Boxing: Boxing: Lewis Wants a Rematch with Klitschko

Associated Press - July 2, 2003


NEW YORK (AP) - Get ready for Lewis-Klitschko II.

Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko seem headed for a WBC heavyweight title rematch before the end of the year, WBA champ Roy Jones, Jr., notwithstanding.

Jones looks to be the logical next opponent for Lewis, who defended his title last month by cutting Klitschko badly around the left eye and forcing the fight to be stopped in the sixth round. Instead, Lewis is more interested in fighting Klitschko again.

``I definitely want a rematch,'' he said during a conference call Wednesday. ``I'm opting for a rematch.''

Lewis trailed on the cards of all three judges when the fight ended, and was widely criticized for his performance.

``It's amazing that they go to the scorecards and say he was leading,'' Lewis said. ``He won the first two rounds. I won the next four. He was lucky. He would have been KO'd. I enjoyed that fight. We went at it.''

One available date for Lewis-Klitschko II is Dec. 6. That would leave time for Klitschko to recover from the cuts that stopped the first fight.

Jones is still on Lewis' agenda. Lewis said he talked with Jones and was intrigued with the man who has held titles in four divisions.

``Jones is like Superman - faster than a locomotive, flies higher than a plane, can leap tall buildings,'' he said. ``This is what they say. I'm looking at other options. One of them is Roy Jones, Jr.''

Kiltschko welcomes another chance to fight Lewis. In fact, he said he called in on the conference call from Hamburg, Germany.

``I was on the line,'' he said. ``I want to say thank you to Lennox Lewis. It was my dream to fight for the championship. It was just the cut that stopped me. Who was the winner? I have no doubt.''

Klitschko said he didn't think Lewis would give him a rematch.

``Before, I was worried about Roy Jones, Jr.,'' he said. ``Now he says he will fight me. It's a big risk for Lennox Lewis to finish his career with a defeat. I give him respect. I am happy with what I heard.''

Lewis said a rematch would depend on an independent doctor checking Klitschko's eye.

``There is no problem.,'' Klitschko said. ``I am a fighter. I have to check my health. Everybody is giving me a green light.''

Klitschko was a last-minute replacement after Kirk Johnson injured his chest in training and had to pull out. Lewis said the adjustment to a bigger opponent was difficult.

``Given the circumstances surrounding the fight, I trained for one person with a certain size, weight and style,'' Lewis said. ``Then 10 days before the fight, I took on a 6-foot-8 (203 cm) guy. I had only four rounds sparring for this guy. I did pretty well.

``He threw some good punches that I was not used to seeing, especially from that height. That fight was not going the distance and the next one won't go the distance, either.''

Well whoever he fights i think he may retire after it.I would rather see him fight Jones as he already beat Klitschko so their is no need to fight him again no matter how he won..

I think the Vitali rematch will happen. He cant retire knowing that Vitali got the best of him in the last fight. Although I would like to see him fight Jones too.