Lennox Lewis making a comeback

[Mofoticon]

LONDON -- World heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko is ready for a re-match with Lennox Lewis if the Briton were to come out of retirement.

Lewis, left, was in a battle when he faced Vitali Klitschko on June 21, 2003.

Lewis, the former undisputed champion, told the Sunday Mirror newspaper "I'm making a comeback later this year.

"The money is up to 21 million pounds ($39.1 million) right now and I simply can't turn that much cash down."

Bernd Boente, manager of WBC title-holder Klitschko, told BBC Radio Five Live: "I have talked to Vitali and he's happy to go."

News of a possible comeback by 39-year-old Lewis, who retired a year ago, stunned most observers. Lewis has spent much of 2004 in Jamaica with his partner and their first baby, the Mirror reported.

But Lewis did hint at a possible wish to return after Briton Danny Williams's battering at the hands of Klitschko in a world title bout in Las Vegas last month.

"I wanted to get in the ring and show Danny how to beat him," Lewis said at the time.

"I've had to listen to a lot of rubbish from Klitschko and he is starting to get on my nerves."

When Lewis fought him in 2003, the referee stopped the fight because Klitschko was cut but the Ukrainian was ahead on points at the time and feels he would have won.

Lewis disagrees and may want the chance to prove the point.

[Jonny D]

I think its a misake from Lewis to fight, and I'm pretty sure he'll be beat. Good luck to him though, and at least he was honest about the fact that he's just fighting for the money.

[Herr Matzat]

Levies will so get his ass kicked

[Guest Wrestling_Man]

Lennox better get ready, cause Klitschko will kick his ass, that will be a fight even I would pay to see.

[lazy_arse]

Theres no doubt Lewis had a great career and he's recognised as one of the best. It would be stupid for him to come back and risk that despite all the money he will get. Not worth the possible humiliation.

Edited January 23, 2005 by lazy_arse

[oldskool]

Who cares about humiliation, he's a former champ and they're offering 21 million pounds for one fight?

Humiliated or not, he still walks out with 21 million more pounds than he walked in with.

[supergrass]

At first I wasn't convinced, but I'm becoming more so. Lewis' bout with Klitschko had a certain degree of controversy to it (in that some thought - particularly Klitschko himself) that the fight could've gone on and Lennox was behind.

If he thinks he can get back into shape and win clearly once and for all, then go for it, as it's been said £21m is a lot of cash win or lose.

[Guest Pirate Chasin' Booty]

Lewis underestimated Klitschko before, but he knows what to expect now, depending on what he's been doing since retirement he could come back and prove his doubters wrong, but he'll probably need rocky style training to get back to a decent fitness.

For me, the whole outcome will be based upon how fit Lewis can get himself, somebody needs to put Klitschko on his ass and I'd like to see Lennox do it.

[Liam]

I thought it was really funny of how quickly the non-UK boxing fans jumped on the pro-Klitschko bandwagon when Lewis beat him.

As mudda says, it's a question of Lewis's fitness. If it's up to scratch, Lewis will destroy Klitschko, as there is no doubt who is the better boxer (irrelevant of what most anti-Lewis fans may think).

EDIT: And about Klitschko wanting to fight on, and the fans thinking he could...what did they want, his eyeball to fall out before they stopped the match? Those cuts were nasty, and just getting bigger and bigger, and possibly affecting his vision. Thus, if the ref believes this, he can stop the fight.

Edited January 23, 2005 by rvdwannabe

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

My money will be on Lewis.

We'll see what happens though.

[lazy_arse]

Lewis dismisses comeback report

Former undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis has denied reports suggesting he is ready to come out of retirement to fight Vitali Klitschko.

Lewis was quoted in the Sunday Mirror saying that he had been offered £21m to fight the Ukrainian later this year.

But the 39-year-old has now released a statement denying the reports.

It said: "I want to reiterate what I said when I retired that I will be one of the few heavyweight champions to retire on top and stay retired."

The Sunday Mirror quoted Lewis as saying: "I'm going to start training seriously and I'm going back to England to start sorting this out.

"I need the money just like everyone else and it's just too good to be turned down."

However, advisor Jerome Anderson refused to confirm the story.

The three-time world champion stopped Klitschko on cuts in June, 2003 when the Ukrainian was ahead on points.

The reports of Lewis' return were welcomed by the Klitschko camp.

Bernd Boente, manager of the WBC champion, told BBC Five Live: "I have talked to Vitali and he's happy to go."

Lewis retired last January but hinted at a return last month after Danny Williams' crushing defeat at the hands of Klitschko.

"I wanted to get in the ring and show Danny how to beat him," said the Briton.

"I've had to listen to a lot of rubbish from Klitschko and he is starting to get on my nerves."

Klitschko has repeatedly called on Lewis to fight him again and is always quick to point out he was winning their last fight before cuts intervened.

But Boente said his charge is currently focused on a mandatory defence against Hasim Rahman in May.

Rahman knocked Lewis out in 2001 to claim the WBC and IBF belts before being dismantled in a rematch later that year.

Edited January 24, 2005 by lazy_arse

[Karizma]

Do people forget Hasim Rahman so quickly?Or McCall?Lewis always underestimates opponents and comes back 10x harder the next fight and fucks them up, your all idiots to believe if Klitchko stands a chance.

Klitchcko got his ass handed to him the first time round (Lewis was down on the cards, but he knew it wasn't gonna last that long when he got cut so quickly, so Lewis cruised, and tagged that eye with his stiff jab...same as he did with Tyson.There was no way that would have went the distance because Lewis would have continued to tag the eye, the mans one of the best technicians, but will never get recognised as a great champ because he had inferior competiton (compared to Ali and such)

[Big Red Fury]

Do people forget Hasim Rahman so quickly?Or McCall?Lewis always underestimates opponents and comes back 10x harder the next fight and fucks them up, your all idiots to believe if Klitchko stands a chance.

Klitchcko got his ass handed to him the first time round (Lewis was down on the cards, but he knew it wasn't gonna last that long when he got cut so quickly, so Lewis cruised, and tagged that eye with his stiff jab...same as he did with Tyson.There was no way that would have went the distance because Lewis would have continued to tag the eye, the mans one of the best technicians, but will never get recognised as a great champ because he had inferior competiton (compared to Ali and such)

←

[IAceI]

Vitali would have handed him his ass.

[Karizma]

As soon as Lewis noticed the cut, he took him apart, easily, thats what I meant.I knew it was a lucky shot, but shit happens, and as he was cut, Lewis layed back and picked him off.I don't remember saying he hit him cleanly with a punch that split him wide open.

And Lewis is always lazy against people not up to his percieved standard (Rahman, etc) but comes hard in rematches, or big fights (Holyfield, Tyson).It's well-known, Lewis steps up his game when he needs to, and drops back for weaker challenges.

I'd rather have Vitali win the rematch for the sake of whats left of the Heavyweight division, but Lewis would demolish him in 8.