On June 21, 2003, one of the most debated fights in recent boxing history took place: Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko faced off in a war of titans, the controversial outcome of which, a technical knockout due to injury, still sparks heated and inexhaustible debates today. So let’s relive the unfolding of that historic fight by analyzing the opposing arguments of fans of both champions.
An epochal challenge that arises suddenly
That Lennox Lewis would sooner or later give the emerging Vitali Klitschko a world title shot seemed rather inevitable to everyone. The approach to the big match was unfolding according to the usual standards: Vitali would fight in the undercard of the champion, a classic media ploy to anticipate a highly anticipated showdown. However, the meeting underwent a drastic change of plans when the designated challenger, Canadian Kirk Johnson, pulled out due to injury just three weeks before the fight. The idea came in a flash: since Klitschko was already in preparation to face the undefeated Cedric Boswell, why not propose him to step into the ring with Lewis? The challenge was accepted, and the boxing world was abuzz: on one side, the old established champion, ready to fire his last shots; on the other, the young giant on the rise, defeated only once by injury and hungry for glory.
War of Titans
The two boxers started the fight with enormous competitive spirit: both in search of the heavy blow that could immediately intimidate the opponent, they rushed to the center of the ring and in the impetus to close the distance, they collided several times in clinches. Once the initial verve was exhausted, the encounter shifted to the realm of fencing, and in this first phase, it was Klitschko who clearly took the upper hand: a seemingly surprised Lewis by the speed of his opponent’s arms appeared uncomfortable in facing such a bulky and unpredictable boxer. Vitali’s left, low in the resting phase, darted rapidly along ever-changing trajectories, and his right of first intention visibly shook the champion in the second round: an unexpected ending suddenly seemed possible.
The 43 professional fights, however, had prepared Lennox to face any eventuality. The Briton did not flinch in the face of the initial difficulties: sensing the danger, he merely changed tactics, never abandoning his confident and determined expression. Starting from the third round, in fact, the champion put aside the foil and relied on the saber, and in no time, one of his terrible right hands, loaded with full force, grazed Klitschko’s face, causing the first of many wounds that would open shortly thereafter. The almost animalistic aggressiveness of the opponent, the blood beginning to flow copiously, the tension of the great appointment with history: for a few minutes, Vitali appeared in difficulty, cornered by a critical situation; but the Ukrainian was a champion, and champions react… In the fourth and fifth rounds, the challenger returned to grind boxing: Lewis continued to advance like a madman, but Klitschko kept him at bay, hitting him from every angle, moving along the square and striking again. The punches rained down like lightning bolts in a stormy sky, some shattered against the guard, but others hit home and prevented the British superstar from finding his measure. Klitschko’s strategy seemed to work but was extremely costly because it required continuous movement of legs and trunk as well as an unsustainable work rate over the long term. Lewis, in fact, showed no signs of easing the pressure and began to become dangerous even in the clinch phases with glancing but debilitating blows. His jab, moreover, was a sledgehammer: it hit sporadically, but when it did, it literally moved the opponent and left new marks on his face.
The sixth round opened with a close-range uppercut from the champion, which was a masterpiece: the blow came with extraordinary timing as the two boxers were about to make contact, Vitali’s head reared up in the roar of the audience’s amazement, but the Ukrainian remained staunchly on his feet and continued to exchange blows without respite. However, Lewis’s haymakers were starting to make an impact: Klitschko’s face was now a mask of blood, and the Ukrainian, despite courageously battling, was struggling to even see his opponent’s punches, finding himself increasingly exposed to his venomous rights. The ringside doctor’s check at the end of the round was decisive: Vitali was forced to turn his head completely to look to his left, and in those conditions, he couldn’t continue. An exhausted Lewis was carried away in triumph.
The eternal conflict between the two factions
Although the fight officially decreed a winner, this was not enough to reconcile the diverse world of boxing enthusiasts on who between Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko was the better boxer. Klitschko’s supporters still emphasize the rather fortuitous origin of the injury, highlight Klitschko’s advantage on the scorecards at the time of the stoppage, accuse Lewis of refusing the rematch because he was aware of his own inferiority, and assert that the reduced visibility due to the flow of blood certainly penalized their favorite from the third round onwards. Lewis’s supporters, on the other hand, emphasize that the champion was almost 38 years old on the evening of the fight and had recorded the highest weight of his career, a sign of a probable decline already underway; they recall that the wounds on Vitali’s face were multiple, requiring as many as 60 stitches, assert that the last round played was clearly favorable to the champion and that the knockout was only a matter of time, and finally praise their pupil for retiring after realizing he had embarked on the decline rather than losing the title to an inferior opponent. Where does the truth lie? It’s difficult to say without being influenced by one’s own subjective preferences. Certainly, both sides have their reasons and present some concrete elements in support of their arguments. In the absence of a rematch, we must content ourselves with revisiting, popcorn in hand, the images of that historic battle: that it was a milestone in the recent history of the heavyweight division is a fact that everyone agrees on.