Vitali Klitschko vs. Mike Tyson prime for prime

[Ruthless-RKO]

How does prime Tyson do against Vitali's height, awkward style, and iron chin?

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Tough fight to call. Almost surely a distance fight unless vitali gets cut to shreds. He couldn't hurt Mike but he could use his size to score. Tyson's poor infighting is what makes it close to me. I'll take Mike by Dec based on vitalis lack of power and Mike's far more proven record. Wouldn't be surprised the other way. Mike wipes out wlad.

[cfang]

Tyson would bust him up imo - too fast hands inside

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Tyson would bust him up imo - too fast hands inside

Mike's main inside move was to clinch. He threw some nasty combos coming in but once there he was clueless. Midrange fighter.i still think he lands enough coming in and vitali had no offensive variety.

[gregor]

Tyson would bust him up imo - too fast hands inside

Mike's main inside move was to clinch. He threw some nasty combos coming in but once there he was clueless. Midrange fighter.i still think he lands enough coming in and vitali had no offensive variety.

Well, it makes it sound like Vitali himself was good inside fighter - and he definitely was not.

Vitali was great at using his size advantage - but again, he never met anyone who was cutting the ring the way Tyson did. Personally, I think Tyson lands enough to win by KO/TKO, but it is not something I would bet on.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Tyson would bust him up imo - too fast hands inside

Mike's main inside move was to clinch. He threw some nasty combos coming in but once there he was clueless. Midrange fighter.i still think he lands enough coming in and vitali had no offensive variety.

Well, it makes it sound like Vitali himself was good inside fighter - and he definitely was not.

Vitali was great at using his size advantage - but again, he never met anyone who was cutting the ring the way Tyson did. Personally, I think Tyson lands enough to win by KO/TKO, but it is not something I would bet on.

Why would you take Mike being less than stellar inside to mean vitali was good? As you said, he used his size well, I'd expect the inside work to be Mike landing a bit and holding. Odd match up with two guys that come to fight where I could see a snoozer.

[Impractical Poster]

I suppose it would depend on who would be able to fight at their range more. Mike's mid range would be inside Vitali's comfort zone. And Vitali's range would be keeping Mike at the end of his jab. I feel a prime Mike could weave inside Vitali's reach and score him a stoppage. If Vitali were to try and tie Mike up, Mike would be firing off body shots. If Vitali were able to stand up to Mike's early onslaught, I figure he could establish his range a bit better and pepper Mike to either a late stoppage or close decision.

Interesting fight.

[elmersalsa]

This would be another Tony Tucker or Bonecrusher Smith type of fight with Iron Mike. I voted Tyson on points.

[Keko]

An interesting fight indeed. Tyson must have better skills but Vitaly is a lot bigger and a defense is solid. Maybe you could somehow take the points but from dirty tactics, a lot of clinch.
I think it's offensive unimaginative for Tyson. Tyson KO or Vitaly Ud maybe maybe.

[Tony1244]

I picked Vit Dec, but my brain went directly to the Tyson-Bonecrusher Smith "fight."

[Bodyshot3]

It is going to be brutal...that's for sure...neither of these guys in their prime years were prone to feckin' about and wanted to be the boss.
Vitali was far superior to his brother when it came to coping with a rough, full-on war.

Loads of interesting scenarios to ponder as well.

Tyson jumping straight on Vitali from the first bell has to be on the cards; lots of hooks, powerful and short range uppercuts coming in.
Tyson would be hellbent on setting the agenda and seek to test Vitali's will and actual ability to fight back.

But I don't see Vitali blinking; he'd maul Tyson when given a chance and probably punch, hold and push Mike down as well.

How long he could do that and survive the big shots Tyson gets through with is anyone's guess....but if he can see-off the total onslaught and start meeting some of those rushes with a few ramrod jabs that force Mike to reset...then the fight gets properly interesting.

[Tuan_Jim]

You only need to rewatch the plentiful Tyson fighting/sparring footage from the 80s to be reminded just what a phenomenal talent he was. The pure natural talent gulf is colossal. Same with speed. Vitali would be on his back for the full count before 6 rounds were up. Wlad doesn't go 1.

