“He entered to the strains of ‘Resort California,’” mused HBO’s Jim Lampley. “So will or not it’s heaven, or will or not it’s hell?” Lampley was little question one of many few critically entertaining “Dr. Ironfist’s” probabilities of changing into heavyweight champion when Vitali, the older of the 2 combating Ukrainian PhDs, entered the Staples Heart in Los Angeles for the one and solely Lewis vs Klitschko conflict. For everybody else, the hulking Ukrainian challenger was however a query mark standing in the best way of a attainable second battle between Lewis and Mike Tyson.
In spite of everything, it was the youthful brother, Wladimir, not Vitali, who had been seen because the true menace to take the gold belt across the waist of Lennox. In spite of everything, it was “Dr Steelhammer” who had received a gold medal on the Olympics and bought off to a a lot sooner begin along with his professional profession, and along with his extra typical fashion, most thought Wlad possessed the better expertise and pure means. However after he was upset by journeyman Ross Purity in 1998, it was Vitali who took center-stage, successful the WBO heavyweight title six months later with a two spherical blowout of Herbie Conceal.
However Vitali’s luck, to not point out the general public’s notion of him, underwent a drastic change lower than a 12 months later when late substitute, and far smaller heavyweight, Chris Byrd, took the whole lot “Dr. Ironfist” needed to supply, stored urgent ahead, and in the end received the conflict of attrition when Klitschko suffered a torn rotator cuff and stop after spherical 9. “It hurts an excessive amount of,” mentioned Vitali to his cornermen as he surrendered on his stool, regardless of having an insurmountable lead on the scorecards going into the final three rounds. Earlier than this, Klitschko had knocked out each man he had confronted and was thought to be some of the harmful contenders within the division, however ever since he was dogged by the “quitter” label.
Six months later, it was Wladimir who turned the star of the Klitschko household once more, selecting up the slack Vitali left with a one-sided shellacking of Byrd to avenge his brother and take the belt for himself. After 5 dominant defenses, it was the youthful brother who was once more the plain subsequent opponent for Lennox Lewis, a lot in order that the 2001 Hollywood heist movie Ocean’s Eleven included a scene of the 2 squaring off in a Las Vegas ring earlier than the facility went out in the course of the fictional theft. Not lengthy after, this Hollywood prophecy got here true, not less than metaphorically. Journeying to Hannover, Germany as a twenty-to-one favourite to defeat Corrie Sanders, the South African challenger pulled the plug on the Wladimir specific when he blasted out the Ukrainian champion inside two rounds.
With Wladimir out of competition, the main focus once more shifted to the older Klitschko, who was tentatively scheduled to face Lewis in December of 2003 if the champion have been to defeat Kirk Johnson within the Staples Heart. However Johnson suffered a torn chest muscle in coaching two weeks earlier than the match, leaving Vitali, who was scheduled to compete on the undercard, as probably the most viable substitute.
Regardless of being a former WBO heavyweight champion with a document of 32-1, Vitali was deemed a five-to-one underdog to dethrone a champion who had cemented his generational supremacy the 12 months earlier than with a stoppage win over Mike Tyson. With a attainable “Iron Mike” rematch looming within the background, the champion definitely didn’t enter the Staples Heart that night time anticipating Lewis vs Klitschko could be his ultimate ring look. “Dr. Ironfist” was simply one other bump-in-the-road en path to a extra profitable, mega-fight sequel. Or so it appeared on the time. On reflection, perhaps Lewis was responsible of underestimating Vitali, whereas concurrently wanting previous him.
As early as spherical one the bump-in-the-road upended expectations as Klitschko used some George Foreman-esque “previous cattle ways” to maneuver Lennox into the trail of his harmful proper hand. And as Klitschko gained confidence in opposition to a champion who simply didn’t look as sharp and targeted as he had in opposition to Tyson, Vitali unleashed the primary consequential shot in spherical two, hurting Lewis with a straight proper and forcing the champion to carry. Regardless of tasting the challenger’s energy, Lennox selected to trek ahead, strolling down Vitali behind his formidable left jab. An intense heavyweight battle was breaking out and whereas Lewis had been criticized prior to now for his generally reserved combating fashion, HBO’s Larry Service provider proclaimed that the motion which was unfolding was “Gatti-Ward on the highest degree of the dimensions.”
