I didn't think Vitali threw an awful lot tbh and I don't think he connected a great deal, apart from the end of the round. I'm sure Solis landed more than one left and right hook on Vitali, I need to watch again. Solis didn't throw or land a great deal either.
Foreman is not only a better fighter, he was in shape for the fight in question. Solis is a fat bum, just like every other opponent of Vitali's (and for that matter, Wlad's). Not his fault, more power to him for getting paid millions to beat up on a division full of Butterbeans.
That Haye through and through. He runs his mouth, then shit slowly dawns on him. When I say slowly dawns, I am talking Winter Solstice, on cloudy day, type of slow-dawn.
All promoters throughout the world will be killing each other to get to make the rematch. World awaits
I found it funny how you had to use his amateur background to defend him as an opponent, since he's done dick all as a pro.
Wake me up when something interesting happens in the heavyweight division. I guess I could pretend like some others that the fights and fighters that we've been watching for the past 7 - 8 years are compelling, but they really aren't. Haye was supposed to be the next, best hope to bring some excitement back to the division. So far, that notion has been a bust. I'm still waiting to not be bored.
I'm not crying. The fact is, there hasn't been a compelling heavyweight fight since Wlad/Peter I. For some reason, Ugo thinks I actually give a fuck where any of these guys were born.
It's a strech, I know. But since Wlad was dropped three times and still won the fight, almost stopping Peter in the 12th, I think you can argue it was a somewhat compelling bout. Somewhat. I'm trying to find some middle ground with these fellows. ::
All Commies Look Alike To Mike. I can see Mike getting confused and going back to his flying rats. Why a man gotta work his blamed heads off over these commies.
I didn't see that fight live. 2005 was sort of pre-stream and I didn't have cable. Even at that, it must have been pretty entertaining. It was 104-102 on all the cards going into the final round. Wlad actually refused to give up the final round and was correct in doing so, despite Mannys instructions. If Wlad had won that fight 113-112 we never would have heard the fucking end of it. Instead, despite being dropped 3 times, he deliberately engaged Peter and came within 1 clean blow of trying to end it. In fact he tried to end it on one shot. I still say it was entertaining stuff.
It was a the very definition, we can see now with hindsight, of a true cross-roads fight. Whilst Peter went on to win a title, he won the wrong title, and it lead him into Vitali's path. Both guys needed to win, both guys went for it, and tried to win in the best fashion they could. For Wlad that was moving, clean punching and holding. For Peter, it was pressure, punching and rabbit punching. Once Wlad went down in the 5th, most people must have figured that was that.
Solis, Adamek, Haye & Povetkin are a very credible quartet of contenders, IMO. Im interested to see each man against the Klits. Solis' injury was very frustrating but I still think the division is on the upswing. And I think the Klits are becoming under appreciated champions. Poor opposition or not, you don't sustain a period of such total dominance unless you're very, very good. In a way they're a victim of their own success.