When was prime Vitali Klitschko?

[KillerRightHook]

I was implying to Chissora not Byrd fight in 2012.

Of course he wouldn't suffer injury every time he fights but with his old style it would happen again. It was happening very often... not just in fights but during the training camps.

2002 Vitali takes 9 out 10 fighters in first 6 rounds and suffers one injury and loss.

2009 Vitali bets 10 out of 10 (some of them in 6 rounds, some of them in 10 rounds).

I hope you get the point.

2009 Vitali was less aggressive and less exciting fighter but he was overall a better boxer IMO. Better defense, better distance control, wasn't relying that much on brawling and pure aggression. What happens when you can't take the fighter in first 6 rounds or you have a defensive genius in front of you.

Fighter doesn't just decide to box more cautions and be effective. He learns that - that was what 2002 Vitali was lacking.

2009 Vitali takes round or two, see what you are doing wrong and systematically destroys you in the next 5-6 rounds.

Could have something to do with opposition he faced? Briggs(had nothing left to give), Sosnowski (really?), Gomez (Cruiserweight), Peter (beat the great Maskaev and went life and death with Toney), Arreola (decent fighter, famous for coming in vastly overweight similier to Solis) etc. And this is the man you also call an ATG.

And I'm sorry, but defensive genious and Vitali aren't two words you should associate together.

[DreamFighter]

How do you know we didn't?

because boxers tend to improve into their mid into to late 20s at least, since their physical deterioations are still minimal at that age and very much outweighed by their larger gains in experience.

Since pretty much all decent boxers have developed in this way, Ali would have too.


but you can always argue a case that he might have been in a tiny minority, sure, go ahead.

[DreamFighter]

A ton of people on here completely ignore objectivity and are stuck on their brash and sometimes idiotic opinions and will not/cannot be persuaded no matter what.

shot down by ones own ironic gun.

[Jam Jars]

Could have something to do with opposition he faced? Briggs(had nothing left to give), Sosnowski (really?), Gomez (Cruiserweight), Peter (beat the great Maskaev and went life and death with Toney), Arreola (decent fighter, famous for coming in vastly overweight similier to Solis) etc. And this is the man you also call an ATG.

And I'm sorry, but defensive genious and Vitali aren't two words you should associate together.

Yes these fools know they are talking bollocks but can't stop themselves. It was the aggression and his conditioning that made him competitive in the Lewis fight, the 2009 arm punching Vitali would have no chance trying to outbox Lewis.

[beez721]

I believe it was around 2011-2012. I think he looked great against Adamek and Chisora despite his injury in the 2nd-3rd round. Vitali showed in those two fights that he can play with you instead of fighting you first and dismantles when ever he wants.

I know that some of you consider it as a complete non-sense to include the Chisora fight, so let me give you the reasons why I believe was in his prime during that fight : - if you look at the very first rounds, Chisora kept on marching very aggressively but he didn't touch Vitali with a single headshot. After Vitali got injured, which was clearly obvious during the fight, he fought extremely smart by staying on the backfoot and countering only with his right arm. Chisora, at best, brushed Vitali's face a few times.

And what I find really intriguing with Vitali is that he is a master at not being touched with a very low guard (I will make a thread on low guards).

So, what's your take on that?

from kirk johnson to adamek he was at his best. he really improved his form since the lewis fight. hes shown a steady decline ever since adamek

[Dr.Eisenfaust]

Pretty confusing that people have voted 08-10, so he was prime aged 37-39? What person in their right mind believes an arm-punching Vitali nearing 40 facing relatively poor opposition is prime?? Just because he lost to Lennox doesn't mean he wasn't in his prime in 02-04 which I believe is your motive for not choosing this option, I see that this fight remains in vain for Klitschko fans, they can't admit their fighter who was fighting in his peak (aged 32) was beaten by an out of shape, unmotivated fighter who was looking for one last fight, which is why you see people like Simurgh who worships Klitschko try to save face by making the weak assumption that he was stylistically superior in 08-10. His style adjustment was to compensate for his injuries by fighting with less authority. Can I also mention the idiot Dr.Eisenfaust who voted 2011-12, because clearly he was in his prime aged 40... ****** ****.

Vitali was prime in 02-04, he was a machine in his prime and losing to a slightly out of prime, tad out of shape but still good top 5 All-time HW is no shame at all. Maybe I wouldn't have to rant if some of you didn't have to let your agenda get in the way of your opinion.

He was still good in 08-10, he just wasn't the fighter he quite was in 02-04. It's a shame that his injuries took away most his prime years.

I cann see you're frustrated. It's ok keep cool, it doesn't bother me if you take me for an idiot. I will certainly not go down to your level.

[Boxing Goat]

And you are not one of those when you have managed to rack up an impressive 100+ posts in half a month. Oh the irony!

I wasn't necessarily talking to you or about you but I do enjoy posting on here while I'm at work. However, 100 posts in 2 weeks is not even a drop in the bucket to some of these guys.

Did you have something else to say?

[Boxing Goat]

because boxers tend to improve into their mid into to late 20s at least, since their physical deterioations are still minimal at that age and very much outweighed by their larger gains in experience.

Since pretty much all decent boxers have developed in this way, Ali would have too.


but you can always argue a case that he might have been in a tiny minority, sure, go ahead.

It was a trick question. There's no possible way to know one way or the other. It's all up to interpretation just like this whole thread is based apon.

[Boxing Goat]

shot down by ones own ironic gun.

The poll is about opinion. It is what it is, opinion. When people (you) get on here trying to make it into something it's not, it gets out of hand. Don't get bent out of shape because people don't agree with you, it's rare in life that everyone agrees on a subject. In fact, it never happens on any subject.

[Boxing Goat]

Yes these fools know they are talking bollocks but can't stop themselves. It was the aggression and his conditioning that made him competitive in the Lewis fight, the 2009 arm punching Vitali would have no chance trying to outbox Lewis.

Nice opinion and guess. That's all that is. Just like me thinking the older version of Vitali would beat any version of Lewis with patience, technique and defense. It's just a guess and an opinion. That's the whole thread in a nutshell.

Oh and for those saying Vitali lacks in defense somehow, go check out the plus/minus comparison between him and Floyd. It was pretty close with Vitali being only second during that time.