Retired heavyweight great Lennox Lewis is eager to see whether or not the loss Wladimir Klitschko suffered at the hands of Tyson Fury back (way back it seems now) in November of 2015 has “re-lit his flame.” Lewis says that in some cases, including his own, a defeat can motivate a fighter to come back harder, stronger.
Speaking with The Evening Standard, the all-time great who defeated every man he faced during his fine career, says he will be able to tell “after two rounds” if Klitschko has got the old fire back or not.
“When I lost for only the second time in my professional career to Hasim Rahman in 2001, the critics insisted that it was all over for me,” Lewis said. “They said that’s it – he’s done. The opposite was true. It rekindled a flame that had been dwindling. I went back seven months later and knocked him out. All I wanted to do was show the doubters they were wrong. Will that be the case with Klitschko? Will his defeat to Tyson Fury have re-lit his flame? This could motivate him for one big night. I don’t know yet – but I will be able to tell you after two rounds in April.”
Of course, with two big punchers like Klitschko (53 KO’s to his name) and Joshua (all 18 of his pro wins coming inside the limit) there is a chance this fight may not go two rounds! Still, Lewis clearly feels his trained eye will be able to see if the old Klitschko is back, or if it is merely an old Klitschko in the ring on April 29. The experts seem to be about as split down the middle as can be when it comes to picking a winner.
Even Lennox, who says “this is Anthony’s time now,” concedes how hard it is to pick a winner.
“It’s still hard to pick a winner. This fight may be a fight too far for Klitschko,” Lewis continued. “You’ve got Joshua, who is young and strong and you’ve got Klitschko, who is old but with so much knowledge and experience.”
With 90,000 tickets sold, it’s clear everyone wants to see which will prevail: age and experience or youth and ambition.