Articles of 2004
Lewis and King Should Put Up or Shut Up
It seems to have become a habit. Every time Vitali Klitschko has a fight, Lennox Lewis steps up and says he’s considering making a comeback. Well, Lewis must either put up or shut up. His time is over and it is now Vitali Klitschko’s time.
There is nothing more irritating than a former champion trying to hold onto the last shades of a spotlight on the current champion’s coattails. The only purpose it serves is to blemish the history of the former champ. If Lewis is seriously considering making a comeback, that’s fine, then he should make one. But stop talking about it.
Fans are only frustrated by being given something to look forward to and then disappointed when nothing happens. Lewis has played this “thinking about” game way too much and frankly it is tiresome and boring.
All we need is a one word – yes or no – and let’s move on.
If Lewis is only trying to see what kind of money he could make with a rematch then he should also forget about it. Nobody’s interested in watching just another money fight like the garbage which was dished out to us in the Lewis-Tyson joke. We want serious boxers filled with passion and the desire to prove they are the best.
Don King was quoted as saying that the Klitschko-Williams fight was bad for boxing. Clearly the man’s judgment is faltering. Even though Williams was no match for Klitschko, the fight was entertaining and people want to be entertained. The three ring circus of heavyweight champions under King’s care have repeatedly failed to entertain. The campaign to get them into unifications with Klitschko is also without merit.
There are attempts to promote the idea that there is some controversy as to whether Klitschko is the real heavyweight champ, mostly emanating from King’s supporters. There is no such debate and even contemplating one is ludicrous. There is only one real heavyweight world champion and that man is Vitali Klitschko.
Let’s see Ruiz and the like in action against Danny Williams or Corrie Sanders and then we can compare. King’s champions need Klitschko to gain credibility, but the WBC champion does not need them.
Promoters need to wake up and stop insulting fight fans that are the lifeblood of the sport. If King really wants to unify the titles then he should do so starting without Klitschko. After we’ve seen his three “champs” squeak out controversial points decisions against each other, perhaps there will be room for the winner to get a crack at Klitschko’s crown.
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