I'm disappointed this is happening now though. I'd rather Kingpin fight some top level guys first and prepare himself.
Tommy he will be getting a career high payday by far and a title shot. You can't pass that up. Plus if he wins he could fight Wlad in another career high payday. Johnson is as ready as he will ever be.
vitali already beat lewis piller to post..if not for a cut vitali would have ko'd him too.. why do you think lewis retired?
I was so pumped about seeing Johnson vs. Solis live a few weeks ago (and a victory over the heralded Cuban would have made the still undefeate Johnson an even tastier dance partner for Klitschko...they really should have just waited and scheduled it in early 2010). Instead it was Solis blowing out a hopelessly overmatched Barrett. :-( Thankfully Lopez-Mtagwa was a barnburner or that whole weekend would be written off as an expensive time-wasting bust!
who else should Vitali fight? Same thing was said about Arreola...not ready.... but if Vitali fights a maskaev, or a toney ETC, he gets ripped for fighting an old guy with NO chance... kinda gets **** no matter who he fights. At least he is staying busy unlike most HW's (you listening David)
Arreola was supposed to get sparked and instead he just got outclassed and yanked by his corner. Johnson is supposed to lose a decision here.
You have to take the oppurtunity when it comes these days. I am not buying the Solis hype either the guy is a fat slob and has beat nobody. Johnson would have smashed him.
The reason Arreola didn't get sparked was because his corner pulled him out.He was getting nailed hard in the last 2 rounds before the stoppage. TKO/KO smae thing to me in thse situations.
Right but "smart money" had him getting stopped cold with his leaky defense by the middle rounds. He lasted way longer than most anticipated, and it wasn't a cold stoppage. I'm not crediting Arreola for his pathetic "show up and collect a paycheck for taking a beating" BS or diminishing Vitali's brilliant boxing performance - I'm only cautioning that despite his KO ratio Vitali is not exactly a brutal monster. Johnson is a big tough guy with great defense. "Smart money" should have him losing on points.