The Battle of the Titans: Lewis vs Klitschko

The Battle of the Titans: Lewis vs Klitschko

By Simon Graham

After defeating Mike Tyson in a landmark PPV record breaking victory, Lennox Lewis took a year out of ring, relinquishing his IBF title in the process.

During the early months of 2003 Lewis began looking at possible opponents including a lucrative return with Tyson but after that fell through Lewis turned his attention to the new WBC number 1 contender Vitali Klitschko.

With negotiations taking multiple twists and turns, Lewis was eventually lined up to defend his titles against Kirk Johnson the winner would then face Klitschko who was now the mandatory challenger but in a cruel twist of fate Johnson got injured during training, this would bring the Lewis vs Klitschko clash forward to June 21st 2003 at the Staples Centre, Los Angeles.

Billed as the Battle of the Titans, Klitschko stepped into the ring at 248llbs, Lewis weighed in a hefty 256.5llbs the heaviest heavyweight contest recorded at that time.

From the opening bell both fighters’ strategies were clear, Klitschko would step in close hoping to nullify the long jab of Lewis while the champion was looking to end things early with bombing right hands from the off.

The early exchanges saw Klitschko get off to good start landing heavy punches, matching his heavier opponent at close quarters with a show of strength in the clinches.

Lewis surprised by the speed of Klitschko found himself getting caught with right hands, a year out of the ring, the extra weight and age was taking its toll. Lewis’s hopeful one punch bombs were being easily countered by the work rate the giant Ukrainian challenger who easily countered with big combinations.

With a spring in his step Lewis began the 3rd round with some hurtful jabs, seemingly finally finding his range he smashed in a right hand to the eye of Klitschko opening up a grotesque cut around the challenger’s eye lid, undeterred Klitschko battled on taking the fight to Lewis.

Rounds 4 through 6 had both boxers trying to detonate their explosive big punches on one another in what was becoming a blood and guts battle, Klitschko taking a thunderous uppercut from Lewis opening a deep gash inside his mouth but still remained strong pushing the tiring Lewis around the ring and letting off hard rights of his own.

At the end of the 6th round Lewis slumped into his corner clearly behind of the score cards and wondering how he could muster the strength to keep his opponent at bay.

But then the referee stopped the fight, claiming that while the flow of blood from what was an admittedly awful cut wasn’t interfering with Klitschko’s vision, it was the almost severed eyelid that was causing Klitschko vision issues.

Eventually Lewis would announce his retirement and cement his status as not only one of the greatest British heavyweights but one of the greatest of all time, one of only a handful of boxers to beat every fighter put in front of him.

Klitschko would go on to be a 3-time world champion, the second-longest-reigning WBC heavyweight champion of all time.

Along with his brother Wladimir, they would go on to dominate the heavyweight division during their peak years between 2004 and 2015, they were considered among the most successful champions in boxing history in what was known as the “Klitschko Era”