Lennox Lewis has explained why he retired after fighting Vitali Klitschko.
In their sole meeting, the bout was stopped at the end of the sixth round after Lewis inflicted a deep cut over Klitschko’s eye.
The decision sparked debate, as many believed Klitschko was ahead on the scorecards before the stoppage occurred in 2003.
Fans never got to see them settle the score in a rematch, as Lewis hung up his gloves after successfully retaining his WBC, IBO and The Ring heavyweight titles against Klitschko.
His retirement marked the first time since Rocky Marciano in 1956 that a boxer stepped away as the reigning heavyweight champion.
A brave fan on social media dared to accuse Lewis of ducking a rematch against the Ukrainian icon.
It prompted Lewis to provide a clarification on his fighting future at the time of his bout against Klitschko.
He said: “Let me clear this up for you. Vitali was always supposed to be my last fight, but it got moved up. I took it on 10 days’ notice. No champ has ever taken on a #1 contender on such short notice.”
When Lewis retired, he held the distinction of being the last undisputed heavyweight champion, a title he only relinquished in 2024 when Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury.
Ultimately Lewis’ priority became his personal goals instead of boxing as he felt the appeal of a balanced life outweighed another fight.
He explained: “I looked forward to the moment of starting a family and no more camps. I seriously considered a rematch but, in the end, decided to go with the original plan.”
He also acknowledged concerns about his age, as he would have been 38 in a rematch had they fought in 2004, factored into his decision to retire.
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“Vitali went on to be a great champion in his own right. I was also aware that Father Time was not in my corner,” he concluded.
What happened to Vitali Klitschko after fighting Lennox Lewis?
Following his loss to Lewis, Klitschko went on to win his next 13 bouts.
In his retirement bout Klitschko swiftly beat German challenger Manuel Charr with a fourth-round stoppage in Moscow, with blood pouring from a cut above his right eye.
His final bout ended in a similar way to Lewis’ as both heavyweight greats inflicted their final opponents with a fight stopping cut.
After the 45th win of his 47 fight career, Klitschko then vacated his WBC heavyweight title to focus on his political career in his home country.
The former heavyweight champion is now the mayor of Kyiv.
