Wake up: V. Klit is a solid top-10 ATG!

Allow me to explain.

Medication is obviously better. This is a given. Chagaev is an example of a fighter who is only slightly depleted rather than near-finished thanks to advances in medicine.

But training methods? More specialised, but I don't accept that they produce better boxers. SOme examples.



1 - Fighters now spar less.

And thank goodness. It's been proven to do long-lasting harm. Fighters have absolutley cut down on sparring across the board in favour of pad-work and conditioning. Good for health. Bad for skill. Sparring is indisputably the single best training method for imporving boxers. You will not find a single trainer or wise head to dis-agree with that statement. This, more than anything else is the reason modern training is inferior.

2 - Feints are out of fashion.

There are appreciable reasons for this. Feinting is less affective over a 12 round distance than a 15 round distance. But it is a skill, all be it one that is very very hard to teach - and that is more dependant than any other facet of training upon sparring, which happens less.

3 - Fighters now train for 12 rather than 15 rounds.

Hatton trained in segments designed to describe 15 rounds "to gain an advantage". Fighters in the 30's an 40's had to train in segments gunned at 18 or 20 rounds to "gain an advantage".

Hence, my answer, "no", in answer to your question on improved training.

Training is crucial, but less important than fighting. ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE is more valuable than training. I think you are completely wrong to say "The way you move in the rin, throw a punch, strategy - all from training" is wrong. In fact, I think it's rather naive.


Hence, my answer, "no".

 

Lots of Vitali's problems aren't his fault. For example, he has to fight with his brother for the right to dispatch the #3 HW in the world, every time. Secondly, he can never fight the #2/#1 HW in the world because that is his brother. It's unfair. But it is the way it is. The fact is, Vitali has NEVER BEATEN the #2/#1 in the world. When it was Lewis, he lost. When it was his brother, he can't fight him.

It's not a question of "penalising" him for sharing an era with his brother. It's judging him in terms of beating the best of his era. He lost the #1 heavy he shared an era with and can't fight the #2. He's untested! How many times did he even fight the #3 HW in the world?! The semi-retired Sanders? Was Peter the #3 in he world when he beat him?

Vitali's resume isn't just bad, it's void of even the best people he shared his time with! He's just beaten a guy who is not a top 20 HW, and according to some online ranking sites, doesn't make the TOP FIFTY. So what if he looked dominant? Who cares?

Someone asked recently, "what is the difference between Vitali and Marciano, who did he beat?" Well he beat the best of his era, gentlemen. As champion, he only ever matched the #1 or #2 contender in the world. Not only has Vitali not done that, he hasn't done anything LIKE It.

When people say, "oh you can only snipe based upon his resume", but his resume is nothing less than the worst out of every single fighter even CONSIDERED for a top 20 birth. People want to think about that.

 

Of course it would. And of course it wouldn't matter on fight night.

You are talking about the most accomplished men, in the history of the sport at what they do. It will make no more difference than it did to Chagaev before he boxed Wad or Byrd before he boxed Vitali, a factor to be considered in developing strategy and deploying tactics.

A non-issue.

That is exactly how he fights #10, #32, #8 contenders in the weakest era in the history of this division. Supplanting it onto h2h match ups with greats is reasonable, but expecting it to go as it does against Johnson or Albert against Tyson or Ali is a huge reach.

Think about this. You've been determined to point out how much bigger Vitali is than everyone these guys has ever faced. Has it actualy crossed your mind just how much better these ATG's are than everyone Vitali has ever beaten? It's ridiculous. If semi-retired Sanders is REALLY the best guy Vitali has beaten, the gulf is absolutley collosal - perhaps as much as three actual classes. For me, this is far, far more significant.

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Exactly my point. Nobody is going to worry about stepping in and stepping out in one round.

You can trust me when I say that the men you are discussing know the fights inside out, and the pigmentation and height of the opponent will not cause these guys to ****. Just take it to the bank, you're barking up the wrong tree.