Can you be considered an ATG when these are your 10 best wins?

[LacedUp]

Who gave Vitali his toughest fight?

Other than Lewis?

[LoadedWraps]

I genuinely thought we were done overrating Vitali and Wlad when comparing across eras on BoxingScene. Guess I was wrong.

[Viti Ben-Wa]

Billy Conn started at lightweight:

http://boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=11497


Chris Byrd started at light heavyweight:

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Fight:6827

And was at heavyweight by his 4th pro fight:

http://boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=5824

And by his 8th pro fight in 1995, was up to 217:

http://boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=5824


There was 25 pounds difference between Wlad and Byrd in their 2000 fight, compare that to the 42 pounds difference between Jack Johnson and Philadelphia Jack O'Brien, who weighed just 162, and fought much of his career at welterweight. There was 29 pounds difference between Jack Johnson and 156 pound Sam Langford when they fought for the "colored" heavyweight title.

I'm not trying to discredit Johnson, I'm just making the comparison to defend Wlad from the unfair criticism be's being given by his obsessive haters like LacedUp and VG_Addict.

Its pretty much universally accepted WK is a top 10-15 heavyweight all time. VK standing and resume on the other hand are much more debatable.

[Mitchell Kane]

Its pretty much universally accepted WK is a top 10-15 heavyweight all time. VK standing and resume on the other hand are much more debatable.

You need to check the definition of "universally" again.

[Viti Ben-Wa]

You need to check the definition of "universally" again.

How is this? He pretty my h universally accepted on boxing forums.

[VG_Addict]

How would Vitali have done against Haye, Pulev, Wilder, and Stiverne?

[Elroy1]

How would Vitali have done against Haye, Pulev, Wilder, and Stiverne?

Prime Vitali beats prime all.

Haye of WK fight might have UD'd Vitali I reckon but that's about it.

Only real solid contenders against prime VK I reckon are Lennox, Wlad and good version of Tyson. Others have much more remote chances.

Next I'd say Bowe and Holyfield but Holy was a little small and light punching and Bowe was not as refined.

[Rustle Wilson]

HEEEEEEELLLL NAAAAAAAHHHHHH

Vitali might not even be in top 30-40 all-time divisionally.

[LacedUp]

Prime Vitali beats prime all.

Haye of WK fight might have UD'd Vitali I reckon but that's about it.

Only real solid contenders against prime VK I reckon are Lennox, Wlad and good version of Tyson. Others have much more remote chances.

Next I'd say Bowe and Holyfield but Holy was a little small and light punching and Bowe was not as refined.

Well prime Vitali lost to both Byrd and Lennox, so no.

[Rustle Wilson]

BTW, to the gentleman infering that Billy Conn was a blown up Lightweight and Chris Byrd was a much bigger Light Heavyweight. Might be important to note that Conn started his pro career when he was just under 17 years old. When Byrd was the same age, he was competing in the amateurs at Light Welterweight and a few years later competed in the Olympics at Middleweight. So in reality, Conn & Byrd are naturally about the same size and have the same physical dimensions.