Vitali Klitschko,the Greatest Heavyweight Champion of all Time ?

So if he found his opponents harder to beat he would be better?

That's what your Saying-he makes people look ordinary, Lewis got lucky and that's the truth.

He won the Crowd that night and the commentators-Lewis not rematching just confirmed what people thought, that Vitali had his number.

cowzerp wrote: »

So if he found his opponents harder to beat he would be better?

That's what your Saying-he makes people look ordinary, Lewis got lucky and that's the truth.

He won the Crowd that night and the commentators-Lewis not rematching just confirmed what people thought, that Vitali had his number.

Lewis had Vitali's number, hence the W next to Lewis' ledger.

walshb wrote: »

Lewis had Vitali's number, hence the W next to Lewis' ledger.

That's bull bren, cuts are just bad luck-Vitali was landing more and was winning.

I am a big Vitaly fan. I don't think you can say anybody beats him easily, from any era, anywhere. I have him top 5 all time. However, he clearly lost the fight with Lewis. He may well have won a rematch, and I think its clear Lewis was afraid of a rematch, but that fight, that night, he lost, and deservedly so.

A different reason as to why the fight never happened

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/860735-emanuel-steward-exposes-the-real-reason-lewis-vs-klitschko-ii-never-happened

I don't buy the Lennox was afraid bull. He won the first fight. Who's to say he wouldn't have cut Vitali again? Cuts may be "bad luck" but when they're caused by punches you have no one to blame but yourself. Maybe if Vital had of defended himself a bit better he wouldn't have been cut. Although its a lot harder to defend yourself when you dont have a 6" height advantage or massive reach advantage over your opponent. Its a coincidence that Vitali lost against the first and only fighter hes ever fought who was of similar size and ability to himself.

Maravilla33 wrote: »

No I'm saying his opponents were ordinary and therefore he cannot be considered to be the greatest HW ever.

Well that's not fair-So if Ali was around now and in the same situation he Could not be considered "The Greatest" This is flawed-Certainly it would be harder to get recognition but truth is in Heavyweight Boxing history their has been very few great era's-I would genuinely say only Ali's was great, and even then Ali fought some nobodies like Alfredo Evangelista who had lost his last fight previous and was 14-1-1, Leon Spinks who while a fine amateur was 6-0-1 and got the shot and beat Ali, Jean pierre coopman 24-3-0, Jimmy Young 17-4-2 and Richard Dunn 33-9-0 where 3 opponents in a row for the Greatest so as much as Frazier who would have easily been beaten by Vital helped make Ali, and Foreman who would have been a tough fight but not used to been the smaller man i would edge it to Vitali.

you could plonk Vitali into any Era and he at least would be a top challenger-To me he would have been the No, 1 in any Era but at least a major challenger it has to be said even if you're not a fan of Vitali

walshb wrote: »

So Lewis at what, 38 or so after a long career with some real tough fights, and a real real tough one at the very end against a young and big and talented man, decides to call it a day rather than go through another real tough fight that maybe he could lose against a man he has just beaten. That is not a coward. That makes perfect sense,.

He offered the Rematch as he knew he got lucky and the fans wanted it, then he got home and said no way am i going to get in there again and lose.

That was cowardly.

When did he offer a rematch? In the ring at post fight interview?

Lewis had nothing to prove. He beat Klit. And, had Lewis been younger and more in shape she would have beaten him more clearly.

Dietsquirt wrote: »

How could you possibly think he lost that???

How does this post even make sense? He lost it because lewis opened a cut, worked on that cut and vitali was deemed unfit to fight on, that is how he lost it. He may have wanted to fight on but to do so could have ended his career.

walshb wrote: »

I don't disagree that Lewis was gassing, but folks need to assess both men equally and look at the state of both men as rd 6 closed. Vitali also looked real jaded. So, in saying this how can you know that Lewis would have lost had there been no cut?

He was 4 rounds down, even if they where both gassed it would have been extremely hard to catch that up when your tired-Vitali was less gassed in my opinion but as i said even if they where equally gassed then odds are it would have just been like the 1st 6 only for slower.

cowzerp wrote: »

He was 4 rounds down, even if they where both gassed it would have been extremely hard to catch that up when your tired-Vitali was less gassed in my opinion but as i said even if they where equally gassed then odds are it would have just been like the 1st 6 only for slower.

Maybe on your card, but the judges had him just 2 rounds down.
It was a close fight and, Lewis clearly wasn't in peak condition physically (whether he was otherwise past it or not is questionable) and was starting to gas quite badly. But then again so was Vitali and it's no surprise with two men of that size setting a tremendous fight and creating a brilliant fight. I think Lewis was definitely the more tired of the two, but he seemed to be establishing himself in the fight after a slow fight, and Vitali if he would of been allowed to fight on would have had to deal with that horrible gash obstructing his vision.

Overall I think it was 50/50 who would go on to win the fight, and hence why it's so talked about on internet forums. I don't think the scorecards would of mattered as with both men tiring but still landed big hard shots, we'd have got a conclusive outcome as a result of a stoppage (I suppose we did, but not in the way intended) and if my hand was forced I think Lewis would of been the one to get Vitali out of there, but it really could of gone either way.

In peak physical condition I believe Lewis gets the better of him. Vitali lost the first fight fair and square, okay he's somewhat unlucky but people talking about Vitali winning the event I find funny. Santos Pakau won the event (and the crowds heart) in his fight with Paul Williams....see how that went for him. I believe Vitali was pretty much close to prime or even in his prime when he fought Lewis and I'm kinda surprised people have described him as being 'green' for this fight. With Lewis at his heaviest weight, half a stone heavier than when he fought Tyson and 10 lbs heavier than the Rahman rematch I don't think you can say he was in top condition, whether you believe he was far removed from his prime or not.

No doubt Vitali Klitschko is a top Heavyweight and would of been a tough contender in any era, but for me he definitely isn't #1 and is behind one of the two man to have bested him (No not Chris Byrd ). I don't think the current version of him is that great really, but easily enough to deal with most of today's contenders. The version that lost to Lewis and beat Johnson, Sanders and Williams was a phenomenal fighter and a tough match up for anyone ever.