SEMIFINALS: The All-time Heavyweight H2H Tourney: VITALI vs. ALI

Ali needed smelling salts against LHW Cooper. Vitali destroys him.

 

Everytime you post on Ali, you use the same ******ed logic.

When did Ali need smelling salts?

When he was called Cassius Clay at just 22, after having had about 18 fights.

So what??

That isn't evidence that Vitali destroys him.


1. A 25 year old, peak Ali, was not the same fighter as a young, brash Clay.

2. Cooper and Vitali are/were nothing alike.


You're one of many poor posters who claim it would have been an easy win for Vitali, based on Clay's fights with Cooper and Jones, and his older fights with Norton and Spinks etc.

But it's obvious that even if Vitali could have beaten Ali, he'd have faced huge problems with his movement.

Ali and Byrd weren't really alike, but you saw how Byrd frustrated Vitali.

Yet you're saying that Vitali would easily have destroyed a peak version of Ali?

You're dreaming!

 

He couldn't beat Byrd in his prime but 40% believe he'd beat Ali. Shut this awful forum down, guys.

 

Ali....All day and All the time....late round stoppage!

 

Why does Vitali have any votes?

 

Well at least 41% have common sense and are actually thinking about realistic occurrences of this fight.

"Ohh errr Chris Byrd beat him!" Chris Byrd was getting outboxed while Vitali tore his rotator. A fight that if Vitali had to do over again, he'd box through. "But but but Vitali is a quiter!" Right like he showed against Lewis before scaring him into retirement.

Bottom line, NOBODY has ever outboxed Vitali or knocked him out OR DOWN in his whole career. But haters go ahead and keep hating. Vitali beats Ali in a competitive fight. Nobody is walking through anybody here.

 

Vits was winning on the cards against Byrd and I have no beef with the scores. Problem is most of the rounds were fairly close (as punch stats prove) and Byrd was no Ali, who was faster, stronger and hit harder. And just face the truth when it come to Lewis-Vittles, Vits ones that fight was being stopped no matter what. Acting all indignant about it doesn't mean he wasn't going to quit again. He should have gone on against Byrd. That he didn't would be much easier to forgive if he had even TRIED to rematch him. He didn't though...did he?

 

You do agree that when Byrd was in his prime, He was hit way less than Ali right? Ali could be hit AND WAS cracked quite a bit. If 250lb Vitali hit him as much as Norton (very realistic thought) or Joe did, Ali would get hurt more often. CLOSE and competitive fight. Still Vitali wins

I have no problem with someone believing Ali would win. That's fine and of course their right. It's these little following bandwagon riders who most likely aren't THAT familiar with Ali or his fights, but here the words THE GREATEST pinned on him (HIGHLY ARGUABLE) and automatically spew out "OHHH ALI BY A MILE! NOT EVEN CLOSE" That's just dumb.

 

Ali's prime should be considered the first Liston fight until he was unjustly banned. After that he was never the same as in those years and yes, Ali was hit far fewer times. Like I said, prime Vits struggled to win close rounds and than quit against a guy 8" shorter, 40lbs lighter and fighting over seas on a weeks notice. Do we really think the best version of Ali would lose to that guy? HELL NO!!!

 

I'm very familiar with Ali as I am with Vits. And I personally think Joe Louis greater. But there is little doubt to Ali's greatness whether you rank him 1 or 2. Vits on the other hand never fought the same comp so question marks are abundant. When he did step up he lost (whether he was up on the cards or not). H2h I think Vits is a hellacious fight for many greats. I just don't see it being one for Ali at all.

 

So let me get this straight. The Ali proponents can use the Byrd card but the Vitali proponents are not allowed to play the Cooper card, right? Yea that makes sense.

Let me tell you one thing, and this is obviously just my humble opinion. If Ali were to win against Vitali he'd have to go through hell and back. Those who claim Ali would dance around Vitali and cruise to an easy UD without taking any punishment are clueless.

 

I don't think Ali wouldn't take any punishment, Vits is a big, tough guy. But I do think Ali wins 8-4 or 10-5 should it be a 15 round fight. He was simply far better than Byrd and Byrd kept rounds close though losing the majority.

Do you think Ali was prime for the Cooper fight?

 

it does, because young ali won by stoppage, and prime vits lost by stoppage. difference between win and loss. You MUST understand this difference between WIN and LOSS.