Klitschko Peter, bring your knowledge of boxing history to bear on this one.

IMO Tyson couldn't have looked any better when he blew out Savarese. Even a prime Tyson couldn't have done it any better. Speed, timing, he had everything that night. That was a rare instance of a fighter looking at his best even though he was years past his prime.

 

I think Peter has done enough by beating Toney, McCline and Maskaev to prove he is good. The only fight Peter lost was via decison to the #1 guy in Wlad. Right now Peter is active and should be viewed as the #2 heavyweight in the world. A loss won't take away what he has done. But People who hate Vitlai will be saying this.

If Peter loses, I think he'll be back in the ring again. Peter is still young. His future has more chances to win big fights, but what he has done to date is enough to call him among the top 2 or if you must top 3 in the world for the past few years.

NO ATG has ever come back with 3.5+ years off, no tune up fights, and injury issues at age 37+ to beat someone as good as Peter ( who is in his prime ) right now.

If Vitlai wins, he will have that for himself.

That's all I'm saying.

 

Tyson looked good vs Savarese, but he landed harder and cleaner shots vs Willaims in round one.

 

I really don't see how comparing an ancient Tyson to a prime Vitali Klitscho 4-5 years ago, has anything to do with how the Peter-Klitschko fight is going to play out on Saturday night. Frankly, I can think of nothing more moot or irrelevant. The bottom line is going to be who is better prepared. While Peter is certainly no glutant for hardcore training, whereas Vitali IS, Sam is still in a better position due to a full decade of youth advantage plus 4 years of constant, uninterrupted battle in the ring...

 

I posted this on the history of comebacks on the boxing forum:

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=94456

 

If you do that, I´d lose any respect I had for you. That would be very poor.

 

Well, I think everyone agrees that a prime Vitali was better than Peter is right now. So, it comes all down to how much Vitali has left. If he hasn´t lost too much he wins, if not he loses.

What gives me a hint of how serious both take this fights are the picutres and clips from their camps. Peter seems to be at a career high weight, very slow and simply not really up to it, Vitali looks like he really wants it.

I don´t know who to pick, if somebody would put a gun to my face and force me I would say Vitali but not with much confidence. Could become a good fight.

 

I haven't seen Peter fight since losing to Wlad, so keep this in mind.

I think we'll find out quickly in the fight if Vitali still has it or not. Four years is a long tme to stay inactive, and although he looks in shape, there is a difference between being in shape and being fighting fit.

One key difference as Mendoza has pointed out is that Vitali is not broke and fighting for money...is he not desperate to fight, regardless of condition.
It's possible that he simply has let his body heal, taken a good look at Peter, and decided he can beat him. Obviously being a fighter, that fighting spirit has never left him.

That's not to say Vitali's assessment of his chances against Peter are accurate; many comebacking fighters have found out in brutal fashion that they simply don't have what it takes anymore.

I'd be interested to see how good (or bad) Vitali's reflexes are. His toughness and power are secondary considerations. If Peter reaches him easier than expected, then Vitali will lose. I don't think at his age, he can afford to get involved in a hard, brawling kind of fight, or allow himself to get sucked into that type of fight.
Another factor is how his face holds up if Peter starts landing a few bombs.

As for Peter, I find it hard to comment because I saw him last quite some time ago. I wasn't impressed with his boxing ability back then, but times may have changed, I don't know.
Regardless, being a lot younger and active, he has huge advantages that cannot be ignored. He is also durable and powerful, so it's highly unlikely that Vitali can expect a quick knockout.

In fights that go several rounds, the younger fighter will always have an advantage. Age is a funny thing...it catches up with you suddenly and unexpectedly.
Vitali may look good for 4 or 5 rounds, but suddenly come the 6th or 7th rounds, he may suddenly feel all his 35+ years.

