Is Vitali Klitschko an ATG?

Clearly, his goal was to go the distance with no intention of winning. I don't think we should pretend what he did was easy, its not, but it certainly unfournate.

Its a shame but survivalist spoilers stinking up a Heavyweight Title match are a part of boxing: Dempsey/Gibbons, Godoy/Louis, Tyson/Smith, Markovic/Lewis, and Wlad/Sultan even.

 

Why does everyone use the Golota fights as a barometer to how good Bowe was??? Bowe was on his way out during the Golota fights. Imagine the Bowe that fought Holy in the first and second fight, bringing a fierce pressure fight to Vitali. Boxing goes out the window, and Vitali goes into the cheap seats.

 

Its conceivable he could. It didnt take much but running, but I cant see a guy like Johnson with no offense doing it, especially if he laid on the ropes. George would have the smarts to pound his body.

 

1. What's stranger: that Matt Skelton could look LIKE a slick fighter against poor oppoisition, or that opposition is irrelevant?

2. Don't try to change the subject.

3. Maybe: we'll see.

4. No-one else has tried such a negative strategy against such an old Vitali.

When did Vitali fight Larry Donald? 7 years ago, when he was about 31. No-one is comparing THAT Vitali to an old George Foreman.

Again, look at why Golota was successful against Bowe and explain why Vitali would also be successful.

 

That's a bit harsh on Markovic. He tried his best to win, but just found that the power and skill that allowed him to dominate at a European level was insufficient to beat someone like Lennox Lewis. I also remember Godoy putting in a fighting challenge; I've completely forgotton what Gibbons even looked like.

It's Bonecrusher and Ibragimov, who clearly weren't willing to take any risks to win, who should be ashamed of themselves.

 

I'm not used to agreeing with you this much, but you're spot on here.

 

I dont remember disagreeing with you on any other subject besides that Tyson discussion

 

Why does everyone use Bowe's single great performance as a barometer for how good he was?

The Bowe of the second Holyfield fight was sloppy and overweight, though he stole most of the second half as Evander quit boxing consistently.

Bowe was at his best playing catcher against the smaller Holyfield in their first meeting. Golota is the closest analogy to a Vitali, who stylistically would always be a good foil for him. Bowe was pretty ugly when he had to bring the pressure.

 

He fought Gomez this year, and Vitali isn't a Mike Tyson or Riddick Bowe that you can only judge in a limited timeframe. He's consistently operated at the same level for the last decade despite injuries, lay off, maybe slowing him down a hair.

I guess Bowe was shot...and it had nothing to do with Golota keeping his distance, slipping his ugly right cross, and pounding him with a busy left hand all night. Pretty much the same thing Holyfield did when he wasn't waiting for Bowe to jab his face while loading up wild left hooks, and foolishly trying to outmuscle him in the clinch. I can't see Vitali outboxing Bowe from the outside at all....

 

If Bowe comes forward then Vitali fights a different fight. The problem his opponents always say they will be coming forward and then have a change of heart once they square off with him in the ring. A fighter like Bowe was in the Holyfield wars would bring out the best in Vitali IF he were to bring the same game plan he brought for the smaller fighter.

 

It wasnt his single greatest performance. Go watch him against Seldon or Coetzer, Thomas or Cooper, or Gonzalez. I think most of the people who comment about Bowe saw him fight Golota and Holyfield. Who cares about an analogy of Vitali, how about an analogy of the Bowe who fought Golota, who was about a step up from Danny Williams at that point in in his career.
Disagree, about Bowe in the second fight. Bowe started making Holy fight his fight from the pressure he put on Holy. The fan man spoiled his rally, and allowed Holy to regain enough gas to eek out the decision.
Bowe was big, but his fight was to close the gap and make it a fight. That was his style, and it was effective. His style matched up well against Holy because Holy was a boxer puncher himself, but Bowe beat him using his size and ability, it wasnt Bowe just being a sloppy fighter, that was his fight, which was a style that a guy like Vitali Klitschko has already failed against when he was put in with a guy who was old and normally didnt fight that type of fight.

 

I look at this way. Bowes style was exactly the style that Lewis used against Vitali. Not only was Bowe only 2 inches shorter than Vitali, he came forward behind a good jab, righthand and used his uppercuts inside very well. Those were the punches that started doing the damage to Vitali in the Lewis fight.
As far as Vitali he could never fight the type of fight that Holyfield fought against Bowe, because he has no fighting skills. When the distance was taken away in the Lewis fight Vitali drowned quickly. Same thing would happen with Bowe, only Bowe would make it look much easier.

 

I don't think that the Golata fights tell the whole story when analyzing the career of Riddick Bowe, especially given that he was showing signs of deterioration. But at the same time, it is a fair observation to make that Riddick did have trouble with rangy fighters who could throw a sharp, strait jab and were capable of enduring Bowe's athletic advantages. Tony Tubbs at the age of 33, ( and hardly a Klitschkoesque type specimen ) kept Riddick on the end of his jab for a fair portion of the evening, and was able to land regularly. Holyfield faired better in his second fight with Bowe, when he elected to box a bit more rather than trade back and forth. Given Klitschko's size, strength, chin, excellent conditioning and boxing skill, I think he would be a very tough test for Riddick, and possibly even a potential loss.

 

I think Tony Tubbs and Evander Holyfield were both quicker of hand and foot than Vitali Klitschko ever was.