Vitali-AT LEAST in the top 3 highest KO percentages in history for a heavyweight.

Neither can the fact that Vitali was stopped both times he tried to step up to the elite.

 

I am intimately familiar with Ali's career in and out of the ring. Ali had a very close fight with Doug Jones, and was nearly KO'd by Henry Cooper prior to winning the title vs Liston.

Ali's technical flaws meant he had trouble with fighters who could jab at all stages of his career. See the Jones, Norton, Lyle, and Young fights, and though the example is not needed the Holmes fight. If you feel I have mis repsrented the material facts or jabs of the above fighters, this is a fine forum to debate the particulars.

Vitlai has a very good & hard jab, and he throws the punch often. To pick the 64-67' Ali over Vitlai is fine, but to pick a lopsided decision is where myth meets the sky. Look at history of Ali vs jabbers. Since Ali never fought a 6'8" man with skills it is unknown how good he would do. My best guess is Ali would be in for the fight of his life. If Norton could beat Ali once, and get robbed of a decision in the third fight, certainly one would have to open the door for Vitlai to do the same. The excuse that Ali was not in his prime was bunk. Whopping a shot Cleveland Williams, letting a small Folley win two rounds before Ko’ing the older fighter, watching Liston quit on his stool once, then roll over like a dog the second time, beating a slow as molasses Ernie Terell, and letting a small German fighter named Mildenberger win a few rounds was Ali's best stuff from 1966-1967. Ali was not untouchable from the years 1964-1967. Was Ali that good? Sure. Were his opponents that bad in the 1960's? I think the answer is the same.

 

The facts are true the way I presented them. Vitlai has never lost more than two rounds on the cards in any of his professional fights. Throwing a temper tantrum like a 3 year old will change anything.

 

That was a flash Knockdown vs Cooper. He wasn't nearly KO'd.

And anyway, Cooper is aout the same level as anyone Vitali has beaten. His signature "win" was a loss, and the next biggest win after that was against a 38 year old retired semi-pro golfer.

 

That fact only exists because Vitali had an awkward style that was difficult to look good against, coupled with the fact that he never faced a prime, in-shape elite fighter in his entire career. the closest he got was vs Byrd and Lewis, and he lost both of those fights.

Throwing a temper tantrum like a 3 year old will not change that stat either, which is way more significant than percentages and round scoring.



BTW, who has the highest connect percentage of right crosses after a double-jab against opponents over 6'-1"? You seem to be obsessed with meaningless stats, surely you know that one. :think Whoever it is should be proclaimed the greatest EVER, no matter who he fought.

:yep

 

Vitali still has a lot to prove as a boxer, I think his comeback will answer a lot of questions, if he faces some of the top heavyweights of the current era.

His loss to Lewis was fair and square, but those who keep talking over and over about his loss to Byrd as it was some kind of gigantic failure on his behalf, come on guys, thats just irrational hating.

 

Bryd is pretty quick, defensive, and a southpaw. Vitlay was way ahead of him with only one good working arm. Ali's illegal behind the head clinching tactics would not work against a 6'8" bigger & stronger man. It worked with Frazier and a gassed Foreman, but Vitlay doesn't in-fight much. He forces the action on the outside. What I said was true. Ali even his prime years of 64-67' had issues. I highly doubt Vitali has issues with Doug Jones, Henry Cooper, or any of the fighters Ali fought from 64-67', except for Liston under the assumption that Liston was in there to win, which of course he wasn't vs Ali.

Vitali never faced anyone with the quality of Patterson, Young, or Terell? Who says the slow handed Terrell, The glassy jawed Patterson, or the wildly inconsistent Young were any better than Sanders, Donald, or Johnson? I am more than sure Vitlai has an easier time with Patterson, Terrell, and Young than Ali did. Vitlai would knock these guys out. Ali had his hands full vs Young, carried a past his best Patterson, and carried Terell.

While Ali certianly fought better competiton, the crux of my disagreement is your assessment that Ali easily outboxes Vitali. See the numerous examples of others who had their moments or even defeated the greatest well before his 34th birthday.

 

Are you bloody mad? A flash knockdown? Not a chance. Ali was hurt. ‘Enry clocked him. I suggest you watch the video tape. Dundee jumped into the ring to escort Ali to his corner. In the corner, Dundee used smelling salts to revive Ali. When Ali came to his eyes were like pin balls. Then he got off his stool, and Dundee had to sit him back down. Smelling slats are illegal in British boxing by the way. Then Dundee ripped up Ali's glove. Dundee admitted a 3-4 minute delay on interview right after the fight. It happened. Ali won the fight, but it was the Dundee who saved him on that night.

 

Anybody calling that a flash knockdown is a severe Ali nut-hugger. Ali got rocked, all's you gotta do is look at his face.

 

I disagree with that, cuch. I mean, if you want to look at it from just that standpoint you can, but I tend to look more towards what I've actually seen in the ring, as well as the opposition both have faced. But even then, it's difficult to measure their skills by just that because both fighters came from different eras. There's no way to tell whether Kirk Johnson could beat Ron Lyle, or whether Jerry Quarry could beat Sanders. After all, how many people do you think could have predicted that Ken Norton would've been able to beat Muhammad Ali? Or that Max Schmeling would've beaten Louis? Or even Sanders beating Wladimir? That's why you can't base a discussion only on the fact that guy A beat guy B. Know what I mean? You have to take each fighters actual strengths, weaknesses, and skills into account as well. And I think both Klitschko AND Ali have shown weaknesses that both fighters could exploit.

 

:-( :-( Klit fans at thier best....By far the worst fans in all of boxing.:good