By Eric Thomas: Former undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis (41-2, 32 KOs) is picking WBC heavyweight champion Samuel Peter (30-1, 23 KOs) to not only defeat WBC champion emeritus Vitali Klitschko (35-2, 34 KOs), but also take him out in the process in their October 11th heavyweight championship bout on November 11th at the O2 World Arena, in Berlin, Germany, according to the Vanguard Online Edition. Lewis, 43, should know what he’s talking about, since he himself defeated Vitali Klitschko by a 6th round TKO in June 2003, ripping his face to shreds with right hands and bigger uppercuts and forcing the referee to step in and halt the bout to save the older Klitschko brother from permanent injury to his face and eye region. Reportedly, Lewis has been assisting Peter, 28, with training tips on how to defeat the 37 year-old Vitali, who hasn’t stepped foot into a boxing ring for the past four years retiring at the end of 2004 after sustaining injuries to his knee.
Peter isn’t too enamored with either Vitali or his brother, IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, the latter brother defeating Peter by a narrow 12-round unanimous decision three years ago in August 2005. In the process of losing, however, Peter fought impressively, knocking the younger Klitschko down on three separate occasions in the bout and having him close to a stoppage. In a recent conference call with Vitali, Peter had this to say about both Klitschko brothers:
Vitali will be entering the ring with Peter without any tune-up, and with as much time off as Vitali has had in the past few years, it will be a big question mark how well he’ll hold under the strain of battle, particularly with a hard puncher like Peter beating him down round after round.
One can only imagine that Lewis has advised for Peter to go right after Vitali, pressure him hard and often from the start, and quickly where him out with big shots. That’s more or less what Lewis did against Vitali in their bout five years ago, except that Lewis started off slowly and didn’t come on until the final two rounds of the fight when he started bombarding Vitali with uppercuts to the head.
If Peter goes right after Vitali from the start, hitting him with hard hooks and uppercuts at close range and wearing him out quickly. While Vitali looks to be in good shape for a fighter that has been out of the ring three years, he possibly will be in trouble when Peter starts unloading on him with big shots.
September 26th, 2008 at 4:43 am
God knows why you guys here at boxing news 24 keep giving this fight the exposure you are , because lets be real its gonna be a terrible fight between two very limited fighters who are the best of an awful bunch .
Cant wait to see David Haye rip through these bums and put the Heavyweight Division to bed .
September 30th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Lennox Lewis always advices Vitali’s opponents how to beat him. Unfortunately it never helped anyone of them.
And to David Haye: If he is so good and promising, why does he fight Monte Barrett? Why does he not choose a real challenger.
Marketing is doing much to hype David Haye.
September 30th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
I’m with you Lance!
Eric Thomas is SO BIASED in his comments. Lewis was lucky the doctor stopped it, because Vitali had Lewis’s lights just about out. I’m not sure what fight he was watching.,but Vitali was ahead on 2 of the 3 cards. Vitali hits harder than his younger brother and with the layoff, it won’t matter. Vitali is in great shape. His only other lost was due to a torn rotator cuff. He says this is the best he’s felt in years. 100% healthy, just in time to put Peter out of his and our misery! Peter won’t last past the 7th round.
October 7th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Lennox only hopes Peter can win.. Vitaly took it to Lennox like no one else in history. So much in fact that he turned down upwards of 20 million for a rematch which he would have lost. Viltaly put Lennox into permanent retirement and will do the the same to Sam Peter.
October 9th, 2008 at 8:01 am