Klitschko vs. Klitschko. 2009 While I agree the fight should never happen, that doesn't mean it would not be very intriguing. Assume both are trying to win and forget they are brothers and best friends bothers for 36 minutes, who takes it? I realize authoring a thread like this will give the usual suspects a chance to troll, so I ask that you don't and pick a winner if you choose to participate. I'm interested in the boxing analysis. Thanks in advance. Wlad via TKO/KO Wlad via Unanimous decision Wlad via Split Decsion Vitali via TKO/KO Vitali via Unanimous decision Vitali via Split decison Draw
My choice here is Vitali via mid round TKO. Reasoning. Vitlai has an engaging style, and when he's not throwing a lot of punches, his style is to hit and move. Wlad had his biggest challenges vs. pressure fighters who can punch. When you're facing a taller hit and move type, it limits the number of times one can be clinched. Vitlai was seldom clinched, and part of the reason was base on his size and style. This means it's going to come down to skills and durability. While I do think Wlad would land some clean jabs and hard rights, Vitali has the chin to take them. But the reverse is not true. I suspect Vitali would take Wlad out of his rhythm, eventually break through his defense, and floor him. The early rounds would be fascinating.
I think Wlad was greater overall and is reflected in my rankings: Wlad #6 and Vitali 14-15, I probably rate them higher than most but likely lower than you (just a guess as I don’t recall if you have posted any?) But H2H I think Vitali would score a TKO in the 10th or so, with the cards very close 5-4 for either guy. I actually think Wlad might be up and find him the better and greater boxer, (but not by a wide margin) but Vitali to me had the bigger punch and Wlad the weaker chin. And while this could go to the cards (if so I lean towards Wlad), I think sooner or later the bad mix of good punch cracking the weaker chin is the more likely scenario. Vitali TKO 10
I view them both as top ten all time heavyweight, though part of my ranking is head to head. Vitali was a first ballot hall of fame guy, and Wlad will be too. I just don't think many smaller champions can have a realistic chance of beating the skilled super heavyweights, but that is another thread. To win, I think Wlad would need to start fast and could not afford to wait. He needs to get off first, and with his hand speed, he could. I think Wlad had the harder punch, but Vitali hit hard too and would hurt Wlad before Wlad hurt him. At least I think so. The Klitschko Documentary is excellent and reveals much about them. Wlad : Vitali was born a fighter, I had to become one An amateur coach that worked with both said something close to this: Vitali was a piece of iron, tough to mold, but iron. Wlad was more like Clay. More accessible to mold, but he wore down quicker.
Good post! It is weird I disliked both of them during their primes (perhaps a recency bias exists that I am not aware of having?), and found them dreadful to watch....but in recent years I have come to appreciate both of them, and find them both more highly skilled than I would admit to 10 years ago...and I do find them both semi enjoyable to watch (as far as HW’s go anyway). Hope this gets some serious discussion (but I doubt it on this forum lol). I agree that they should not have fought nor should it impact either legacy to a great deal. I don’t hold brothers to the same standard that I do to others who avoided their top challengers for other reasons. Had they not been brothers I believe both would have wanted to test themselves against the others to prove who really was the king of that era. Sadly we will never know. But what a fight it would have been! 2 of the largest and most skilled (I am in the minority thinking this) HW’s going toe to toe
Vitali had a lot of similarities to Fury but did most things better. I think he'd win a decision and his awkwardness would slow Wlad down.
You don't have to like a fighter to appreciate them. For example, I'm not a Fury fan at all. I don't think he's an all-time great right now, but I do see him as an all-time great type of spoiler with guts to get up if needed. I can appreciate that part of his game. If Fury can defeat Joshua, and make 5 title defense, then I'll think he is an all time great. Boxers who were champions over many years tend to go up in regard after they retire. Holmes, Lewis, and the Klitschko's.
Very good fight, obviously. Very intriguing and extremely hard to break down. Vitali tended to defeat people by beating them up. He was a genuinely superb fighter. I wish we had more data on him versus top bodies. But it is what it is. Overall, I lean towards Vitali being one of the very best boxers ever to have lived. Not pound for pound, but just who are you going to pick to actually go into the ring and do it? The guys with the styles and engines to be made a real favourite are so small you have to pick against them on size. Wladimir is big enough and i'm happy that he's a better general. Vitali, on the other hand, was the more skilled overall - Wladimir more brilliant in the areas he mastered. And all of this is very clear. Which is strange, almost unique, and especially appealing as they were brothers. Also fascinating is that early on, Wladimir was the annointed one. He was the guy who was meant to be the more promising brother. Then Wlad got knocked out - then Vitali was meant to be the man. Then the quit job happened against Byrd and that hurt him badly in America. Wlad meanwhile had rebuilt well and was supposed to be the man again - then he got stopped again! Vitali EVT 6 Lewis happened and Vitali was the one and it was clear - then Wlad went on such a wonderful, beautiful run, so deep and over so much time that he became clearly and inarguably the greater fighter. But I see Marciano as a greater fighter than Vitali too, but I think Vitali would stop him. Wlad-Vitali is torture head to head. I think either result is very possible. I can see Wlad out-generalling the more talented man with a superior jab and that awful right hand. I can see Vitali overwhelming and out-mauling his younger brother. In the end I think both of these things would happen and the question would become does Wlad have enough gas, heart, lungs, and punch resistance to make it out of there with enough rounds under his belt early to survive the late disaster. Wlad, by the end, had learned enough that he could - but physically he was past his prime. If you compounded the early athleticism with the late ring iq and generalship, it's a win for Wlad. There may have been a short window where Wlad could have got the job done then, but on balance I lean to Vitali. I'm very confident that 3 identical results wouldn't occur over three fights.
In 2009 I would vote for Wald. At this point Wlad was putting the best and brightest contenders to the sword, and Vitally was essentially defending one belt, fighting men in the lower half of the top ten, or men ranked outside the top ten. Now if the fight was a few years earlier, i would give a different answer!
2009 i'd slightly favour Wlad outpointing him. Prime vs Prime i'd much more confidently back a Vitali KO though. I always felt Vitali was the better of the two, was just unfortunate he got injured the first time when he did as he likely would've went down the same unification road Wlad did instead of him.
I have to go with Vitali. He had the better chin and while his brother may have been a harder puncher and slightly more skillful boxer, Vitali wasn't that far behind. So I think the ability to take punishment counts for a lot here.
