Vitali's quality of opposition since his return from retirement

A valid point if Vitali were merely getting by his defences with close decisions but he is wiping out opponent after opponent and forced his last challenger to run like a shameless *****. Also, his opponents are much larger physically than the fighters that past champs fought against. Ali, the greatest of them all generally towered over his competitors at 6 foot 3 inches in height. Fat but teaktough and fasthanded Arreola is a full inch taller than Ali and bigger as are most of today's heavy's. Vitali has squared off with much taller and bigger men than past champs and these men have longer reaches and are probably physically stronger than challengers of yesteryear. Hell, the great Ali was floored and nearly K.O'ed by a 188lb. Henry Cooper. Vitali's routinely spanks 235 pounders with huge physical dimensions like Kevin Johnson. This also should figure in on ATG ratings.

 

atschatschatsch I wouldn't even know where to start with that one.

 

Lewis was one of the greatest ever, yes.

Gotta keep it in perspective.

Vitali, who some scoff at when mentioned in the same sentence as ATGs, held his own, and even had hurt more than once, one of the greatest ever in Lennox Lewis.


And I don't care what anyone says, Lewis is a top ten all time great heavyweight.

 

Well I do. I'll start with agreeing. :good

 

In general little people are easier to defeat in a fight than bigger people. Vitali has fought far bigger and stronger foes than the vast majority of past heavyweight champions. I'm saying this should be a factor in assessing his title reign. That's why there are weight divisions so that men of more or less equal size square off and the fight is fair. A lot of Ali's challengers were barely 6 foot tall and rarely exceeded 200lbs. Midgets, really compared to the giants that Vitali routinely disposes of. I'm not saying their skillset is equivalent but size does matter.

 

That's sort of more sensible....but the fact is that if Arreola wasn't such a slob he'd weigh around 220-225, same with Peter, and don't even start me on Gomez. Bringing up weights of 235lbs+ doesn't exactly help your argument when the guys you're referring to are fat, slow slobs that just stand there and get hit.

Compare them to the much smaller Byrd that fought VITLAY, who was the tougher opponent?

 

The point is that Vitali as a matter of routine fights and routs far bigger men than heavyweight contenders from Ali's time and before. The Williams guy from Britain was an immense man, huge slabs of muscle and Vitali systematically slaughtered him. Larry Donald back when he was close to his prime lost to Vit. Big, tall dude with good skills would tower over Ali's competitors. Kevin Johnson, big like George Foreman, from the ground up. Huge bone structure. Gomez, great amatuer creds. and in pretty good shape; another real big guy that would dwarf most fighting men of yesteryear. There is certainly no Jimmy Young's talent-wise in this group but Vitali is always in danger of being flattened by such huge men if he were to make a bad mistake. As for Byrd, Vitali wisely decided not to permanently damage the rotatorcuff and lived to fight another day. He is afterall an educated man.

 

Based on what? Let me guess, your opinion.atsch

 

Well it sure as hell has not hurt Roy Jones legacy on this board considering he fought in an AWFUL Light Heavyweight Division for years and went 1-2 to Tarver including a brutal KO loss and 0-1 against Glen Johnson.

 

As bad as Johnson is he is better than Leroy Jones and David Bey, Ossie Ocasio and would beat Lorenzo Zannon and Alfredo ,Scott Frank

 

this is a joke right?

 

Exactly and if there's anyone better then I assure you he will face him as well and very soon.

 

You can defeintely acheive ATG great status in a weak division/era/ Holmes did it with 20+ defenses against mostly subpar cokpetition, but who happened to be the best out there.

The problem with Vitali is that the best out there is Wlad right now. So he may go his whole career either not being the best in the division or at least not fighting the 2nd best inthe division. that severly hurts his legacy chances.

If he can string 15+, have Wlad lose his title and then beat whoever beat Wlad for the title, then he has a chance.


Keith

 

Cleaning out the top ten. Trying to get Haye into a ring, but Haye refuses.

 

To clear out the top ten he would have to fight Wlad, Then your racist little head would explode.


Stop making **** up you pathological racist liar.

Keith