Boxing

Big fight Analysis: Lewis' retirement looms, as Vitali exposes old master

By James McDonnell

23.06 - Against most predictions, Vitali Klitschko turned in an excellent performance against Lewis, before being stopped on cuts in the sixth round of their fight at the staples centre, Los Angeles. Although it was a legitimate stoppage, Klitschko did enough in the fight to be winning the fight emphatically at the point of the stoppage. On my card, I had given Lewis only the third round, though on the official cards, he was only two rounds down.

Whatever way the fight was scored, it was a torrid night for the champion, as he was forced to dig deep into his reserves to pull out a victory of sorts, against an opponent he possibly took too lightly, and at too short notice. Vitali had after all been a late substitute for Kirk Johnson, who pulled out through injury, leaving Lewis only two weeks to change tactics, against a man who was likely to fight above himself for a world title shot.

At the weigh in, the two fighters with the biggest combined weight and height ever in a heavyweight title fight, squared off against one another, Lewis, was calm and implacable as ever, while Klitschko looked slightly nervous, though pumped up.

At the bell the two fighters circled eachother cautiously, flicking out the jabs, Vitali pawing hesitantly, his weight firmly on the back heel, as Lewis tried to initiate the first exchanges.

It was quickly obvious from the first round of the fight, that Lewis had to combat not only his huge opponent, but the deleterious effects of age and inactivity. Unlike the winning fight against Rahman and against Tyson, he wasn't able to establish early success with the jab, and his movements seemed ponderous, as he tried to get untracked.

Lewis and most boxing pundits, myself among them, had predicted a fast and brutal start, in the manner of his victories over other big men Grant, Golota and Ruddock, but it was clear from the beginning, that this wasn't going to be a walkover.

Lewis' chief weapon as a fighter is his battering-ram jab, usually followed by either the big right hand over the top, or the right cross. As Pete Sampras used to work everything off the big serve, so Lewis finds success off the jab, and as he wasn't able to open the rallies with this big weapon, he was unable to establish a rhythm and dictate terms.

By contrast, Vitali got untracked quickly and as early as the first had caught Lewis with the jab, and began to wade forward firing off his own big right hand. There was palpable surprise on Lewis face, as the Ukrainian teed off with impunity, and Lewis was forced to weave and cover up

The second was more of the same, with Klitchsko, emboldened by his first round success, and Lewis' lack of accuracy, beginning to tee off on Lewis. Lewis landed scant few jabs, and to the surprise of many, Klitschko was beating Lewis to the punch, firing the right counter over the top of Lewis' somewhat languid jab.

Lewis was in for another unpleasant surprise. Lewis has long been known for his ability to work his man on the inside, to bully and tire his opponents in the clinches. Evander Holyfield once commented that when Lewis draped himself over him, it was like being smothered with a concrete overcoat.

However, fighting against the biggest man he had ever faced, Lewis wasn't able to outmuscle his opponent, and Klitschko more than held his own in the wrestling clinches he initiated. Lewis could find no respite, as Vitali's higher workrate, and ability to smother Lewis' own work placed the Englishman under the kind of pressure I cannot recall him being in early in a fight before.

Lewis was being outboxed and outhustled, and to make matters worse, a little over midway through the 2nd, Klitschko landed a huge right hand, which drew a sharp intake of breath from the crowd.

Lewis, despite accusations of having china chops, took the shot well, but held on to take a breather. Lewis tried to fire back with his own big shots, as he adopted a surprisingly risky strategy, eschewing his defensive skills, and throwing big haymakers at Klitchsko.

Lewis' lack of accuracy was very noticeable, his balance appeared poor, and as he threw the shots without leading off the jab, he was walking onto Klitchko's shots. Another big right landed, and the left hook of Vitali was also in evidence. Things were going very badly for Lewis, who for the first time since Frank Bruno gave a green fighter a boxing lesson, conceded the first two rounds to his opponent.

Between rounds, Klitschko was already sucking in air, from the efforts of his exertion, and it was obvious that this was going to be a fight in which the stamina of both fighters came into play. With a combined weight of almost 500 lbs., this was always unlikely to be a fleet footed display of ring generalship.

Lewis started the 3rd more positively, and began to land the jab with some authority, forcing Klitschko backward across the ring every time it landed flush, and eliciting a surprised expression. However, Klitschko wasn't about to simply acquiesce to Lewis' power, and he successfully smothered much of Lewis' work, which still lacked the trademark sharpness he exhibited against Rahman in their second fight and against Tyson.

Lewis looked like he had figured out the Ukrainian's predictable style, and wrapped his gloves up around the head whenever Klitschko countered, deflecting the big shots. Strangely though, occasionally, Lewis simply walked through Klitschko's big right hand, treating his power with disdain, and on one of these occasions, after taking a big left hook, Lewis threw a full-blown rising right hand, which battered through Klitschko's gloves, smashing like a boulder into the side of his head.

This proved to be the pivotal moment of the fight. As the two fighters backed away from one another, Klitschko dabbed away at his left eye, and even from a distance, one could see a large ugly gash on the left eyelid.

