I agree, but he could have been much better. He did not like boxing and self-discipline was a big problem. But Lewis, Vitali, Vlad, etc., ushered in a new era taking boxing to another level, a level where super heavyweights, skilled well-trained behemoths, dominate and should be in a different division of super heavyweights.
It was much more than style his body was solid and fit and most important his mind was where it hasn't been in any of his other fights. He started fights the way he fought Tyson but usually ran out of gas or lost focus..... He deserves credit for what he did
What a load of crap.. We're talking best vs best version here , yes? The best Vitali was mangled in just 6 rounds by the worst version of Lewis. Tokyo Douglas was better , faster , sharper and had better stamina and movement that TKO6 Lewis. He had all the same tools Lewis used to dismantle Vitali - great jab , right hand , uppercut - only Tokyo Buster was firing on all cylinders , tko6 Lewis wasn't. Id take that Buster to beat THAT Lewis , never mind the shovel punching , amateurish, wide open , cast iron rod legged Vitali .
How can a best version of a fighter exist for only ONE night? That's completely absurd. Fighters should be judged on their prime as a whole in h2h matchups, not one performance. Then again... You aren't going to give a Klitschko a fair shake in any kind of fantasy matchup here.
I don't rate Vitali (or Wlad for that matter) anywhere near as highly as some others do but he beats Douglas easily including "Tokyo Douglas".
Because Douglas was giving Tony Tucker a pasting before his unconditioned body gave out. We all know Douglas was not dedicated to the game , but that doesn't mean he didn't posses top drawer skills. Tokya Douglas was in the best shape of his life for one night only and that version would continue his pasting of Tony through to the end. Both Douglas and Tucker were better schooled than Vitali who fought like a converted kickboxer because thats exactly what he was. His skills were crude and basic , its why he lost to the two best boxers he ever faced.
Douglas was in pretty good shape for Tucker and the fight was even throughout the first 9 rounds. No one gave anyone "a pasting" until Tucker hit Douglas with a big right hand in the 10th and that's when Douglas crumbled.
He slowed down visibly , his movement and punch out-put dwindled as the rounds went on. The same happened against Jesse Furgeson. He was in way better shape out in Japan.
I don't think Douglas is in a conversation of who can he beat. I think he had one great win against a Tyson who was not training and lost his focus around Don King and all that stuff. Mike was not using head movement in 1990 so he was getting hit by a guy who had decent hand speed and was a big guy who could punch. Douglas had a good win vs. Mike. That is all I can think. The Tucker fight prior to Mike in 1987 where he quit, and then quitting against Evander. He quit in that fight. He looked at his gloves and just didn't get up. Now at could he compete with Vitali or Vlad or any of them. He had one great night.
Douglas was wildly inconsistent throughout his career, chinny and lost to men lesser than Klitschko before facing Tyson... But Dinodummy doesn't give Klitschko a chance in hell at winning, just like almost any other fantasy fight involving a Klitschko in this section. Dudes a joke.
I give him credit, a great win, but nothing more than that. The way he lost to Evander, a lighter punching guy who beat him with a counter right one punch knockout. Match him up with anyone in history I say he loses.
Emm , because he lost every time he stood up and doesn't have a good win on his entire dossier. Plus , i know real talent when i see it and Vitali was not a well schooled boxer. Maybe thats why i don't pick him to beat proven guys who had elite level wins. He didn't do it in reality so why would he do it in a fantasy situation ?? I deal in fact , not fanboy based opinions. Im not a fanboy of anybody. Im anti YOU.