Twenty-three years ago today, the “Clash of the Titans” took place in Los Angeles. Britain’s Lennox Lewis faced off against Vitali Klitschko in a legendary fight—the controversial outcome sent shockwaves through the boxing world.
June 21, 2003, would go down in the history of combat sports. In the “Battle of the Titans,” a bloody ending divided the boxing world.
In the ring at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, WBC, IBO, and The Ring champion Lennox Lewis faced off against WBO champion “Dr. Ironfist” Vitali Klitschko in a bout that delighted boxing enthusiasts—and left Klitschko disillusioned.
Klitschko Blames the Ring Doctor
“It’s crystal clear to me: The ring doctor is to blame,” the Ukrainian declared after the six-round bout. The doctor had classified the heavily bleeding cut above Klitschko’s eye as a health risk, and referee Lou Moret ultimately stopped the fight. But at that point, Klitschko was leading Lewis on points.
Originally, the highly anticipated event between the two boxing champions—who had suffered only one (Klitschko) and two (Lewis) losses in their professional careers, respectively—was scheduled to take place later in the year.
“Clash of the Titans” Moved Up
Briton Lewis was originally scheduled to defend his IBO title against Kirk Johnson, while Klitschko was set to face Cedric Boswell in a preliminary bout before the main event; the big fight was not scheduled until December.
However, since Johnson had to withdraw from the IBO title fight due to a torn left pectoral muscle, the “Clash of the Titans” was moved up by half a year on short notice. For many, Vitali Klitschko was considered the clear underdog—until the opening bell.
Klitschko: “I Felt Invincible”
The then 31-year-old Ukrainian tried to convince the fans otherwise with an aggressive start. Looking back, he said: “I felt invincible; I was convinced he couldn’t knock me out.”
Early in the fight, Klitschko landed several head shots on Lewis that visibly rattled the Brit. In the second round, Lewis took a crushing blow to the chin that caused him to stagger briefly.
The Ukrainian made an impression on the Brit with those head shots; Lewis looked visibly shaken and managed to limp through to the round break. And Klitschko racked up points, so the first two rounds were scored in his favor.
The Round That Changed Everything
In the third round, however, the then 37-year-old Lewis seemed like a different man. About ten seconds after the ring bell rang for the third time to start the round, the Brit landed a hard right. The punch opened a deep gash above Klitschko’s left eye, and the cut caused heavy bleeding.
“At first, I was shocked when I saw all that blood. Then I told myself: Stay calm, you have to get through this. Otherwise, I might as well just go home and hide under the covers,” Der Spiegel quoted his wife, Natalia Klitschko, as saying.
Although Klitschko was able to survive two more rounds—and even dominate parts of them—ring doctor Dr. Paul Wallace felt compelled to intervene during the sixth round due to the cut above the Ukrainian’s eye and convince referee Lou Moret to stop the fight immediately.
This decision sent the boxing world into an uproar
Dr. Wallace cited as the reason that Klitschko’s vision could no longer be guaranteed, as his swollen and drooping eyelid was covering his pupil.
The fight was thus ruled a technical knockout victory for the British boxer. But that’s when the uproar really began: Klitschko was ahead on points at that point.
Klitschko, clearly shaken, said after the fight: “I’ve seen much worse injuries. I don’t want to be seen as an ungrateful loser, but to me it’s crystal clear: The ring doctor is to blame!” He also emphasized: “I was still completely fresh after the sixth round, but he plopped down on his stool like a sack of potatoes.”
Former professional heavyweight Axel Schulz shared the same opinion: “The referee made the wrong call. If anything, he should have stopped the fight a round earlier, when the cut was bleeding heavily. By then, the wound had almost stopped bleeding.”
The spectators in the arena broke into cheers for the Ukrainian; he had shown grit and impressed with his aggressive tactics against the 1988 Olympic boxing champion. HBO commentator Jim Lampley also agreed: “Vitali is the winner of the event, the winner of the night, the winner of the crowd. 15,000 spectators went home as Klitschko fans.”
No rematch between Klitschko and Lewis
And even the opposing coach shared this view. “That was a very, very good fight. Vitali showed more than I expected. Lennox was pretty frustrated. He wasn’t fully prepared for this big guy. But I have no doubt that he would have knocked him out in the next round,” said Emanuel Steward.
Klitschko, however, was left disappointed by the outcome of the fight. A rematch, which had been called for by nearly everyone, never materialized. Instead, Lennox Lewis relinquished his titles the following year and ended his boxing career. This only served to cement the legend surrounding the “Clash of the Titans.”