Vitali's quality of opposition since his return from retirement

You might be right but Gomez has not fought since so its hard to know if he is garbage full stop or just was not allowed to look good in his VK. I do think Chambers would win though if they fought, but is not a definite.

 

:rofl


The WBA world champion v Arreola/Johnson who have done... erm.

 

But look at it like this, Vitali hasn't even gone near Valuev, maybe because he posed a threat, because maybe he just won't be able to have his way with him, like he did all those other out of shape, slow, unskilled opponents he'd been rolling over. Valuev is no speed demon and isn't a massive puncher, but his physical attributes and granite chin could have made it pretty tough for Vitali, and losing to Valuev would not have looked good, so it is MY opinion that Vitali avoided Valuev in favour of rolling over these poor opponents. For me, Vitali has not a lot to boast about, and I think he is ready to be beat by someone decent. Be it Haye, Povetkin, Chambers etc.

Also note that he called out Haye pretty quick, after his win over Kevin Johnson, maybe because he knows he is beginning to slow down, and lose a bit of pop in his punching power. And of course Haye has been steadily growing in to a heavyweight whilst keeping his speed and getting ever more powerful.

It's not an impressive resume, it really isn't. I mean lets see him fight a live wire with a pulse and a boxing brain and we will see where Vitali is at.

 

Can you name more suitable opponents who were williong and available to fight?

 

The most amazing thing about Vitali's comeback is that without a single tune-up fight he took on an established "champ" in Peter and devastated him. Many experts were picking Peter to win. This is unprecedented. By comparison, Foreman's comeback entailed over 20 tuneups and he lost in his shot against Holyfield.

Also, he has faced the top fighters available to him since his return. Remember many thought Gomez and Arreola would be tests for him. He simply dominated them.

 

Those experts who picked Peter to win, based that on the fact that Vitali had just come back after a long injury lay off, no one was sure how much he had left after 4 years out. That had nothing to do with the fact that they saw Peter as a great, skillful boxer. Just look at him at the weigh in for that fight, big, round and fat!! but he had a punchers chance, and some, not all "experts" and boxing fans saw an upset, due to those reasons I have just outlined.

Again, Vitali donminated 2 other, fat, round slow heavyweights, in Arreola and Gomez, are we supposed to be impressed? I mean do you really believe beating those guys adds to Vitali's legacy and elevates him to a level amongst the ATGs?

I am not knocking his achievements, because he's done what he had to do in a poor division but I think he's been content in fighting these pitiful fat opponents and he's big enough, athletic enough and hits hard enough to defeat these guys. When he was tested by Lewis, the last true dominant champion towards the end of his career, Vitali took a hell of a lot of punishment. Sure he dished some out too, but he failed when he was really put up against a great skillful boxer. And sadly he's not been tested since.

If the fight with Haye does happen, or even Povetkin, guys who are MOBILE, who HAVE A BOXING BRAIN, who CAN HIT BACK, then i'll give Vitali big credit and his resume will look a little better.