Klitschko fans conundrum

[IronDanHamza]

What I admire about Vitali is that he wasn't a coward like Lennox Lewis or Holyfield. He didn't need performance enhancing drugs like Holyfield. He also didn't duck a rematch with Lewis after beating the stuffing out of Lewis for the duration of the fight. Unfortunately his skin didn't hold up which was probably due to a headbutt.

Lewis skin is genetically different so it's understandable that he didn't receive the same damage from the headbutt.

Vitali Klitschko didn’t need performance enhancing drugs, you say?

Areeeeeeeee you sure about that?

[BKM-]

As much as I like Vitali, he had a tremendous ego and was a very sore loser.

It's possible he thought so low of Rahman it would have been beneath him to fight him. And that he won almost every round against Byrd(his words I think) and only lost by freak injury(Disagree there) so it didn't "count" as he never really lost to him anyway.

I don't think Vitali publically said these things but it's possible that was his thought process, because I highly doubt he ducked them out of fear. He would have made mince meat out of shot Rahman and I don't think Byrd replicates that performance later as he slowed down while Vitali improved.

[JAB5239]

I enjoyed both Klitschkos I still view their Era as weak but Lennox had nothing to prove. Vitali injured his shoulder. Byrd got paid alot of money to go back to Europe six months later and fight Wlad. To be honest Vitali went on a bum tour until the Lennox fight so idk why he didn't get the rematch against Byrd. After the Lennox fight Vitali was bigger than the rematch with Byrd so I can see why he didn't want to go down memory lane.

Yes Byrd got paid to fights Wlad. But wouldn't it have been a bigger fighter at the time to rematch Vits? It's not like he couldn't have done it because of injury. He fought just a month after Wlad-Byrd. I don't think Vits wanted it. His whole career was pretty much the path of least resistance.

[Willie Pep 229]

No. Vits NEVER sought a rematch even though he said he would after losing g in Germany. Byrd openly wondered why Vits never came looking to avenge the loss. You will here excuses about King and how wlad beat Byrd. But the fact is Vit fought a month after the Byrd -Wlad fight, a fight that could have been his if he wanted it. And even if it couldn't have been they were ranked numbers 1 and 2 the next several years with no attempt from Vits to make this fight.

I agree with you leading up until to the Wald-Byrd fight.

Vitali was campaigning and did fight again soon after 'little brother' did the job of removing Bryd for him. Suspect fer sure. He obviously wasn't injured anylonger.

So there is an argument to be made that Vitali wasn't trying too hard to rematch Bryd.

But I can't go with your 'several years after' argument. Once Bryd lost to Wald, the Vitali rematch lost its excitment. The rematch then occurred between Wlad and Bryd.

So I can't see any currency in Vitali seeking a rematch once Bryd lost to Wald. This is prize fighting!

But again I agree, his behavior for the first 12 months after the Bryd loss, Vitali didn't seem interested in trying to avenge his loss. He let little brother handle his problem for him.

[BKM-]

I agree with you leading up until to the Wald-Byrd fight.

Vitali was campaigning and did fight again soon after 'little brother' did the job of removing Bryd for him. Suspect fer sure. He obviously wasn't injured anylonger.

So there is an argument to be made that Vitali wasn't trying too hard to rematch Bryd.

But I can't go with your 'several years after' argument. Once Bryd lost to Wald, the Vitali rematch lost its excitment. The rematch then occurred between Wlad and Bryd.

So I can't see any currency in Vitali seeking a rematch once Bryd lost to Wald. This is prize fighting!

But again I agree, his behavior for the first 12 months after the Bryd loss, Vitali didn't seem interested in trying to avenge his loss. He let little brother handle his problem for him.

He asked Wlad for the favor, promising him if somebody ever lays a hand on him he would avenge him. Few years later there was that violent South African who came into play.

Ha. I didn't like how they avanged eachother's losses but it's pretty amusing in hindsight.

[QueensburyRules]

Wlad isn't Vits. Vits ducked his WBC mandatory against Rahman. Several times.

- - Vit never ever threatened by WBC for not fighting Rahman. U pulled that outta U sagging BiGBoys.

[JAB5239]

- - Vit never ever threatened by WBC for not fighting Rahman. U pulled that outta U sagging BiGBoys.

He retired before getting stripped. Sound familiar?

[Bennyleonard99]

Before the Vitali fight Lennox never mentioned any plans to retire In fact he said after Vitali, which he of course expected to win, he wanted to have more fights. But of course Vitali changed all those plans with a sensational performance which far exceeded anyone's expectations.

[MalevolentBite]

Yes Byrd got paid to fights Wlad. But wouldn't it have been a bigger fighter at the time to rematch Vits? It's not like he couldn't have done it because of injury. He fought just a month after Wlad-Byrd. I don't think Vits wanted it. His whole career was pretty much the path of least resistance.

I am glad someone said it. I agree honestly.

[JAB5239]

Before the Vitali fight Lennox never mentioned any plans to retire In fact he said after Vitali, which he of course expected to win, he wanted to have more fights. But of course Vitali changed all those plans with a sensational performance which far exceeded anyone's expectations.

Actually he did. He said during the Johnson camp he wanted one more fight before retiring, either Vits or Jones. He got Vits, won and sailed off into the sunset.