I hear that Vitali's next opponent will be a tough contender with a legit shot to win

Lewis was thirty seven when he beat Klitschko. Vitali was 37 when he beat Peter and Gomez and 38 when he beat Arreola .

Age is not always the best indicator.

BHop (while not a HW) was at still at the cusp of his prime when he was thirty seven. He beat Tito a year earlier and Tarver four years later.


Lennox was in his physical prime in the early nineties, but IMO, his boxing prime (a balance between physical condition and skill development from 1998 to 2003.

First, Wlad has improved considerably since fighting Peter.


Second, he won 9-3. On all three score cards.

He won nine 10-9 rounds and lost three 10-8 rounds.

114-111.


That's pretty comfortable.


But my point is he won.

First time around.

Troubled or not.

 

Fair enough on both points, though I think Vitali was a better fighter in 03-04. He was faster and probably had a little more pop in his punch as well, not to mention reflexes.

 

True, but he also seemed more susceptible to injuries in 03/04. Maybe with all the operations and rehab and the long pause he reached his prime now, at age 37/38.

 

He's undefeated & he has a higher current ranking I believe. It would be a voluntary defense anyway, would you rather he wait to fight his eventual mandatory?

 

I actually ran into Johnson last week. He comes to the barber shop by my house and when I brought up Vitali's name you could tell the confidence was not there but he said he aint to worried about it. Well I would be... Anyways I hope he does pull this one out of his ass. He has been looking better the more aggressive he fights. I know its against 3rd or 4th tier comp but stranger things have happened.

 

oh the glory days of:

tyson v tony tubbs

ali v chuck wepner

larry holmes v marvis frazier

great days great days...

 

Agreed on all points - apart from a 3 point win being comfortable when it includes being knocked down 3 times, and as pointed out before, looking concerned by Peter's power.

Anyway, my point is that Peter fighting vitali shouldn't have any bearing on his fighting Wlad again, but it does. As many others have posted on here.

Can you imagine if Lewis and Holy had the same deal as Wlad and Vitlay?

Let's say Lewis beat a guy like, I dunno Briggs. Gets put down a few times, but wins on points.

Holy then fights Briggs, and batters him to a TKO in 10.

Briggs then wants to rematch Lewis, as Lewis has been fighting stiffs. Lewis, his fans and minders, and Holy = all say theres no point as Lewis won easy, and anyway, Holys just thrashed Briggs so there's no point, briggs is obviusly crap.

That's just ludicrous. But that's what happens with the brothers.

 

I wouldnt say that now

I would have rathered wait my friend with me would have waited


Maybe you mean the people who gave me dirty looks when i was giving my boy andy lee some support

are those the people that didnt want to wait?

@Dave i owe u 5 euro :deal

 

:good:bbb

 

:hi:
thats right. Where is my ****ing cash!!!!!:hey

how are things my friend? I hope all is well:good

 

:good:good:good:happy:happy:happy:happy:happy:bbb:bbb:bbb:bbb:bbb

 

Not only was he ahead on score cards, but he also was a on a way to a mundane KO, something he does every fight. I believe you think Lewis had a chance against Vit?

 

You are right, Lewis has better chance against Wlad, I would say 20% or so. Lewis has absolute no chance against Vit.

 

Vitali was as much "prime" in 2003 as sporting surgeries on a severe spine injury, his shoulder, and one knee. Yeah, absolutely prime ... Vitalis physical prime was 1999. It still took Lewis a couple of head collisions to get away with a CUT from the collisions. If Sdunek wouldn't be such a "great" trainer, he would have trained Vitali to look AWAY from a boxer when clinching, instead of trying to look at what they're doing and receive the forehead to the brow. Sdunek knows that too, as he had Dimitrenko learn that immediately after.

 

:good