Instead of meeting Lewis in 1999 ,holyfield signs to meet WBO champ Vitali Klitschko . Klitschko still a unknown on the big stage and had just beaten Herbie Hide ,so he'd have come in as under dog no doubts . Holy still had a fair bit left but had seen better days . So who takes it ?
Vitali, no doubt about it. I think even prime Holyfild struggles with him. I'm still sour he never got the Lewis rematch.
Yep ,quiet a few thought holyfield should have got the decision in that one .maybe a third fight could have been sorted ?. As for the Klitschko fight , I see Vitali doing everything right and getting a close decision for reward .
Hmmm, lets think about it. Holyfield was pretty much even with Ruiz by 2000. Vitali would out land and out work Holyfield. The ref and the ring doctor better due their jobs, because Holyfield is the type to keep fighting hurt. Remember Holy is 1-4 on fair score cards vs Lewis and Bowe.
He had more fights than Johsua and over 200 amateur fights in boxing. While Vitali got better through the years, ,he was hardly green in 1999. He actually hit harder in the 90's before the shoulder and back surgeries.
Amateur fights and kick boxing fights mean crap in pro fights of boxing. He was a skinny guy early in his carrer, he was not ready for evander by 1999. And joshua is a joke
Joshua is #1 in the world today, hardly a joke. Vitali was started his pro career at 232 pound, and was 244 by 1999. Hardly skinny. If you want to look at common opponents, Holy struggled with Vaughn Bean. Vital destroyed Bean. Holy lost to Donald. Vitali stopped Donald.
We are talking about 99 holyfield,donald fought a 2004 evander,and fought a 2002 vitali,bean fought a 2002 vitali not the 99 version.. Also even if these guys fought a 99 vitali it proves nothing. .every fight ia different,totally irrelevant and absurd argument.. 232 pounds is very light for a 6"7 guy. (Joshua is a joke because he never have been tested,even a shot wladimir dropped and did hurt him,a fury in shape would expose him badly )Get a nice day
Your twisting dates and omitting facts. If we are talking about 1999, use Vitali's weight at the time, which is over 240 pounds. Hardly skinny for 6'7" tall. Bean made Holyfield look sluggish before 1999! Try 1998. Now that those facts have been cleared up let's press on. Moorer out jabbed Holy. Vitali could do the same. Virtually anyone who watched Holyfield's career knows his prime was before 1999, and even then he was inconsistent, getting rocked and floored by a sub in Bert Cooper ( and getting some help from the ref on the count ), getting cut by an older Holmes, and getting severely beaten in his most important fight vs. Bowe.
Knowing Vitali's inability to see a fight through to the end with a big name, I somehow imagine he'd find a way to mysteriously lose this one as well.