Hey Lewis - Get Over Yourself!

Photo: JORGE GARCIA

By Frank Lotierzo

22.06 - Hey Lewis, get over yourself! Coming off your showing against Klitschko, maybe a little more humility might be in order! And it wouldn't hurt to stop with the lame excuses. Incase you forgot Lennox, Klitschko had the same short notice to prepare for you as you did to prepare for him, yet he hasn't been making excuses like you have been.

Question to Lennox Lewis? What's harder, preparing for Cedric Boswell and then having him replaced with heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis or preparing for Kirk Johnson and then having him replaced with Vitali Klitschko? I think there is a much greater jump in caliber from Boswell to Lewis than there is from Johnson to Klitschko. Going off of what I saw in Klitschko, I'm not sure it's even a step up? Basically you both had to readjust to face a bigger opponent, only Klitschko had to adjust to a bigger and better opponent. I'm not sold off of what I saw of Klitschko that he is without question a better fighter than Kirk Johnson, which is a sad commentary on the current status of the heavyweight landscape.

Lennox, get over yourself? You were behind in the fight and were clearly the more tired and exhausted fighter, you have no excuse. You are the heavyweight champion of the world, yet you showed up in deplorable condition. On top of that, you ranted on like that was a showing that should bring you much high praise. Please, you fought like a big fat washerwoman, to use a phrase coined by Muhammad Ali. You have cried to anyone who would listen about the short notice yet, you fail to mention that Klitschko's notice was just as short as yours.

Lennox, you're not a great enough heavyweight champion to show up in poor shape to fight any top ranked heavyweight contender, especially at age 37 going on 38. Did you forget what happened to you when you showed up in poor condition against Hasim Rahman? He laid you out like you were dropped from a helicopter. In fact you made a star out of Rahman who at best is a decent heavyweight. Did you forget what happened when you looked past Oliver McCall, another fighter who's only claim to fame other than stretching you is knocking Tyson down in a sparring session. Lennox, one of your claims to fame is that you avenged both of your defeats. What is never mentioned is that you should never have lost to either McCall or Rahman. The fact that you needed to fight them twice in order to beat them once is the more meaningful fact.

Lennox, you showed a lack of something that you profess to have, class. How about carrying yourself like the heavyweight champion of the world. Maybe you could've just said that Klitschko was a little better than you thought, or that his style was more confusing than you anticipated. How about giving him his due respect for the fight he gave you. No, you come across that anyone who doesn't feel you were killing him is a moron and beneath you. Lennox, anyone who watched the fight with both of their eyes open, plainly saw that you had more than your hands full. Not because Klitschko is so great because he's not, he's far from it. The fact is that you over-rate yourself sometimes and come in the ring not prepared to fight like the champion you've shown that you can be. And lets not forget, it was you Lennox wobbling all over the ring in the second round and appeared on the verge of being stopped, a position that Klitschko was never in.

Lennox, you were a great heavyweight champion. However, father time is starting to land some good shots on you. You may still have some big wins down the road but, the road is definitely coming to an end. Remember Lennox Lewis, as great of a champion that you have been, with your chin and at age 37 you're not great enough to look past any top ranked fighter.

After the attitude you copped during the post fight interview , I'm glad I can say that your legacy is built off of two decisions over a thoroughly shot 37 year old Evander Holyfield, and an eighth round knockout over a 36 year old Mike Tyson. And remember Lennox, every decent fighter that has nailed you on your chin has either knocked you out, or wobbled you like Vitali Klitschko did last night!