Lennox Lewis Admits Why He Never Took the Vitali Klitschko Rematch

Former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis chatted with a fan on X (Twitter) and answered why he never stepped in with Vitali Klitschko a second time.

Fan: “Vitali destroyed Lewis—no doubt. Lewis promised a rematch, then broke his word and retired. Why?”

Lewis: “Let me explain. Vitali was always meant to be my final opponent—our fight just happened earlier than planned. I accepted it on ten days’ notice. No champion had ever taken on the No. 1 contender with so little warning.

I was already thinking about family life, life without training camps. I considered the rematch seriously, but in the end I chose to stick to the original plan. Vitali went on to become a great champion in his own right. I also knew time wasn’t on my side.”

Lewis and Klitschko met only once, in the summer of 2003. After six rounds Vitali was pulled out due to a severe cut, though he was ahead on the scorecards when the bout was stopped.

Photo: talkSPORT