Lewis says rematch won't happen

[Guest Angle-plex]

LOS ANGELES -- Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis is considering retirement and has decided against fighting again this year, meaning a discussed rematch against Vitali Klitschko in December won't take place.

 

 

"Lennox has been very public in his comments that he was seriously considering retirement, that he just wasn't sure he wants to go forward,'' Lewis' attorney, Judd Burstein, said Monday from his home in Westport, Conn. "He is still considering whether he wants to keep fighting.

 

 

"It's not a question of whether Lennox can or cannot be ready this year. Of course he can be ready. He chooses not to fight this year while he's considering whether or not he's ever going to fight again.''

 

 

Klitschko was upset upon hearing the news.

 

 

"Honestly, it seems to me that Lennox is looking for an easy exit,'' Klitschko said in Hamburg, Germany. "Why else would he wait until I was cleared to fight to announce that he did not want to fight? He is looking for an easy way out.

 

 

"I did not expect to hear anything like this. Lewis is a great champion, but I have the feeling he realizes how tough the fight against me really was and how difficult the rematch will be. I am ready to fight Lennox Lewis right now.''

 

 

Lewis retained his WBC and IBO heavyweight titles in the sixth round June 21 at Staples Center when his fight against Klitschko was stopped because of bloody cuts around the challenger's left eye.

 

 

Klitschko, who led 58-56 on all three scorecards when the 12-round bout was stopped, protested vehemently that he could keep fighting.

 

 

The two sides talked about Lewis taking on the Ukrainian again Dec. 6, possibly in Madison Square Garden.

 

 

"I'm surprised. After all, he demanded an examination from a specialist that my cut has healed. Apparently he's got more respect for me than he indicated,'' Klitschko said. "I'm ready and I think it is very sad.''

 

 

Lewis said on a conference call July 2 that he definitely wanted a rematch with Klitschko, who was cleared to return to the ring three weeks later by Dr. Volker Steinkraus in Hamburg.

 

 

But if he's going to fight Lewis again, it won't be until 2004 at the earliest.

 

 

"Lennox made a determination that under all circumstances, he would not be fighting again this year,'' Burstein said. "He concluded that it would not be fair to HBO, potential sites, Vitali Klitschko and most importantly the sport of boxing to keep everybody wondering about a December fight when he had already made this decision.

 

 

"From a business perspective, much of the boxing world was on hold in terms of the fall schedule until Lennox made his decisions. He just did not think it was fair to keep everyone in limbo.''

 

 

The 37-year-old Lewis said last week in London that he was seriously considering retirement.

 

 

"I speak about what's happened, not about what will be,'' Burstein said regarding that possibility.

[Guest caboose]

Gutless Canadian.

[Guest Ripper]

P-U-S-S-Y.

 

He KNOWS that he was getting that ass whooped and now he is just plain afraid.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Isn't he from England?...

[Guest Ripper]

Isn't he from England?...

England...Canada...its all the same.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

He is english. He's also a chickenshit. I'm usually the one defending Lewis on here, but not this time. He OWES Klitschko that rematch. I still think Lewis would win, but he could at least have the common decency to give a real challenger a shot at his belt.

 

If he calls it quits, look for a Klitschko slaughter of Chris "Cowardly Weakling" Byrd to claim the vacant crown.

[Guest Lightning Flik]

Isn't he from England?...

England...Canada...its all the same.

Whoa. Big fucking difference here buddy.

 

Canadians at least aren't spineless bastards like him.

 

Edit: And neither are some English friends I've known in my life.

 

Fuck that, Vich DESERVES a fucking rematch. Why doesn't the Leagues just force Lewis to defend his title? Is it really that fucking hard to do?

[Guest CanadianChris]

His gold medal is Canadian. He wants to be from England.

 

And that's perfectly fine with me, cuz I don't really want to claim this guy as a compatriot anyway.

 

On a different topic, with Lewis now probably not going to fight Roy Jones, Klitschko, or anyone else out there, where does he rank all-time among heavyweights? I would have trouble even putting him in the top 10, just because he never really beat anyone significant while they were in their prime, and got dropped TWICE by absolute nobodies when he was champ. And now possibly retiring with the belt doesn't really sit very well with me.

[Guest Lightning Flik]

His gold medal is Canadian. He wants to be from England.

 

And that's perfectly fine with me, cuz I don't really want to claim this guy as a compatriot anyway.

 

On a different topic, with Lewis now probably not going to fight Roy Jones, Klitschko, or anyone else out there, where does he rank all-time among heavyweights? I would have trouble even putting him in the top 10, just because he never really beat anyone significant while they were in their prime, and got dropped TWICE by absolute nobodies when he was champ. And now possibly retiring with the belt doesn't really sit very well with me.

You and I both.

 

Can the guy even be considered a great when he's done NOTHING as a Champ? Seriously, what has he done to even be looked at as great?

[Guest Ripper]

His gold medal is Canadian.  He wants to be from England.

 

And that's perfectly fine with me, cuz I don't really want to claim this guy as a compatriot anyway.

 

On a different topic, with Lewis now probably not going to fight Roy Jones, Klitschko, or anyone else out there, where does he rank all-time among heavyweights?  I would have trouble even putting him in the top 10, just because he never really beat anyone significant while they were in their prime, and got dropped TWICE by absolute nobodies when he was champ.  And now possibly retiring with the belt doesn't really sit very well with me.

