...anyone see the WBO heavyweight title fight with Wladimir Klitschko vs. Corrie Sanders of Seth Effrica on HBO last night? ****, did Klitschko get his ass kicked. Knocked down FOUR times, and bloodied, in less than two rounds before the ref finally stopped it. Sanders is a relatively unheralded 37-year-old, who was significantly smaller and had a really awkward punching style. But he kept eating Klitschko's jabs and working in, and Klitschko had no response. The couple times Klitschko did get off a swing, he was throwing wild bombs with his head down. And got tagged for his efforts. Since Wladimir was the one people thought was the better of the two brothers, what does this do to the potential Lennox Lewis-Vitaly Klitschko fight? Or will "the champ who should be carrying a purse" Lewis ignore the #1 contender (Vitaly) and fight Tyson or Jones instead?
That was a mother of a beating. Just goes to show how bad the heavy weight division has gotten. I respect Lewis, but he's never beaten anyone in their prime (beating a washed up Tyson showed nothing), and he's gotten clocked by two guys out of boxing. I would have liked to see him against Riddick Bow, when Riddick was still sane (in Lewis' defense I think it was Bow who ducked him). Now some have the nerve to call him one of the best HW Champs of all time. Jones is just not naturally big enough to fight Lewis. Fight fans will just have to wait for a new generation to rise up to save this lot. Lewis should go ahead and fight Byrd, another undersized guy, but who seems to have some skill. The action today is definetely in the bantam, lights, and welters.
Yeah, I saw it. I was a huge Vlad fan, prior to this fight. He got his clock cleaned good. I don't think he got exposed as a fraud per se, but underprepared, and got taken to school for it. Sanders is 37-2 so that isn't a chump. Klitchko kept getting up after getting knocked down though. I didn't even see that much jabbing though to be honest with you. Vlad let him get close and suffered because of it. You could see that he wasn't ready as he was dry as a whistle when he came out to the ring. No sweat prior to the fight = defeat just about every boxing match that I have seen. Roy Jones should fight Sanders now and get two parts of the title. He isn't that much bigger than Jones, I don't think. I want to see Lewis v. Jones. I know the size is unfair. I know that it isn't right. But, I want to see it. Because I think if there is anyone in boxing that could do it, it would have been Roy Jones Jr. I won't lose any respect for the man if he tries and loses. None. If he does the fight he will go down as the greatest pound for pound fighter in the history of boxing regardless of the outcome. He will display heart above all other boxers and he will be top 5 in the boxing history books in my mind. Just if he books the fight v. Lewis.
that's sad for the sport. I thought that the two Ukrainians will add something to the sport. Which one is Vladimir?
Vladimir is the one that was supposed to be the heir apparent to Lewis' throne. Until he met the short left uppercut of one South African.
What about the farces against Holyfield? Or wasn't he 'in his prime' enough? But as you say, it's more a sign of the poor quality of heavy-weight boxing recently, than IMO, a lack of quality on Lewis' part. Like Muhammad Ali and George 'patented design' Foreman? Surely their opinions are worth something? As for the fight at the weekend, I didn't catch it but wish I had. I sounded a better outing than the previous weekends attempt.
Boxing! Foreman was saying how he wanted to fight just about anyone. What, too many Georges to feed and sales of the grill drop? The guy's brother was talking crap...I will get you back and defend my family's honor!...to the winner in the ring after the fight! This is the brother who is considered less of a boxer than the guy who just got beaten down like a bitch. South paw fighters have an advantage when you don't prepare. Klits never saw them bombs coming. He was outclassed, period. Now, it is also interesting to see how he wasn't warmed up before the fight, too. After the fight, Klits was still bone dry, never broke a sweat. Poor training. To think, he is moving to Beverly Hills. Yea, that will make him even more hungry as a fighter. Is this the same guy John Johnson was working with a few years back? You know Johnson from his work with Buster Douglas.
They first met in 1999 when Evander was on the downward slope of his amazing career -- amazing mostly for the fact that he was a light-heavy fighting with the big ones. Even outweighing him by 23 pounds, Lennox did not beat him soundly. Evander was already 36 and had serious mileage on him, having gone through wars with Qawi, Dokes, Riddick Bowe (three savage bouts which I am convinced finished Bowe up as a fighter), and Tyson. But Lennox deserves the credit for beating him none the less. I have never heard Ali make those claims. As for Foreman, the guy is always promoting his favorites. Check out any of the HBO/PPV fights he comments, he has a favorite going in and rides that horse through thick and thin. Lennox is not a paper champion by any stretch of the imagination; and he's been a gentleman that boxing should appreciate. He just doesn't have the the fights and credentials in my mind to rate close to the best of all. Generally when great fighthers lose in their prime its to other fighters also considered great at the time; Lennox lost twice to marginal heavyweights.
Just several quibbles here. Personally I think Lewis is a solid heavyweight champion and more of a credit to the belt than others who have had it. First : Lenno didn't beat him soundly, but I thought he beat him both fights. Second : Upsets happen. Especially in boxing. Especially if someone is lackadaisical. Lewis' main weaknesses are his tendency to overthink and a propensity to lose focus. Louis lost to Schmeling, an 8-1 underdog. However, Lewis avenged both losses in rather emphatic fashion (as did Louis). Third : Holyfield didn't finish Bowe's career, Golota finished Bowe's career with two of the most hellacious beatings, fair and foul, I've seen a man take in quite some time. You can't fault Lennox for a dearth of quality heavyweights to test himself against. However, if you put him in the ring with say, a Jack Dempsey or Joe Louis, would you think he could win. I'd put him on par with Larry Holmes - a good heavyweight that given the right opponent could have been great FWIW - Lewis would have beaten Bowe if they fought. I think a Holmes-Lewis bout would have been great. I'm still hoping for Tyson- RJ Jr. at some point.
Since this is a boxing thread I just wanted to let everyone know I met the one and only Don King today! I walk out of my office and there he is sitting in the lobby with about 4 other dudes. His mouth was going a mile-a-minute, just as always. I actually heard his voice, looked up, pointed at him and said, "Hey, Don King". Without missing a beat he shoots me back a pointed finger, says "Hey, buddy" and continues on with his conversation.
or how he's managed to accrue such wealth despite being constant jail-fodder? Ah, America, land of opportunity..even if you're a convicted felon and continue to be distinctly less than legal.
Why you did not kick him in the 'nads, or take him out Scarface style will always be a big mystery to me.