Yeah. However, it is only a valid criticism if he had any control.Vitali has had zero chances at quality wins since Lewis retired. Still, outside of a bad cut and a torn rotator cuff, the guy has dominated ever single match he has ever competed in. I think, hypothetically, he could be a great fighter. I just think his size, toughness and skill set, makes him a difficult opponent.
I agree with what Steve_Dave is saying. But I also have always made the case, that, ON SPEC, Vitali has a great chance against any fighter that ever lived. His height, reach, toughness, above-average speed and power, chin and cuteness make him a damn hard fighter to beat. It is accurate and fair to say his ledger lacks big names. It is accurate to say he lost to the best fighter he ever fought. But the best fighter he ever fought would probably have laid out the vast majority of heavyweights, any-era. And the best fighter he ever fought, he took the fight on terms and notice that made Jack Johnson look like a positively well-managed guy. People need to get off his case. He's good for boxing, and if people "really like boxing", they will be happy to see him stick around for a while yet.
the biggest criticize against Vitali is the Byrd fight. Sure he was winning, buthe looked like total garbage and was getting tagged a lot by byrd
He was beating Byrd handily. It was not close.I just have a pet peeve about Vitali and Wlad being compared. Wlad is a smelly piece of garbage who was knocked out by a club fighter and 2 other fighters who just weren't good on any level. It is easy to see that Wlad would be a gatekeeper in any other era. Vitali hasn't ever lost or come close to losing to pieces of shit like Wlad has.
Chris Byrd, Corrie Sanders, Tommy Morrisson and others thought Purritty was good enough to be on their ledgers, None of those three stopped him. Wlad made a mistake- similar to the mistake I feel his making this week {whether he pays for it or not is another thing}- he was sick the week of the Purritty fight, came in light {25lbs lighter than Purritty} and punched himself out. I wouldn't hold the Purritty fight against him. If I was going to cut him some slack, that's where it would be.
I will. Perhaps, perhaps you would have a point if Wlad also wasn't knocked silly by Lameman Brewster and the white Correy Sanders. Also, Wlad's supposed illness never manifested itself until Purrity hit him with a right hand. Look, I like my fellow Europeans too. I get it. Wlad is just garbage.
He punched himself out. Period. He weighed 220lbs. Thats fucking anemic by Wlad's standards. And as for the Brewster fight, the day a State Athletic Commissioner thinks ill of weighing the gloves is a bad day for us all. If anyone is bad for boxing, it's misogynistic homophobes like that Hazzard Larry, and the shit he engenders.
I like Mike Jones. Seems like a good boxer with some defense and technique. Doesn't appear to be a powerful puncher nor tremendously fast. But he does appear to be a smart fighter in there and goes about his business well. He probably does belong at 154. And yeah I could see him outboxing the Ginger.
Outside of cancer and aids, is there really a valid reason to lose to Ross "The Boss." It must be hard to be Wlad's only male fan.
Well everything happens for a reason. If it didn't, we wouldn't have color commentators, would we? :dunno: