http://espn.go.com/boxing/news/2003/1206/1680134.html Vitali Klitschko just demolished Kirk Johnson in two rounds. In order for Lennox Lewis to have any legacy at all he needs to give the Ukrainian another shot. From all appearances though, Lennox will retire next year and the belt will be up for grabs. Anybody think he'll actually fight Vitali?
The only news that Kirk Johnson was getting up here recently was complaing about the police. Kirk complained that the Halifax Regional Police was accusing him of DWB. Maybe he should worry about his fights rather than becoming a civil rights leader.
Lewis is smart enough not fight Klitschko. He has beaten all the best heavyweights of his generation and has nothing to prove.
Vitali wasn't never even considered the most talented boxer in his family. But, if you think Lewis has defeated the best in the business, that also aks the old question...in their prime? The heavyweights have been recycling old guys for years and Lennox can only defeat the people in the pool, but he can't go down in history as anything other than a guy who filled a void, not a guy who created his own space, thus his own boxing era. Besides, he did not come out and defeat Vitali in the last bout. The technical victory was just that, a hollow win that even Lewis should want to correct. But, he was nothing to gain. Even in victory, nobody will care for him as a boxer.
Holyfield and Tyson didn’t want to fight Lewis in HIS prime. When they were forced to do that he took care of them. In the meantime Lewis beat everyone who was willing to fight him. Lewis is now 38 and of course he’s not as good as he use to be. But at his peak he was better than both of the Klitsckos.
Understand though, that it was a Lewis punch that caused the nasty cut, so he must have done something right in that fight. The stoppage is then deserved - even if Vitali dominated the rest of the fight. As far as the MSG fight went - somebody please tell Kirk Johnson that auditions for Santa Claus were after the fight. Inexcusable to come in that kind of bowl full of jelly shape. Joe Mesi didn't look half bad either - but needs to work on his stamina big time before being taken seriously.