You and I both.

 

Can the guy even be considered a great when he's done NOTHING as a Champ? Seriously, what has he done to even be looked at as great?

Well, he DID beat a really old Evander Holyfield.

 

So he should at least be on par with other great heavy weights like Riddick Bowe, and John Ruiz.

 

Come on...give the guy some credit.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Lewis is still a great fighter. It's not his fault that no one else in the division is worth a shit.

 

I don't like this retirement talk at ALL, considering he hasn't fought the best people in the division right now, but the guy's a gold medalist, he beat Holyfield, he beat Tyson. Both past their primes, but Holyfield is notoriously hard to beat, and Tyson is always dangerous. He needs to give Klitschko his rematch, at least. Jones is more of a dream match, and Byrd doesn't deserve a title shot.

[Guest Lightning Flik]

Lewis is still a great fighter. It's not his fault that no one else in the division is worth a shit.

 

I don't like this retirement talk at ALL, considering he hasn't fought the best people in the division right now, but the guy's a gold medalist, he beat Holyfield, he beat Tyson. Both past their primes, but Holyfield is notoriously hard to beat, and Tyson is always dangerous. He needs to give Klitschko his rematch, at least. Jones is more of a dream match, and Byrd doesn't deserve a title shot.

Ok. If everyone else is shit, why the hell isn't he giving Vich his rematch? Considering Vich would've won?

 

Even you admit that he hasn't beaten the best of the divison yet you STILL give him the nod for being a "great"? A great fighter yes. One of the greatest? I'm leaning away from that HARD.

 

 

Well, he DID beat a really old Evander Holyfield. 

 

So he should at least be on par with other great heavy weights like Riddick Bowe, and John Ruiz. 

 

Come on...give the guy some credit.

I will. He's a great fighter. That's about all the credit I'm willing to throw his way right now. If he beats Vich decisively, then Jones, and maybe I'll toss out a "one of the greatests" onto him too.

 

Right now "great fighter" is about all I'm willing to give the guy.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Ok. If everyone else is shit, why the hell isn't he giving Vich his rematch? Considering Vich would've won?

 

Simple, Lewis doesn't want to take that chance, which is absolutely pathetic. He's also THIRTY SEVEN years old, which is 100 in boxer years. I also think there's a chance he's buying himself time to get prepped, too, and to sell a rematch if it does happen.

 

I'd call him a mid-top 20 heavyweight, all time. Certainly the best contender since Tyson fell apart.

[Guest ShamRock]

What a pussy.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

He'd lose. He's not taking the match cause he knows it.

[Guest Ripper]

Lewis is still a great fighter. It's not his fault that no one else in the division is worth a shit.

 

I don't like this retirement talk at ALL, considering he hasn't fought the best people in the division right now, but the guy's a gold medalist, he beat Holyfield, he beat Tyson. Both past their primes, but Holyfield is notoriously hard to beat, and Tyson is always dangerous. He needs to give Klitschko his rematch, at least. Jones is more of a dream match, and Byrd doesn't deserve a title shot.

Ok. If everyone else is shit, why the hell isn't he giving Vich his rematch? Considering Vich would've won?

 

Even you admit that he hasn't beaten the best of the divison yet you STILL give him the nod for being a "great"? A great fighter yes. One of the greatest? I'm leaning away from that HARD.

 

 

Well, he DID beat a really old Evander Holyfield. 

 

So he should at least be on par with other great heavy weights like Riddick Bowe, and John Ruiz. 

 

Come on...give the guy some credit.

I will. He's a great fighter. That's about all the credit I'm willing to throw his way right now. If he beats Vich decisively, then Jones, and maybe I'll toss out a "one of the greatests" onto him too.

 

Right now "great fighter" is about all I'm willing to give the guy.

Oh, I was joking.

 

Top 20 heavy weights probably. Now if we went with all wieght classes, he falls around about 50-60.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Isn't he from England?...

England...Canada...its all the same.

Yeah, all us white peole look the same.

 

Wait, we're talking about Lewis -- nevermind...

[Guest Anglesault]

The Heavyweight champ keeps the belt indecisively after getting dominated by a guy he didn't take seriously.

 

Then he pussies out of a rematch.

 

Sounds like a wrestling storyline.

[Guest alkeiper]

Funny you mention that. At work I was thinking how Don King might announce that Lewis' next defense would occur in the ELIMINATION CHAMBER.

 

Man work is boring sometimes.

[Guest Human Fly]

Roy Jones v. Mike Tyson is now the only big money match for Heavyweight boxing that I can think of. Unless George Foreman comes out of retirement like he was running his mouth about earlier (I hope he doesn't for his sake).

[Guest Choken One]

Jones Vs Lewis could still be Market Draw...

 

but yeah...Tyson Vs Jones is the only current HUGE heavyweight draw...

 

Have De La Hola/Jones happened?

 

I'm pretty sure it did but not sure...

 

I'm not very in touch with middleweight boxing...

[Guest alkeiper]

De La Hoya/Jones would be huge, but it can't happen, as De La Hoya tops off at 154 lbs. and Jones competes around 175 lbs.