Vitali in the 1980s

[Ezzard]

We had Vitali in the 70s. How would he fare in the lacklustre 1980s?

Taken from the Ring ratings at the end of 1985 (puiblished in March 86).

Michael Spinks, Champion

1 Pinklon Thomas
2 Larry Holmes
3 Tim Witherspoon
4 Tony Tubbs
5 Greg Page
6 Gerrie Coetzee
7 Trevor Berbick
8 Carl Williams
9 Mike Weaver
10 Michael Dokes

[The Great John L]

Michael Spinks, VK by stoppage sometime after the 4th
Pinklon Thomas, very competitive for 5 or 6 before Thomas gasses out and gets busted up for a late stoppage.
Larry Holmes, well past his best but still crafty, Holmes does well but still loses a close UD
Tim Witherspoon, Tim grabs an early lead and then hangs on to pull out a disputed MD
Tony Tubbs, Tubbs quickness gets him an early lead that he holds on to for a close UD win
Greg Page, VK by mid-late stoppage
Gerrie Coetzee, VK by mid-late stoppage
Trevor Berbick, VK by wide UD
Carl Williams, VK falls behind and then retires with an injured shoulder.
Mike Weaver, VK by mid rounds stoppage
Michael Dokes, VK by mid rounds stoppage

So, I've got him going 7-3-1

[gambler49]

He could beat them all. Holmes was past his best then. Although he would give him a hell of a fight Vitaly wins a UD or SD. If it was a 1982 Holmes then Holmes wins on points... Next hardest fight for Vitaly would be Witherspoon he's tough crafty and got the tools to give any fighter problems wen he's on form. I think Spinks would give him trouble for a few rounds with his unsual style but eventualy Vitaly catches him. Pinklon don't have the right style for Vitaly. And the same for Carl Williams who used his jab so very well would'nt be able to use that tool on Vitaly. As for the rest they just aint good enough to hang with Vitaly. Id say Tubbs was the best of the rest. I'm sure the eastern-euro haters are gonna say they would all beat Vitaly even Coetzee! lol

[Ezzard]

I agree that Vitali 'could' win them all.

Obviously if he did fight them all in a career he'd probably lose 1 or 2...

I think John L picked Witherspoon and he's probably the most likely to win. Not sure about Tubbs though. I'd imagine Vitali KOing him despite being behind on points.

I take it the Williams prediction is a bit tongue in cheek.

[Counter-puncher]

Michael Spinks, VK by stoppage sometime after the 4th
Pinklon Thomas, very competitive for 5 or 6 before Thomas gasses out and gets busted up for a late stoppage.
Larry Holmes, well past his best but still crafty, Holmes does well but still loses a close UD
Tim Witherspoon, Tim grabs an early lead and then hangs on to pull out a disputed MD
Tony Tubbs, Tubbs quickness gets him an early lead that he holds on to for a close UD win
Greg Page, VK by mid-late stoppage
Gerrie Coetzee, VK by mid-late stoppage
Trevor Berbick, VK by wide UD
Carl Williams, VK falls behind and then retires with an injured shoulder.
Mike Weaver, VK by mid rounds stoppage
Michael Dokes, VK by mid rounds stoppage

So, I've got him going 7-3-1

i would basically agree with 95% of this

not sure Tubbs would manage to hold on for the win

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

We had Vitali in the 70s. How would he fare in the lacklustre 1980s?

Taken from the Ring ratings at the end of 1985 (puiblished in March 86).

- Easy pickin's all, just as it proved to be for Tyson starting in 86. Only thing that has ever troubled Vitali is injury.

[Seamus]

A few years ago you would have had guys on here seriously claiming that Vitali would go 0-10 against that bunch and probably even be stopped a couple times.

[dempseyfire]

Considering Vitali has never beat a heavyweight even on the level of a prime Coatzee or Page . . .I question some assertions that he 'beats them all'. Vitali doesn't have the massive letdowns on his record that his brother does but he has also beat much weaker comp . . .Sam Peter, Kirk Johnson, and Corrie Sanders wouldn't even have been top 10 in the 1980s. Winning rounds vs a fat old Lewis but ultimately losing (and getting hurt) suggests to me he's a solid beltholder in the 80s but only 1 of the many.

[hhaehre]

I'd pick Vitali to beat all of them. A prime Holmes would be a challenge but not the '85 model. Of the rest Coetzee, Whiterspoon and Weaver had one punch ko power and I suppose one of them could have gotten lucky but I wouldn't bet the farm.
The '80's heavyweights were considered rubbish at the time but lately they have been lifted out of the gutter and held forth as amazing talents plagued by bad training habits and Don King. The truth might lie somewhere in between but they were not great heavyweight any of them.

