***IT'S THE NIKOLAY VALUEV EXPRESS! Making minute by minute stops at p4p greatness!**

Re-posted from the thread "The Best H2H Heavyweight In their Prime":

Polls like this are redundant when we all know that Niko is the true people's champion. I didn't even have to look at the other choices; it's a no-brainer. The only weakness for Niko is his lack of worthy competition. After he murders Vitali and puts Wlad in a coma, he should try a new tact. I bring you... Niko vs. the Earth. The first match will be Niko vs. a silverback gorilla. Niko takes this one easy. After that, perhaps a Bengal tiger. Eventually he'll move on to face an elephant. Once he's slain every land animal, we drop him in the ocean to fight sharks and whales. GOAT, Earth's P4P#1. Muh****as in Zeta Reticuli be shittin' their drawers, son.

This video best states my case:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9EGPNbTaOI&feature=player_embedded[/ame]

 

Niko would be proud of you. Take up poetry, be an accountant, reverse engineer extra-terrestrial technology - but don't become a boxer. Once you do that, you're just gettin' in line to be another victim. :bart

 

I was originally going to post this in the Classic Forum, but I didn't want to ruffle any feathers. Here goes.

I got an old story for ya. Told to me by Jimmy Jabalonkous, he runs a gym here in Brooklyn. He did some work with Valuev overseas before SNV went professional. Originally he was part of George Foreman's camp during Big George's second campaign in the late 80's/early 90's.

He told me that Valuev was sparring partner for Foreman in early 1993. This was in preparation for his bout with Tommy Morrison. George was looking for somebody who could give him a challenge. Needless to say, he found it. They decided to spar without head gear. Niko was ready to go bare-knuckle, but everybody was against it. Then, Muhammad Ali strolled in.

Ali showed up to see his old opponent and to scope out the new talent. George and Ali embraced, two warriors now in different walks of life. Then the sparring session began.

Niko took it easy on George for three rounds. He took everything Big George dished out, just to be charitable. It was a show of respect from the gracious Beast From The East. Those shots that wobbled Holyfield and knocked out Moorer, well, Niko barely even noticed. Big George couldn't believe Valuev was still standing. His mouth dropped in utter disbelief. Everyone in the gym was silent. The tension was palpable. Ali got up from his chair and stood just outside the ropes.

George came back strong, re-doubling his efforts in a vain effort to restore his pride. Ali watched, giddy with excitement. Now, instead of playing along, Valuev stepped it up a notch. His trademark head and foot movement was giving Big George fits. Now he was just toying with Foreman. Making him miss, and making him pay with light jabs and arm punches. He wasn't sitting down on anything, just making contact and keeping George honest.

No one could believe it. You could've heard a pin drop, if not for Big George's huffing and puffing. Here was George Foreman, a proven ATG being outclassed by an amateur. Growing ever frustrated, Foreman tried to turn it into a street fight. He got inside on the Giant, throwing combinations, mixed with hard elbows. In a fit of Golota-esque fury, he threw a flurry into the Giants nether region. Big mistake.

Valuev jumped out of range quickly and then immediately stung George with a left hook. He was sitting on his punches now, no longer the gentle giant. Foreman's legs wobbled, and in that split second, Niko smelled blood. A straight right over the top, and BOOM. Foreman hit the canvas with an audible thud. Minutes later he was still groggy, not entirely sure of where he was. Everyone ringside was in a state of disbelief. Except for Ali. He was smiling.

My buddy Jimmy walked over to Ali to ask him what he thought. In trademark
fashion, "The Greatest" dropped a classic quip: "George is just an old man like me. He **** his pants, cause he couldn't dance."

Valuev was never invited back to a Foreman sparring session. The rest, as they say, is history.