Earlier than spherical three veteran coach Emanuel Steward directed Lewis to take the battle to Klitschko and the champion did simply that, touchdown a thudding proper hand that opened a fight-altering gash over Vitali’s left eye. The harm appeared to worsen with every passing second and but Klitschko fought bravely and nonetheless gave the impression to be out-landing the champion. However on the similar time Lewis was emboldened by the minimize and got here ahead to unload extra huge proper arms, which have been more and more wreaking havoc on Klitschko’s horrific harm. Already it was clear that Vitali’s bid for the title was below a severe time constraint because the match was in peril of being halted at any second.
However along with all of the blood, Vitali was notably fatigued and gasping for breath, and whereas nonetheless touchdown punches he additionally appeared able to fall into the jaws of “The Lion.” Luckily for Klitschko, the champion was clearly not in optimum situation both, as evidenced by Lennox throwing one punch at a time whereas permitting himself to be tied up in clinches as a substitute of profiting from alternatives to counter. Lewis labored successfully within the trenches to begin spherical 5, catching Klitschko on the best way in and digging to the physique when the 2 have been tied up. However then Klitschko started to dominate within the second half of the spherical, touchdown with sufficient regularity to make one surprise how lengthy the champion might face up to the bombardment.
However the blood stored gushing out and Vitali’s nook had no answer for a wound that gave the impression to be getting deeper and deeper. The sixth featured extra of the identical, with Klitschko touchdown steadily, whereas seemingly with out a lot energy because the challenger grew more and more fatigued. And whereas Lewis seemed equally spent, he mustered up the power to tear house a proper uppercut that violently snapped again the pinnacle of “Dr. Ironfist” as he tried to clinch. Klitschko not solely survived the blow however fought successfully for the rest of the spherical, although he appeared close to the purpose of collapsing when the bell sounded to finish spherical six. It appeared solely a matter of time earlier than somebody gave approach from sheer exhaustion.
However Lewis vs Klitschko wouldn’t come to its pure conclusion, because the ringside physician stopped the battle between rounds because of the challenger’s grotesque harm. Lennox was declared the winner by sixth spherical TKO, as an emotional Vitali protested the end result, charging throughout the ring and shouting, even showing on the verge of attacking the winner in a stark distinction to his capitulation in opposition to Chris Byrd three years prior. And certainly, along with his gutsy effort in opposition to Lewis, Vitali erased all lingering doubts about his coronary heart and can to win.
With Klitschko forward by a two level margin on all three judges scorecards on the time of the stoppage, a rematch appeared the plain subsequent transfer. However within the post-fight interview with Larry Service provider, an indignant Lewis acknowledged that the challenger “would have been knocked out within the subsequent couple of rounds.” As a substitute of a return, Lewis left Klitschko to feast on a sitting duck in Kirk Johnson, whom Vitali “harpooned” inside two rounds.
With the Tyson rematch now a distant hope given “Iron” Mike’s authorized battles with Don King, Lewis vs Klitschko II was all that moderately made sense for the champion to think about if he have been to delay his legendary profession. However in February of 2004, Lennox formally introduced his retirement, emphatically declaring, “Let the subsequent period start.”
Whereas Vitali was clearly the perfect within the division following this departure, his run on the prime could be quick lived, his prime suffering from accidents that pressured him to relinquish the title in 2005. Since then, boxing struggled by one of many darkest durations in heavyweight historical past. As a substitute of a “new period” of competitors, it was a time of tedious, one-sided waltzes, with treasured few challengers accessible to present Vitali’s brother, Wladimir, any sort of severe competitors.
Maybe Lewis’s decree would have been extra applicable for a future period, one which started in earnest greater than a decade later when Tyson Fury upset Wladimir earlier than the youthful Klitschko went on to present boxing a very nice heavyweight battle in his showdown with Anthony Joshua. However because the legacy of Lennox Lewis takes its place in boxing historical past, the “huge man” fashion of combating he utilized to dominate has grow to be the norm, with the heavyweight division more and more populated by fighters of actually colossal dimensions. Suffice to say, giant-sized males like Fury and Wilder will not be your grandfather’s heavyweights. — Alden Chodash
