Wlad vs Vitali

Well, Vitali wasn't prime during 2008-12 either. It's very hard to make a fair comprasion between the two.

 

Vitali regularly threw 80+ punches a round, and rarely looked to hold....Wlad would have trouble with Vitali's pressure.

 

Only way I could see Wlad winning would be by cut stoppage. Vitali would stop him.

 

Well Wlad had a re-match on Peter, and Vitali had the easier time with the same man.

Vitali lost 5 years of his prime. When he came back, he was as good as ever and stayed there for a few years. I agree Wlad beat better fighters, but this is a head to head match.

Vitali brings size, skills, power, activity, durability ,countering skills, and has the older brother's mental edge. And he fights in a way that avoids clinches, yet maintains his aggression. None of Wlad's opponents had all of the above.

 

Vitali. All of his attributes nullify Wlads.

Its like Bowe having Holyfields number. But Holyfield will go down as the greater fighter.

If Wlad were to beat Vitali, he would have to put on the performance of a lifetime and hope Vitali has a bad day in the office.

 

Great ****ysis, especially on the reflexes. Everybody assumes Wlad is athletically superior in all aspects, while Vitali is bigger and tougher, but that's a misnomer. Wlad is smoother, harder hitting (although Vitali's power is greatly underestimated), and generally more athletic, but Vitali had greater reflexes, punch variety, stamina and output, along with the well known advantages in chin and size. Vitali's reflexes are some of the best in the division ever, there's a great gif around of Sanders launching about a dozen punches and Vitali matrixing them all.

I'd also say Vitali's resume is greatly underrated, Wlad beat more high level guys in total, but VK was generally more dominant in his wins, and Peter as defending champ and Sanders are still better wins than any Wlad had. If Wlad unifies or break's Louis's record I'll put him above Vitali in legacy but not until then. I'd also argue that Vitali's peak was 2008-2009, when he blanked Peter and Arreola (when that was more impressive).

All that said, I'm not as certain Vitali beats prime Wlad. To the extent he had a weakness, it was taller, reachier, harder hitting HW's. His lean back style is less effective in those fights, he gets tagged harder and more often (per Lewis and Sanders). Anyone can get ko'd in the right circumstance, and it could happen against his brother, or at least a cut stoppage. No way he loses a decision though, he's too active for Wlad.