Philippines, 30 Aug 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


SPORTSCLOPEDIA 57: LENNOX LEWIS DEFEATS VITALI KLITSCHKO TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY


PhilBoxing.com





Lennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko was called Battle of the Titans on June 21, 2003 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. WBC, IBO, and The Ring champion Lennox Lewis fought former WBO champion Vitali Klitschko. Lewis defeated Klitschko by a sixth-round technical knockout (TKO) when the fight was stopped due to a nasty cut above Klitschko's left eye. It was Lewis' last fight since he retired and refused to do a rematch.

* * *

Klitschko was the underdog, but had a tremendous start and aggressively landed many hard shots to the head of Lewis, taking the first two rounds on all three judge's scorecards. In the second round, Klitschko rocked Lewis with two staggering right hands that opened a cut under Lewis' left eye.

* * *

In the third round, Lewis connected and landed a thundering right hand that caused a deep cut above Klitschko's left eye. Despite the disturbing injury, Klitschko fought a tight round as they exchanged jabs and hard punches through the whole round even if Lewis was able to win the round on the judges' scorecards.

* * *

Klitschko was able to retaliate and took round four as both appeared to be running out of gas. At the end of round five, Klitschko's eye cut seemed to have worsened, but was allowed to continue into the sixth round. Lewis had the upperhand caused by Klitschko's blurred eyesight and landed a battering uppercut in the sixth round.

* * *

Between the start of the seventh, the ringside physician determined that Klitschko's eye had become too impaired and the fight was stopped. It was decided that since Klitschko's injury was caused by the punches, Lewis was declared the winner of the fight by technical knockout. Klitschko was ahead 58–56 on the scorecards with two judges giving Lewis only rounds three and six and the other rounds five and six.

* * *

Lewis is a three-time world heavyweight champion, a two-time lineal champion, and the last heavyweight to hold the undisputed championship. Being a recipient of dual British and Canadian citizenships, Lewis represented Canada as an amateur at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, winning a gold medal in the super-heavyweight division in Beijing.

* * *

Klitschko won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) title from 1999 to 2000, the Ring magazine title from 2004 to 2005, and the World Boxing Council (WBC) title twice between 2004 and 2013. Overall, he defeated 15 opponents in world heavyweight title fights, and made 12 successful title defenses.

* * *

In 2011, Vitali and his younger brother Wladimir Klitschko entered the Guinness World Records as the pair of brothers with most world heavyweight title fight wins with 30 at the time and 40 as of 2020. From 2006 until 2015, Vitali and Wladimir, also a multiple world champion, dominated heavyweight boxing, a period widely known as the "Klitschko Era" of the heaviest division.

* * *

Klitschko's last fight was against German Manuel Charr winning by fourth round TKO on September 8, 2012 at the age of 41 years, but he remained the WBC heavyweight champion at age 42 until he announced his retirement in December 2013.

* * *

Klitschko served as mayor of Kyiv in Ukraine since June 2014 and is also a former Member of the Ukrainian Parliament.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Traya eyes KO win against Thai tomorrow
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 29 Aug 2025
  • Navarrete's Future in Question as He Resists Rematch with Charly Suarez
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Fri, 29 Aug 2025
  • Davao's Corteza beats Biado, Aranas enters round-of-32 in P2 Million Bata Reyes 10 Ball Open
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 29 Aug 2025
  • Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaimàn: The Growth of Boxing
    By Mauricio Sulaimán, , Fri, 29 Aug 2025
  • Toshihiko Era Retains WBF Asia Strap in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 29 Aug 2025
  • Boxlab Promotions Signs Rising Cuban Prospects Ronny Alvarez and Pedro Veitia
    , Fri, 29 Aug 2025
  • Boxing Legend & Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. Confirmed for Eighth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Mexican Independence Day Weekend, Saturday September 13, in Las Vegas
    , Fri, 29 Aug 2025
  • Vayson vies for WBA/WBO titles
    By Joaquin Henson, , Thu, 28 Aug 2025
  • Mexican "The Rock" Zamora, three-time female world champion with 20 world championship fights, retires
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Thu, 28 Aug 2025
  • “I’M ONLY GETTING BETTER”: CONFIDENT PAT McCORMACK PLOTS HUGE HOMECOMING WIN OVER MIGUEL PARRA TO SPARK WORLD TITLE CHARGE
    , Thu, 28 Aug 2025
  • Heart of a Lion: 'Lucky Boy' Reymark Alicaba Earns Praise Despite Loss by Points in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 28 Aug 2025
  • Dante Kirkman Looks to be the First Fighter to Stop Dylan Carlson
    , Thu, 28 Aug 2025
  • Shawn Darling Inducted into New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame
    , Thu, 28 Aug 2025
  • Arca wins 13th Mindanao Open chessfest
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 28 Aug 2025
  • Carzano rules FIDE-Rated Open Rapid Chess Tournament
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 28 Aug 2025
  • Pythons-Primo wins 5 golds, 3 silvers, 2 bronzes in Kadayawan judo
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 28 Aug 2025
  • Crawford to Be Stripped of WBA Title Once He Climb the Ring to Fight Canelo
    By Dong Secuya, , Wed, 27 Aug 2025
  • Sebastian Juarez Remains Undefeated with Captivating 4th Round TKO Over Louis Hernandez
    , Wed, 27 Aug 2025
  • Jajaira Gonzalez Prepared to Meet the Moment at 2025 World Boxing Championships
    , Wed, 27 Aug 2025
  • 2 Division & Former Unified World Champion Juan Francisco Estrada Confirmed for Eighth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Mexican Independence Day Weekend, Saturday September 13, in Las Vegas
    , Wed, 27 Aug 2025
  • THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 25 AUGUST 2025
    By Eric Armit, , Tue, 26 Aug 2025
  • Magpily rules PH National Women's Elimination - Luzon Leg
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 26 Aug 2025
  • Carlos De Leon Shines with 2nd Round TKO, Remains Undefeated on MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 14
    , Tue, 26 Aug 2025
  • GM Daniel Quizon Wins 4th Edition Eduardo B. Basilonia Touchmove Open Invitational Rapid Chess Tournament; pockets P100,000
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 26 Aug 2025
  • Good Luck, Lucky Boy Reymark Alicaba!
    By Carlos Costa, , Mon, 25 Aug 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.