. Lack of prep kills you. Period.

I have no problem with anyone who asserts that Lennox Lewis was an outstanding heavyweight who may well be one of the best of all time.

My point is narrow and particular: Give Vitali 2-3 months preparation for that particular fight....and I think he can win it.

 

Vitali wasn't blowing out of his arse inside two rounds, as Lewis was against Rahman though. He didn't look like he was under prepared at all- in fact, he performed well and caused Lewis problems.


He didn't lose, as Lewis did in Carnival City, because he was unaccustomed to the altitude. He lost because he stood and traded with Lennox Lewis, who in turn cleaved a series of massives gashes into his face.

Even if you are right, and you have offered NO proof at all to suggest that Lewis had more notice of the fight than Vitali did (even though I asked for it), you have to accept that Lewis has more time to prepare too. You think Vitali is going to use that time especially well and Lewis waste it?

Bottom line- If you give Vitali two more months, you give Lewis two more months.

MTF

 

Fine. I think Vitali suffered more in the sudden change of opponent. I think 2 months of camp he would have developed more of a refined approach, and could have conceivably dealt with Lewis in a more refined fashion. As is, he went in relatively blind. Lewis, with the benefits of fights vs guys like Mike Grant, Akinwande, Mavrovic couldn't really have learned more than he already knew about fighting taller guys...and he had tasted the big occasion more than Vitali, for sure Couple it with the fact that Vitali doesnt really have a style to figure out anyways. What sort of a plan was Vitali supposed to hatch in 2 weeks? I think he was forced by the lack of preparation to go in, fight big, and hope he came out ahead.

As I say, with 2 months notice, who knows what they spot in training. Fights have turned on less.....like Max Schmelling and the low-Louis right.

Proof? I dont have any. Just evidence. When Johnson was injured Klitschko went ahead with his prepartion for Boswell. Lewis must have been anticipating Klitschko for longer than Klitschko was Lewis.

I dont believe the WBC ordered it...merely approved it....

 

Just watching this fight (Lewis-Klitschko) again...

What a war! :bears:

Very underrated heavyweight slugfest...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vchqCFmOe4

 

Dude, with all due respect, you're out of your mind. Lewis was tall, had a sharp jab, massive straight right hand and improved hook. He was nimble but not quite fluid with his footwork and had perfected power counter punching.

Those aren't skill unique to Lennox. Lewis just did them very well. If Vitali had a year to prepare specifically for Lewis it wasn't going make Lewis any less effective with what he did well. And the extra prep certainly wasn't going to change Vitali as he is still the same fighter today as he was when he lost to Lewis from a style standpoint.

He was already training. He was in shape. He had a freaking shitload of experience.

The problem is that Lennox was just too much. Period. I hated Lennox as Champion as I do with all fighters tied to England, and I can accept it. Why can't you?

 

I can remember when I first watched it I thought "Damn Vitali is the real deal'. However when I re-watch I always think about how tough Lennox was both physically and mentally. He wasn't going to fold.

But you are correct. From a drama standpoint, it's the best HW fight of the last 15 years in my opinion.

 

Yup.

I have to disagree on one thing though (and I'm a huge Lennox Lewis fan)...but if it wasn't for the cut, which gave Lennox some hope, I believe he would have folded...

 

I dont think Lewis was anything other than what you describe him to be. I just think that giving people time to prepare helps them form a game plan with a view to counter acting some of the things their opponent is.

Giving Vitali a year doesnt make Lewis any worse at what Lewis does. It just makes Vitali a bit more prepared for what Lewis does. Or is this lost on you?

Question: Marco Antonio Barrera engaged a perfect fight plan vs Hamed. Do you think they could have formulated and perfected that on 2 weeks notice if they were training for, say, Johnny Tapia?:dunno:

No. Instead, they had the requisite period...sat down, watched the tapes, formulated the plan, got in the right sparring, perfected it, executed it. I aint saying Lewis loses the use of his right arm. I am saying maybe Vitali and his people figure out a way to get away from it.

Gil Clancy said he spent 8 weeks working with Jerry Quarry on how to avoid Fraziers left hook. Of course, Jerry eschewed the fight plan once the bell sounded, but the point is it was there..they worked on it. Thats why fighters have camp.



Vitali was already in training. For Boswell. He was already in shape. For Boswell. He had a freaking shitload of experience. For Boswell.

Give him 2 months training with block-shithouse counter punchers and who knows. Thats all I am saying.

 

Curious, based on what?

 

His history of folding in difficult fights.

 

::

MTF

 

Lewis didn't, of course, fold in front of difficult fights, per se. But he had a habit of falling into Lazy Mode....he did it vs Holyfield, twice and he did it vs Mavrovic, where he allowed himself to get sucked into an undignified mess. It's not Mental Collapse 101, but it's still something he could have done without.

 

Lewis had a tendency to play chess mentally, but he didn't fold in big fights. He got folded once or twice (McCall and Rahman both threw spectacular shots to win), but he also took Ray Mercer's bombs as well as Dr. Klitschko's until Vitali's eyelid almost got scraped off in between rounds (Now there's a charming visual).

I always suspected that Lewis had difficulties with inner ear equilibrium or balance. He looked ungainly at times, but compensated for it by widening his stance. When he hit the canvas though, he hit the canvas HARD (and I know that is the way a big man is supposed to hit, but when he got dropped, it looked like he was splayed out completely and everything rolled out or went limp on the way down).

Plus, he sometimes appeared to wobble in the ring (and I don't mean because of him gaining weight). Something always looked a tiny bit off in the balance department.

 

Is James Toney going up to heavy weight? or has he gone UFC? that dudes too funny, id love to see the press conference for toney vs wlad.

 

He's been at heavyweight the last few years, where have you been? :dunno: ::

But yea he's going into the UFC

 

yo

Has he fought any top heavy weights?

 

Ruiz, Rahman x2, Peter x2, Holyfield, Oquendo...seriously where have you been? ::