Vitali Klitschko vs Joe Frazier

i have to agree. i like vitali and his odds in a lot of fantasy match ups but his lean back defense is a more simplistic version of ali's and that didn't work so well for him when he fought joe. a prime, relentless frazier works up and down the ladder, battering vitali's giant body. he'd take some damage and have trouble really hurting him but he'd take a clear decision.

 

Smokin Joe wins. Im really surprised that people think that any of todays HWYs can compare to a all time great like Frazier.:verysad

 

He was an all-time great, no question. But the physical disadvantages in this one are considerable. Frazier would give up something up 8 inches in height, forty pounds, and I don't even know how much in reach. He was literally have to fight a perfect fight to put Klitschko away, because I don't see him getting close enough to work inside. His success in the ring was often due to the fact that he would bully guys to the ropes or cut of the ring and catch them in the corners. I don' think he could do that with Klitscko.

 

I am really surprised at the level of nostalgia in boxing. In which other sport does anyone serioulsy think greats from the 70's would beat athletes of today, even if the current athletes won't match the superstar status of former champions?

Joe was an ATG, yes. Some of that had to do with the intense media and public interest in Ali, who was no longer unbeatable in the 70's as we know. Frazier's win over Ail made him immortal, but that version of Ali arguably lost 2 out of 3 against Norton, a fighter who isn't anywhere near Vitali Klitschko in H2H terms.

Frazier would be the shortest opponent of Vitali's career and using his height is one of his best assets. I don't see Smokin Joe's style of taking one to deliver one to work well against a 6'8 guy with an iron chin and good reflexes. It took 6'4 - 6'5 fighters in Sanders and Lewis to land good powershots on Vitali. ATG has nothing to do with it, Frazier lived in a different era.

 

Ali was 6 3 1/2, Vitali is 6 7. Also, Joe was stronger than Ali and he was just as heavy. He wouldn't be as strong as Vitali and he would give up between 30 and 40 pounds.

 

Vitali's not particularly great at using his height, and unlike his brother, he lets guys get inside on him and brawl if they have the movement to do so. Frazier has that movement. I'd favor him by a very narrow margin.

 

The issue isn't whether Joe can out-slug Vitali. He's not going to be doing that, for obvious reasons. The issue is whether he can consistently take the fight to the inside without getting a pummeling on the way there, and stay there long enough to get some consistent work done.

 

Vitali has excellent reflexes for a very big guy. He is better at making opponents miss with just movingback his head than any other supersized HW I know of. Fast or technically sound boxers could never land good punches on Vitali. In that fights have fighters really brawled effectively against Vitali on the inside? If Frazier would do that, he would have a 245 poung man leaning on him.

 

Except nobody ever outworked him.

He threw 800 punches in ten rounds against Arreola, how do you outwork a HW like that? Besides, Vitali can land uppercuts if he needs to (Kirk Johnson) and his jab comes from this weird place down below, which is why short fightes can' slip it the way they usually slip jabs.

 

Frazier's head movement and footwork would allow him to get close and do work inside, enough for him to win the fight by decision. Vitali's size and range could be worrysome, but Frazier's much more skilled.

 

Small fighters ( under 210 pounds ) with suspect chins vs punchers ( Frazier was down 11 times in a short career )are Petty much out of heavyweight boxing these days.

 

Surprised that Vitaly is ahead at this point. I could see it going either way, to be hoenst, but I would ahve thought that Frazier gets the vote out of reverence or whatever you want to say.

 

Joe... 5' 11" 196 lbs

Vitali 6' 7" 250 lbs

IMO thats a tough match up for joe