At a crucial time in the fight, Lewis had turned the fight in his favour, opening a nasty cut, which between the 3rd and 4th rounds, spurted thick dark blood, as the corner tried desperately to staunch the flow.

Lewis came out emboldened for the 4th, but Klitchsko had regrouped mentally, and rather than adopting a defensive shell, continued to outwork Lewis. Although Lewis held the upper hand by dint of the cut, he seemed to either lack a gameplan, or to be unable to establish one. His stamina seemed poor, and Vitali's workrate was too high, and Lewis was kept on the back foot by the Ukranian's jab and right cross. At a time when Lewis should have been pressing his attack, he seemed unable to muster the vitality to pour it on.

In fact, credit must be given to Vitali, who was refusing to allow Lewis to settle, pumping out stiff straight shots which forced Lewis to either cover up, or hold. When Lewis did fire back, it was a clumsy and off-balance attack, which must have caused consternation to his corner. Lewis was leaving his chin hanging out to dry, and often walked straight onto the shots of his opponent.

It was obvious that despite misgivings about Vitali's heart, that it would take more than a bad cut to quell his fighting spirit.

The 4th belonged to Klitschko, and in the 5th the pattern remained the same. Both men were now extremely fatigued, and the proportion of time spent in clinches increased. Lewis began to throw the uppercut, and looping overhand rights, but Vitali's shots were crisper, if not harder. Lewis landed the
most authoritative shots, but there weren't enough of them to give him the round.

However, by the end of the round, another smaller cut had opened on Vitali's cheek, underneath the gashed left eye, which was now bleeding profusely, and was beginning to swell heavily.

Although Vitali was being put under pressure, and looked almost exhausted, he seemed to be able to rally whenever Lewis tried to dictate the fight, summoning reserves of will and energy that Lewis was struggling to match. Lewis, being outworked, landed an absolutely booming uppercut, which could be heard over the roar of the crown, many of whom jumped from their seats, in anticipation of a knockdown. However, Vitali, though clearly hurt, refused to capitulate, and held on grimly as Lewis just missed with another, then landed another of lesser magnitude.

Klitchsko wrapped his huge frame around Lewis, and Lewis worked the body with a huge clubbing shots to the kidney, which he drove in again and again, spearing his ribs they were of dubious legality and caused Vitali to grimace.

This round went to Lewis on the official scorecards, however on my own I credited the round to Vitali, he may have been hurt, but he outlanded Lewis and bossed the round. Despite being badly cut and staggered by booming shots, Vitali appeared unwilling to give in just yet.

The fight appeared to be at a crucial turning point, and as the bell went to end round 6, Lewis literally threw himself backward onto his stool, looking an almost spent fighter, it seemed poised for a 7th round of enormous significance, and then, suddenly, it was over, as the doctor ruled Vitali unfit to continue.

There was some confusion for a time as to whom the winner was, the referee had held Lewis' arm up, but there appeared to be some debate as to whether the initial cut, which had ultimately resulted in the stoppage were caused by a butt, or a punch.

The ring doctor later explained that he had stopped the fight, after asking Vitali to look at him, and then realising that the fighter could not see properly out of his left eye.

Had the cut been ruled the result of a butt, the fight would have gone to the scorecards, and Vitali, who was two points ahead on all 3 cards, would have been the new lineal heavyweight champion of the world. As it was, it was deemed to have been the result of a punch, and Lewis retained his title.

To clear up any possible controversy, it was to my mind a perfectly reasonable and necessary stoppage. By the end of the round, Vitali was bleeding not only from above and the left eye, in two places but from the left cheekbone, and from a grossly swollen mouth, through which he was swallowing blood. I was actually surprised that Vitali was allowed out for the 4th round, such was the severity of the initial cut, which was wide and deep, and in a spot on the eyelid which was prone to being exacerbated by further shots.

Whether or not Lewis was physically exhausted, the Ukrainian had sustained the sort of facial injuries that may hamper his future career. Such excessive damage rarely heals 100%, and the entire left side of his fact had reached an advanced state of tissue damage.

When Lewis was announced the winner, the crown booed him, unfairly in my opinion, but prolifically, and Vitali disgraced himself somewhat by trying to initiate an after fight altercation.

How he could blame Lewis for this is beyond me, it wasn't Lewis' call to stop the fight, and whilst he may have been dissapointed that the fight was stopped, and perhaps felt that Lewis had been the recipient of a somewhat fortunate situation, such behaviour doesn't become a professional fighter, and could have caused a ring riot.

Vitali had also shown himself up earlier in the fight, when after tumbling to the ground with Lewis during a clinch, he lashed out with a foot, kicking Lewis, who stood over him. Lewis ironically, simply helped his opponent up.

Vitali was incandescent with anger, and was insisting loudly from the ring that the cut was caused by a headbutt, something the VT re-runs did not bear out. It seemed the cut was clearly caused by a massive right hand, and the subsequent damage was as a result of the few clean shots Lewis was landing.

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