When was Vitali in his prime??

Kirk Johnson is not on the same level as Vitali, Lewis TKO6 prime Vitali, passing of the torch fight, shame Lewis punched Vitali's face too hard and often for Klitschko to get the victory...

 

Vitali was training to fight Cedric Boswell on the under card so physically was as in good a condition for the Lewis fight as for any other fight.

Vitali and Lewis had also agreed terms as of May 5th that year to face each other later that year, so clearly he had been preparing to face Lewis at some point, so was as well prepared as Lewis was, if not more so as Lewis was just training for an easy defence not a top contender.

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/boxing-news/Klitschko-Boswell-Preview.php

I am a Vitali fan and I think Vitali was prime when he fought Lewis. He was 32, been a pro for 6 and a half years with 33 fights. Vitali was only active for another 18 months before injuries forced him to retire and clearly after his return he was not the same as he was older, rusty and injuries had taken away his power. So he was prime or close to prime when he fought Lewis.

 

Again, :good

 

Lewis beat the next top heavyweight before retiring, most (Louis, Ali, Holmes etc) get beat by the next to heavyweight.

 

That I agree with. Before the forced retirement he put more leverage and force behind his right hand, he never turns his shoulder into the punch anymore like he used to. Just look at how he punched against Johnson and against Arreola and you can clearly see a change in his punch mechanics.

While I think we saw the best version of Vitali against Lewis, had Vitali not been mired by injuries he may have gone on to become a better fighter than he ever was. It's a real shame he sustained these injuries he really could have stamped his authority on the division and dominated for a very long time had he continued fighting.

 

I think the Kirk Johnson fight is where Vitali's prime began...Prior to Lewis (and going into the Lewis fight) he wasn't taken that seriously and was thought to be (by far) the lesser of the brothers. I think the Lewis fight got Vitali on the right road so to speak (despite the loss).

 

:nut You sure meant to say when he beat the pants out of Lewis, was ahead on all cards and ran Lenox out of boxing, that time?

 

Chris Byrd

 

Maybe Lennox will always be rated higher than Vitali because he's more skillful, has a better resume and beat Vitali when they actually fought.

 

Common man, be honest with yourself! Lewis got a beating and forced into retirement just like all the greats you mentioned.

 

Why do you say Lenox has more skills? Wasn't it Lewis who got beat up in his last fight?

 

Vitali was left with a Pizzaface not Lewis.

Vitali may have won if it was a 6 round fight.

Lewis has the best resume of his generation, he wasnt scared of Vitali after he brutalized his face.

 

i thought lewis looked fat & **** against tyson. he plodded around the ring looking tired & leaning on his shot to **** opponent. rahman 2 was the only fight post holyfield 1 he looked like he trained properly & gave a ****.

 

37yr old Lewis enters the ring at a career high weight having trained for Kirk ****ing Johnson, compare resumes, watch some fights. Turn off the computer and have a long walk to clear your head, you may find your perspective of boxing changes for the better.:good