[Tuan_Jim]

You only need to rewatch the plentiful Tyson fighting/sparring footage from the 80s to be reminded just what a phenomenal talent he was. The pure natural talent gulf is colossal. Same with speed. Vitali would be on his back for the full count before 6 rounds were up. Wlad doesn't go 1.

With all due respect that just doesn't make any sense. No one ever looked like putting Vitali on his back, and Tyson sure as hell isn't going to do it. He lacks the physical strength to maul someone as big and strong as Vitali, and he would be forced to reach with his punches.

Add to that he was the exact opposite of his brother who had serious one punch power, but ONLY that, whereas Vitali threw a phenomenal amount of punches per round for a Heavyweight. Tyson would be forced to concentrate for every minute of every round, because Vitali won't wilt under pressure, and he will definitely be throwing more shots than him.

I still believe Tyson can prevail but he would need to be very disciplined and perform to his best.

Same old argument. Vitali was tough vs all the cans he boxed. Kevin Johnson and the gang. He couldn't replicate that form the one time he brushed A-class, an old fat Lennox Lewis, where he was left bloodied & exhausted after 6 rounds. 6 rounds!

His size & volume attack would be a liability vs Tyson, too slow & awkward to get off against such an efficient punching machine. Imo.

[Mimmy]

If Corrie Sanders can stop Klit Mike Tyson would have knocked him out for sure. Tyson far too fast imo for Klit, he would have been inside so fast and been all over Klit. Quick KO imo maybe 2 or 3 rounds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqEANlBbhsA

[Tuan_Jim]

With all due respect that just doesn't make any sense. No one ever looked like putting Vitali on his back, and Tyson sure as hell isn't going to do it. He lacks the physical strength to maul someone as big and strong as Vitali, and he would be forced to reach with his punches.

Add to that he was the exact opposite of his brother who had serious one punch power, but ONLY that, whereas Vitali threw a phenomenal amount of punches per round for a Heavyweight. Tyson would be forced to concentrate for every minute of every round, because Vitali won't wilt under pressure, and he will definitely be throwing more shots than him.

I still believe Tyson can prevail but he would need to be very disciplined and perform to his best.

Same old argument. Vitali was tough vs all the cans he boxed. Kevin Johnson and the gang. He couldn't replicate that form the one time he brushed A-class, an old fat Lennox Lewis, where he was left bloodied & exhausted after 6 rounds. 6 rounds!

His size & volume attack would be a liability vs Tyson, too slow & awkward to get off against such an efficient punching machine. Imo.

You mean the one year older Lewis who left Tyson, battered, bloodied, bruised AND out cold on the canvas in 2002. Just to remind you Lennox was 6' 5" 250lb guy with an 84" reach. Not some stumpy little 5' 10" 230lb guy with a 71" reach, and even then Lewis never LOOKED like knocking Vitali over.

Make no mistake Vitali would throw more punches per round than Buster Douglas did. I'm not saying they would have the power or accuracy of Douglas's shots, but Tyson didn't like his opponents to fight back. He built his reputation using junkies bums, and alcoholics as punch bags. Vitali was far from any of those.

Again Tyson can win but it wouldn't be anything like the scared shiteless Spinks or Bruno, some junkie like Thomas,Tubbs, Tucker et al. He would have to fight a lot better than he did against Douglas that's for sure. All the excuses in the world don't mean shite. Douglas confused Tyson because before he could get off, Buster rammed a good solid jab into his face and kept him off balance, and it all went down hill from there. He simply wasn't prepared for someone who wanted to batter the ferk out of him rather than shite themselves or survive.

Lewis and Tyson being a comparative age doesn't mean that their skills would age the same, for a million abstract reasons. Ali KOd Foreman. How did Ali's skills compare at 45 vs Foreman's? And what does it matter?