If I were Peter's handlers, I'd map out a fight plan that involves a fast-ish pace, and concentrate on hammering the body. Of course, that only works if he's able to set the tempo of the fight. If Vitali controls Peter from the outside with his jab, the tough Nigerian may have his work cut out.

Still, history is against Vitali here. Comebacks almost as a rule fail, and we don't even have an idea as to what sort of condition he's really in. It's tough making your first fight back against a reigning, if somewhat crude, champion.

For me it depends on who can control the tempo of the fight, and how Vitali's reflexes hold up.

 

Well, if Vitlai wins you think Peter is a " hyped up Africa joke. " Sanders a D level warrior. The 70's and 90's over rated. A bit harsh.

How many ATG at heavyweight do you think there were?

Vitlai already was ring magazine champion, #1 across the board for a period of time. He also owns the best KO% among champions in the history of boxing, was never floored by a punch, and has the best rounds lost to rounds won ratio...better than Ali, Holmes or Louis, and this includes fights vs guys Ali, Holmes and Louis fought that you might call grade " D ".

If Vitlai comes back and wins, he will have done something never done before in divison histroy. That is come back at age 37 after a long lay off, and win a belt with no warm up fights.

 

It's all about what Vitali has left. I would still have to consider him favourite.

Peter had looked to make notable improvements in his boxing over the two Toney fights. Yet in the two following against McCline and Maskaev, that seemed to regress and he left his jab in the locker room too much.

He can't fight Vitali in quite the same way he fought Wlad, and it would be a mistake if he's counting on doing that with just a bit more.

Peter's tactics will be facinating. Vitali, I have no doubt at all, will look to establish his jab and get the feel of the ring for a few rounds first. I will be very shocked indeed if he comes out hayemakering away and looking for a quick stoppage, despite what some of the more rabid of his supporters are confidently predicting.

No, it's Peter's gameplan that facinates. Does he try to rush Vitali, hoping to catch him cold and still rusty? The risk is that the response is going to be at its strongest.

Or does he try to bide his time and get through to the later rounds, to see if Vitali's stamina fails him? The issue there is how Peter's stamina holds up itself and the risk of letting Vitali get properly warmed up with a few rounds under his belt.

My biggest concern about the whole situation is that a Vitali win wows his fans but basically does nothing except hold the division up. He won't fight Wlad, so unification is out. It is unlikely he'll want to defend his belt at all, given the "one-shot" feel to this fight. So most likely is that he ditches it, Peter vs someone else is arranged for the vacant WBC and we're back to square one with nothing to show for it but a trivia point.

A Peter win, on the flipside, would give us great build-up to Peter-Wlad II. Possibly the best build-up for a HW fight since Lewis-Tyson, though it wouldn't be on the same scale.

 

"KLitshkos power is unbeleivable" Apart from Herbie Hide,who Riddick Bowe had allready used as a yo yo,WHICH TOP HEAVYWEIGHT HAS VITALY KNOCKED OUT?AS IN KOD I SEE TKOS BUT NO MEN UNCONSCIOUS ON THE FLOOR.Do some research .

 

Do any of you acturally watch boxing? Peter has no defense, throws wide telegraphed punches, is ****ed after a few rounds and has little proven power. If a 60yo Parkinsons Ali came back today I'd give him evens with Peter

Now everyone knows Vitali isn't my favourate cup of tea but his leaning back defense and solid counter punching should keep Peter at arm length to win a UD or mid/late-rounds TKO

OH and Vitali may be innactive but hes already in better shape than fatboy

 

Louis didnt have that long of a layoff, a year times from Walcott to Charles, and Ali at least had some tune up fights before Fraizer. Both did pretty good. Louis did well for his age, and Ali fought one of the greatness fights all time.

 

Yes, agreed. Vitali is a stiff puncher, but not a knockout artist. He has to usually wear you down over a few rounds.

 

I rate Emanual Steward as the greatest trainer training at the moment if he is in Vitali's corner then Vitali will probably win, Steward will make that much difference.