All time Heavyweight tourney #6 Evander Holyfield vs #11 Vitali Klitschko

[LacedUp]

Most ATG fighters you mention in the heavyweight division are in the low 210 - 220lbs so obviously they might be slightly faster on their feet but what I don't get is...
What do you want either of the two to do... cut weight and go down to 220lbs so they meet your expectation of a fast heavyweight lol, its absolutely ridiculous.

Mr David Haye is a fast and agile fighter equal to or greater speed than some of the ATG's yet somehow his speed didn't play such a big factor.
Obviously its all rife because you'll just follow with the usual statement of he wasn't as skilled as {Insert ATG name here} so its null and void.

You can't be meaning to tell me you give them respect when you're saying they're slow and they're robotic this and that when Vitali is arguably the most impressive heavyweight we've had in recent years.
They may be 'ordinary' in your mind but in a division of several thousand fighters their seems to not have been one guy who has stepped close to them in how many years?

I think Haye's speed would be much more evident vs Vitali who's considerably slower than Wlad in both hand and footspeed in my opinion.

Not saying he'd win, but it'd be a bigger factor.

[M Bison]

When did Vitali fight Haye?

Also, Holyfield and Haye fight absolutely nothing alike.

I never said Vitali did fight him I used the Haye fight as an example of what has happened when someone tried to fight on the outside with speed against these two brothers.
It's all easier said than done, Chisora tried to bully Vitali on the inside for the majority of the fight only to be picked apart and to be made to miss a lot.

I ain't saying Chisora is as good but he clearly is an inside fighter who is likely stronger in the clinch than Holyfield for obvious reasons.

Lets not act like Holyfield was invincible, he was hurt on the inside battles before just like Wladimir was hurt when he tried to do what he shouldn't have been doing.
Vitali on the other foot the only time we've seen this guy KOed is when it wasn't even a damn boxing contest.

Prime Holyfield Vs 40yo Vitali Klitschko that is when Holyfield would win but not against Vitali's best.

[beez721]

I think Haye's speed would be much more evident vs Vitali who's considerably slower than Wlad in both hand and footspeed in my opinion.

Not saying he'd win, but it'd be a bigger factor.

Ive always felt haye would have done better against vitali. vitali isnt as fast or accurate with his punches and has more trouble with movers than wlad. I still think hed have out worked haye and clipped him enough to win a decision but it would have been closer than the wlad fight imo

[LacedUp]

I never said Vitali did fight him I used the Haye fight as an example of what has happened when someone tried to fight on the outside with speed against these two brothers.
It's all easier said than done, Chisora tried to bully Vitali on the inside for the majority of the fight only to be picked apart and to be made to miss a lot.

I ain't saying Chisora is as good but he clearly is an inside fighter who is likely stronger in the clinch than Holyfield for obvious reasons.

Lets not act like Holyfield was invincible, he was hurt on the inside battles before just like Wladimir was hurt when he tried to do what he shouldn't have been doing.
Vitali on the other foot the only time we've seen this guy KOed is when it wasn't even a damn boxing contest.

Prime Holyfield Vs 40yo Vitali Klitschko that is when Holyfield would win but not against Vitali's best.

Ok I suppose that's fair enough, but there's a couple of things to it. Wlad and Vitali - even though they look alike, really fight nothing alike. Wlad is mobile and dynamic (when he's at his best), and has a straight jab and is a pretty calculated fighter whereas Vitali was more careless and fights upright and does not move around the ring so much.

So Haye, in theory, would have an easier time implementing a 'valuev strategy' vs Vitali than vs Wladimir in my opinion. But it's all well and good until you get hit. Vitali clearly wouldn't have been as hesitant as Wlad was had he met Haye, which might have worked out well for Vitali and gotten him a KO. It could also have left to counters.

I feel the Chisora fight is an example I wouldn't like to use for 2 reasons:

1) Vitali was getting old (very old) and it showed.
2) Chisora actually gave him a very good fight and on my card (I was working that fight) he won 3-4 rounds which is more than any other fighter had done maybe ever against Vitali. Most of the press row had it similarly to myself.

Holyfield wasn't invincible, but he was damn near in his prime. We've seen him taking massive shots from Lewis, Foreman, Bowe - who all punch equally hard or harder than Vitali - and almost never even flinched. In his prime Holyfield was a helluva fighter and nobody in history would have had an easy night with him. Nobody. He was quick, strong, threw a lot of punches, rough and tough and dirty when he needed to be. And he had a great engine and an unrivalled amount of heart.

A 1992 Holyfield vs 2004 Vitali would have been interesting. I don't see how anyone could say either of them would be a clear favourite. Especially as Holyfield fought much better opposition than Vitali did.

Ive always felt haye would have done better against vitali. vitali isnt as fast or accurate with his punches and has more trouble with movers than wlad. I still think hed have out worked haye and clipped him enough to win a decision but it would have been closer than the wlad fight imo

It was cringey seeing the Haye team calling Wladimir the robot etc in the build up. It wasn't until fight night they realized they'd been training for the wrong brother

[LacedUp]

No responses?

[JasonBoxing]

Holyfield.