Tyson in the 80s is uncountable levels above Corrie Sanders & the sad gang of second-raters Vit beat up, whether or not in the year 2002 he as an old guy got beat up by another old guy. Vit wouldn't be able to replicate his one-way volume assault vs a force like Tyson, the same way he couldn't do it vs old fat brittle chin Lewis.

[jbizzle20]

This fight is really close but I give it to Vitali on points. While Tyson was able to hang with guys who had major height/reach advantages, Vitali would be just too big and to skilled of a jabber. Vitali would probably make Tyson pay with sharp 2-3 jab combos each time he tries to weave his way in. Vitali could also wear out Tyson in the clinch by leaning on him. With all that said, Tyson does have a good chance to outscore Vitali if he can keep Vitali off-balance and backing up and if he can counter well. However, I don't see him being able to counter Vitali too well considering the massive reach disadvantages and the fact that prime Tyson never fought anyone nearly that big who could keep stuffing the jab in his face like Vitali could. Nobody is getting KO'd in this one.

[Ambling Alp II]

Tyson would simply beat the crap out of Klitschko. Just a matter of how long it goes. Klitschko had no defense and Tyson would take no pity. Klitschko did not have mearly enough of a good jab or power to give Tyson any problems. Tyson had a good left hook and uppercut which he could land almost at will. Total mismatch.
The number on the scale and the number of meaningless WBS title defenses aren't going to save Klitschko.

[Seamus]

If Tyson wins this it would be on cuts sometime in the first 6 rounds. If it goes past 6, Tyson's biggest weakness as a fighter would come into play, i,e, No Plan B.

[ClivePatrickLyons]

Tyson is a class above Vitali.......................Tyson at his best destroys Vitali in 3

[Mimmy]

If Corrie Sanders can stop Klit Mike Tyson would have knocked him out for sure. Tyson far too fast imo for Klit, he would have been inside so fast and been all over Klit. Quick KO imo maybe 2 or 3 rounds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqEANlBbhsA

I don't think ANYONE would give Vladimir a snowball in hell's chance against Tyson.

Which might explain why the thread is titled VITALI v Tyson.

[Ambling Alp II]

If Tyson wins this it would be on cuts sometime in the first 6 rounds. If it goes past 6, Tyson's biggest weakness as a fighter would come into play, i,e, No Plan B.

What is Klitschko going to do after round six if he somehow not stopped yet? He isn't going ever to stop him. Tyson many fights in which he didn't stop the other guy in six rounds.
Yes Tyson is overrated by some, but no way he going to lose this fight.

[Ambling Alp II]

A class above is being pretty charitable to Klitschko.
What could he do as well as Tyson?
Left hook? Uppercut? Right hand? Jab? Head movement? Movement? Power? Defense? Hand speed?
Is there anything at all?

Tyson's competition was light years better. Pinklon Thomas was better than anyone Klitschko ever beat. So was Frank Bruno, Tony Tucker, Razor Ruddock, Tony Tubbs etc. etc.
Yes Tyson lost to buster Douglas who a fantastic fight. He also lost o Evander Holyfield. That hardly compares to losing to an obese Lennox Lewis and Chris Byrd.
Corrie Sanders hit Klitschko with the same punch over and over. And that was his biggest win. The rest of his wins are against people that Tyson would not have broken a sweat against.

I'm not a huge Tyson fan. Really couldn't stand the guy. I don't think he is quite one of the Top 10 heavyweights of all time. However, he was a great fighter who was much better, than Klitschko. He could do a lot of things that Klitschko could not.

This is not a difficult fight for Tyson at all.

[Jaywheel]

He did a good job of not quitting against the monster that is Chris Byrd as well.

[Controversial]

Building a reputation feasting on junkies, alchies, weirdo's ( Berbick ) old men ( Holmes ) and a few guys who were so scared they had no right to be in there does NOT a great heavyweight make.

Out of interest who did Klitschko beat that made him a great HW?

[BoxBuzz]

C'mon, he almost beat Chris Byrd, and Lennox Lewis....there's two champions right there! And I saw him beat Ed Mahone with my own eyes!