Vitali Klitschkos early opponents.

[billeau2]

Well, what about Byrd as a common opponent?

Wlad is just much sharper, much more explosive, knocked way more fighters out with a single shot and better opponents than Vitali fought aswell.

Byrd perhaps. I had forgotten about byrd being a common opponent. But wasn't Byd quite a bit older when he fought Vlad? The comp for both guys was not really that much better, and yes, Vlad does look to be sharper.

[PainfromUkraine]

Byrd perhaps. I had forgotten about byrd being a common opponent. But wasn't Byd quite a bit older when he fought Vlad? The comp for both guys was not really that much better, and yes, Vlad does look to be sharper.

Vlad fought Byrd for the first time 6 months after the Vitali fight, so he could have had a fresh comparison there. Also, this is a reason why Vitali didn't rematch Byrd - he was still injured so Wlad stepped in, and people seem to think this is a duck by Vitali - to then fight Byrd who would be coming off a loss to his brother in his next fight in a rematch...? I dunno, doesn't seem to be the standard way of doing things. And then he got the bigger fights at the time i.e Lewis Sanders and Byrd went down the IBF route, while Vitali went down the WBC/WBA route.

On the topic of his thread, sure Vit's early career was full of duds...that's usually the case for most fighters. And yes unfortunately his resume is more about records and stats and his H2H mythical status rather than the names (which are lacking, you can't deny it), but we simply can't discount his bad luck with injuries and him being magnanimous in terms of allowing Wlad to be the 'main' champion.

Prime Vit (whenever and however short that was) was an excellent fighter and pretty unique in terms of his style coupled with his physical dimensions. His punch technique is, frankly, worse and much less textbook than Wlad, and thus Wlad has more power - although this is much to do with technique...Vitali is the stronger brother, maybe more naturally powerful, but Wlad's explosiveness and technique make that power better channelled in the ring.

[Scott9945]

Byrd perhaps. I had forgotten about byrd being a common opponent. But wasn't Byd quite a bit older when he fought Vlad? The comp for both guys was not really that much better, and yes, Vlad does look to be sharper.

If I remember correctly the first WK-Byrd fight was the first defense of the WBO title he won from Vitali. That was a total 12 round beatdown of Byrd and wasn't televised in the US. They fought a second time years later on HBO, but Byrd was at the end of his career by then.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

Vlad fought Byrd for the first time 6 months after the Vitali fight, so he could have had a fresh comparison there. Also, this is a reason why Vitali didn't rematch Byrd - he was still injured so Wlad stepped in, and people seem to think this is a duck by Vitali - to then fight Byrd who would be coming off a loss to his brother in his next fight in a rematch...? I dunno, doesn't seem to be the standard way of doing things. And then he got the bigger fights at the time i.e Lewis Sanders and Byrd went down the IBF route, while Vitali went down the WBC/WBA route.

On the topic of his thread, sure Vit's early career was full of duds...that's usually the case for most fighters. And yes unfortunately his resume is more about records and stats and his H2H mythical status rather than the names (which are lacking, you can't deny it), but we simply can't discount his bad luck with injuries and him being magnanimous in terms of allowing Wlad to be the 'main'

champion.

Prime Vit (whenever and however short that was) was an excellent fighter and pretty unique in terms of his style coupled with his physical dimensions. His punch technique is, frankly, worse and much less textbook than Wlad, and thus Wlad has more power - although this is much to do with technique...Vitali is the stronger brother, maybe more naturally powerful, but Wlad's explosiveness and technique make that power better channelled in the ring.

You make a good point about vitali still being injured that's why wlad stepped in his place..

I think the klitchkos get penalized because they basically split the division in half and cancelled out big fights for each other, there by weakening their resumes..
Them being brothers means they never get to fight the other top,guy for supremacy.. Plus when vitali beats arreola, adamek, etc..it basically kills any chance of those guys landing a wlad fight, and vice versa with wlad's wins..
Due to this, their resumes will never be as good as they could have been..

It's just been in the past few years where it's actually known as the wlad era instead of the klitchko brothers era.

[IronDanHamza]

Byrd perhaps. I had forgotten about byrd being a common opponent. But wasn't Byd quite a bit older when he fought Vlad? The comp for both guys was not really that much better, and yes, Vlad does look to be sharper.

He fought him straight after.

And Wlad's competition is miles better than Vitali's.

[billeau2]

He fought him straight after.

And Wlad's competition is miles better than Vitali's.

The gap in competition is exxagerated. Vitalie beat Sanders who is at least a good fighter Vitalie was competitive with Lewis. When you consider objectively that they both fought sam peter, that Vlad drew with Brewster, how much better is the comp that Vlad beat than Vitalie? And please I really want to know....not feigning the Socratic death trap on anyone.

I mean I hear that the comp is better but no examples.

Scott seems to remember it similar to the way I did...but I am sketchy on the Byrd fight and would certainly concede that point.

[billeau2]

If I remember correctly the first WK-Byrd fight was the first defense of the WBO title he won from Vitali. That was a total 12 round beatdown of Byrd and wasn't televised in the US. They fought a second time years later on HBO, but Byrd was at the end of his career by then.

Well brother....thats the way I remember it also but quite a few say that the fight with Byrd happened right after. it makes a difference because it one wants to credit Vlad with better comp, it he fought an older version of Byrd given that Vitalie quit on an injury, and was handling Byrd before that, it ties into the argument of who fought better comp.

Here is why:

Vitalie has to get credit for beating Sanders, being competative with Lewis, a fighter much better than anyone Vlad ever fought....Among their common opponents Vitalie and Vlad handled the Nigerian nightmare, Byrd and a few who escape me.....From there I think we have to consider the people Vlad lost to as a factor in the comp they faced. So if we cancel out Brewster, Purity and give Vitalie credit for Sanders.....how many othr people who are significantly better than Vitalie's comp has Vlad fought?

I am asking this of the whole board, not Scott.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

The gap in competition is exxagerated. Vitalie beat Sanders who is at least a good fighter Vitalie was competitive with Lewis. When you consider objectively that they both fought sam peter, that Vlad drew with Brewster, how much better is the comp that Vlad beat than Vitalie? And please I really want to know....not feigning the Socratic death trap on anyone.

I mean I hear that the comp is better but no examples.

Scott seems to remember it similar to the way I did...but I am sketchy on the Byrd fight and would certainly concede that point.

Wlads resume kills Vitali's...


povetkin, haye, byrd,peter are more than anything vitali has done

Throw in undefeated brock, mccline, sultan, chagev, pulev, thompson, etc, and its a landslide for wlad

[IronDanHamza]

The gap in competition is exxagerated. Vitalie beat Sanders who is at least a good fighter Vitalie was competitive with Lewis. When you consider objectively that they both fought sam peter, that Vlad drew with Brewster, how much better is the comp that Vlad beat than Vitalie? And please I really want to know....not feigning the Socratic death trap on anyone.

I mean I hear that the comp is better but no examples.

Scott seems to remember it similar to the way I did...but I am sketchy on the Byrd fight and would certainly concede that point.

He literally fought him right after.

Battered him, knocked him down multiple times.

Haye, Pulev, Povetkin, Chagaev, Byrd, Chambers, Ibragimov, Brock all off the top of my head.

Now who did Vitali beat? One of his best wins is Herbie Hide.

[HughJass]

He literally fought him right after.

Battered him, knocked him down multiple times.

Haye, Pulev, Povetkin, Chagaev, Byrd, Chambers, Ibragimov, Brock all off the top of my head.

Now who did Vitali beat? One of his best wins is Herbie Hide.

Now all seriousness aside....






































He was a tough man but a loose cannon.