Lennox Lewis’ retirement fight ended in controversy as rival pulled out with severe cut and rematch never happened

Lennox Lewis retained his world title against challenger Vitali Klitschko after inflicting a horrific cut to his left eye.

Lewis bowed out of the sport in February 2004, in the pursuit of a more balanced life away from the ring.

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The British boxer’s career saw him become an undisputed heavyweight champion, while asserting his dominance over the likes of Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield.

But arguably his most controversial victory came when he shared the ring with Klitschko in June 2003.

Their match-up was orchestrated just 12 days ahead of the fight, as Lewis’s scheduled opponent, Kirk Johnson, suffered an injury.

Klitschko was set to fight Cedric Boswell on the undercard, but stepped up to challenge Lewis in the main event instead.

What happened in the ring that night?

Klitschko came out strong in the early rounds, repeatedly tagging Lewis with a barrage of shots.

While the Ukrainian was on top of the action, in the third round, a right hand caught his eye and left a bloody gash.

Both men appeared to tire somewhat heading into the fourth, but even so, Klitschko continued to outclass the Briton.

In the fifth round, Lewis landed 12 consecutive right hands to Klitschko’s ribs in the clinch, but his challenger’s injury had already altered the course of the clash.

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When Klitschko sustained a second cut under his left eye in the sixth round, the referee was forced to call a halt to the action on the advice of the ringside doctor.

Boos erupted from the crowd of the Staples Center as Lewis was deemed the winner via technical stoppage, while Klitschko was cheered out of the ring for his valiant performance.

Why didn’t Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko rematch?

As ‘Dr Ironfist’ was leading on the judges’ scorecards until his injuries, it seemed that a rematch was inevitable.

However, the Brit later revealed that he had already set his heart on retiring after fighting Klitschko in 2003.

So instead of proving he could outclass the Ukrainian star, Lewis became the first reigning heavyweight champion to retire since Rocky Marciano in 1956.

There were rumours that 15 years after their clash, the retired legends would lace up their gloves once more.

It was believed they would be facing off in an exhibition bout, but it never came to fruition.

What did Vitali Klitschko go on to do?

Klitschko continued fighting after his controversial loss to Lewis, before retiring in December 2013.

He won his final 13 fights to bow out of the sport with a professional record of 45-2.

His final bout ended in a similar way to Lewis’s, as he inflicted a fight-ending cut on Mahmoud Charr.

Klitschko then went on to vacate his WBC heavyweight title to pursue a political career in Ukraine, which has included over 10 years in office as Mayor of Kyiv.