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

you meant to say Klitschkos only beat bums. when Vitali fought B+ level opposition (not A class because Lennox was 38 year old past his prime and not A class in that poor shape) he got crushed and had his face smashed in with a slim 2 pt edge on the scorecards that was rapidly vanishing. Vitali and Wlad NEVER beat an A class fighter and the only one that was close - the shell of Lennox Lewis - Vitali lost to him

 

This is a very interesting fight. Ali was an elite boxer and obviously one of the greatest fighters who ever lived.

I don't know if he could've really hurt someone as big and iron-chinned as Vitali, he could probably stun him with a good counter but I don't know if he could actually hurt him to the point of looking for a KO.

If this match was a 15 rounder, I'd favor Ali in it. A 12 rounder might be a little more competitive although I'd still favor Muhammad.

In a 15 rounder, Vitali could get gassed out by the latter rounds and if Ali kept up a good work rate and kept jabbing and moving, I could see him winning a clear UD. But he'd have to be very cautious throughout the fight of Vitali's power (although I think Ali would see most of Vitalis powershots coming from a mile away though.)

 

Byrd was ranked highly the next several years right behind Vits, so how could people say he was shot? And I know he didn't try to rematch him because little brother still fought him two more times. Right after the fight, if I'm not mistaken, Byrd said he was open to a rematch, yet it never occurred.

 

:good

Lol, I've done that more than once...it sucks.

 

Exactly. :good

 

Vitali never beat a boxer better than Byrd whereas Ali beat plenty boxers better than Cooper. Vitali has never proven to be beyond that level, Ali has time and time again despite struggling against a boxer who happened to have his number.

 

Norton broke Ali's jaw. Vitali would shutter it in thousand pieces. Ali is outmatched against Vitali.

 

What sort of a breakdown is that?

That's ridiculous. Every fighter has different circumstances. Tell us exactly how Vitali would have won, without using irrelevant stats.

 

:good

 

So what?

You say the same things over and over.

You speak without really saying anything.

Norton is irrelevant to this discussion.

 

exactly. this isn't a top trumps game lol.

Hulk wins cos Hulk is strongest there is!! rrrr!

 

All his best wins came by stoppage.

 

Spot on this post.

 

There's no doubt Vitali fought mediocre opposition and his record of wins is very thing. What I dislike is the cherry-picking. Use the same standards for both Vitali and Ali. If Vitali looked crappy against Byrd then accept that Ali had off-days when he looked bad against mediocre opponents himself.

 

Doug Jones, Cooper, Norton. There is a pattern. Ali had great trouble dealing with defensive boxers. He does not have style to beat Vitali.