“He entered to the strains of ‘Lodge California,’” mused HBO’s Jim Lampley. “So will it’s heaven, or will it’s hell?” Lampley was little doubt one of many few significantly entertaining “Dr. Ironfist’s” probabilities of changing into heavyweight champion when Vitali, the older of the 2 preventing Ukrainian PhDs, entered the Staples Middle 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 considered because the true risk 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 acquired off to a a lot sooner begin together with his professional profession, and together with his extra standard type, most thought Wlad possessed the better expertise and pure skill. 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 Disguise.
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 all the pieces “Dr. Ironfist” needed to provide, stored urgent ahead, and finally received the struggle of attrition when Klitschko suffered a torn rotator cuff and stop after spherical 9. “It hurts an excessive amount of,” stated 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 considered 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 grew to become 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, no 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 rivalry, 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 Middle. 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 report 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 Middle that evening anticipating Lewis vs Klitschko can be his remaining 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. Looking back, possibly 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 previously for his generally reserved preventing type, HBO’s Larry Service provider proclaimed that the motion which was unfolding was “Gatti-Ward on the highest stage of the dimensions.”
Earlier than spherical three veteran coach Emanuel Steward directed Lewis to take the struggle 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 seemed to be out-landing the champion. However on the similar time Lewis was emboldened by the minimize and got here ahead to unload extra massive proper palms, 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 at risk 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 an alternative of benefiting from alternatives to counter. Lewis labored successfully within the trenches to start out 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 marvel how lengthy the champion may face up to the bombardment.
However the blood stored gushing out and Vitali’s nook had no resolution for a wound that seemed to be getting deeper and deeper. The sixth featured extra of the identical, with Klitschko touchdown ceaselessly, 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 method from sheer exhaustion.
However Lewis vs Klitschko wouldn’t come to its pure conclusion, because the ringside physician stopped the struggle 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, together 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 said that the challenger “would have been knocked out within the subsequent couple of rounds.” As an alternative 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 contemplate if he have been to lengthen his legendary profession. However in February of 2004, Lennox formally introduced his retirement, emphatically declaring, “Let the following period start.”
Whereas Vitali was clearly the most effective within the division following this departure, his run on the high can be brief lived, his prime affected by accidents that compelled him to relinquish the title in 2005. Since then, boxing struggled via one of many darkest durations in heavyweight historical past. As an alternative of a “new period” of competitors, it was a time of tedious, one-sided waltzes, with treasured few challengers accessible to provide Vitali’s brother, Wladimir, any form 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 provide boxing a very nice heavyweight struggle in his showdown with Anthony Joshua. However because the legacy of Lennox Lewis takes its place in boxing historical past, the “massive man” type of preventing he utilized to dominate has turn into 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 usually are not your grandfather’s heavyweights. — Alden Chodash