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

Considering Vitali has never beat a heavyweight even on the level of a prime Coatzee or Page . . .I

- This is utter baloney..........er, perhaps you meant Mr. Larry never beat them............there it is, we just had to transcribe your dyslexic rantings inversely!

[Goodnight, Irene]

Klitschko-Witherspoon'd be intriguing. Not sure who I'd favour, there. I wouldn't mind seeing it, even if it didn't prove all that exhilarating.

[gambler49]

Considering Vitali has never beat a heavyweight even on the level of a prime Coatzee or Page . . .I question some assertions that he 'beats them all'. Vitali doesn't have the massive letdowns on his record that his brother does but he has also beat much weaker comp . . .Sam Peter, Kirk Johnson, and Corrie Sanders wouldn't even have been top 10 in the 1980s. Winning rounds vs a fat old Lewis but ultimately losing (and getting hurt) suggests to me he's a solid beltholder in the 80s but only 1 of the many.

Hide,Donald,Sanders,Danny Williams,Fat Peter and Gomez are definatly as good as Page and as for Coatzee are u having a fkn laugh?

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

We had Vitali in the 70s. How would he fare in the lacklustre 1980s?

Taken from the Ring ratings at the end of 1985 (puiblished in March 86).

Michael Spinks, Champion

1 Pinklon Thomas
2 Larry Holmes
3 Tim Witherspoon
4 Tony Tubbs
5 Greg Page
6 Gerrie Coetzee
7 Trevor Berbick
8 Carl Williams
9 Mike Weaver
10 Michael Dokes

- Getting back to Mr. Larry, let's see how he fares.

Excluding him, that's 10 names, he fought 5 and sported a 4-2, 1 KO record against them. Two of those wins, Williams and Spoon were highly disputed and perhaps he lost by majority concensus. That leaves Weaver whom he KOed, and Berbick, a fight he didn't shine in.

[Grimm]

We had Vitali in the 70s. How would he fare in the lacklustre 1980s?

Taken from the Ring ratings at the end of 1985 (puiblished in March 86).

Michael Spinks, Champion

1 Pinklon Thomas
2 Larry Holmes
3 Tim Witherspoon
4 Tony Tubbs
5 Greg Page
6 Gerrie Coetzee
7 Trevor Berbick
8 Carl Williams
9 Mike Weaver
10 Michael Dokes

I could see Spinks frustrating him and winning .

Dokes I could see going either way.

Holmes would struggle to out jab the much longer armed younger fighter.

I'd say he disposes of the rest fairly easy.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Don't think he goes through all those names, should he do so without any hiccups at all, so easily, Grimm.

[Diamond WEAPON]

Prime Vitali beats them all, he is an ATG and gets way too much criticism that really should belong to his weaker brother Wladimir. I'm not even a fan of Vitali and I recognize this.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Always felt the younger Klitschko was, overall, the better fighter, & I still feel that way. He may not have been as reliable, but he's better.

That used to be the public consensus too, I remember, until he started getting KTFO here & there, while older bro plodded along with greater consistency (albeit, against lesser opposition).

Older Klitschko is the most robotic fighter to reach the top in years. He was always obscenely stiff, it never impressed me. He's a good fighter, with some glaring weaknesses, & great durability.

In my view, not good enough for all-time great status.

[Grimm]

Don't think he goes through all those names, should he do so without any hiccups at all, so easily, Grimm.

Care to leave your results ?

[gambler49]

Taken from the Ring ratings at the end of 1985 (puiblished in March 86).

Michael Spinks, Champion

1 Pinklon Thomas
2 Larry Holmes
3 Tim Witherspoon
4 Tony Tubbs
5 Greg Page
6 Gerrie Coetzee
7 Trevor Berbick
8 Carl Williams
9 Mike Weaver
10 Michael Dokes[/quote]


I could see Spinks frustrating him and winning .

Dokes I could see going either way.

Holmes would struggle to out jab the much longer armed younger fighter.

I'd say he disposes of the rest fairly easy.[/quote]


IDIOT!!!!!!

Dokes???
(85)Holmes?
Spinks?

U crazy!!!!!!!

Wat about Spoon?
Thomas?
Tubbs?

Vitaly???

[dempseyfire]

Considering Vitali has never beat a heavyweight even on the level of a prime Coatzee or Page . . .I question some assertions that he 'beats them all'. Vitali doesn't have the massive letdowns on his record that his brother does but he has also beat much weaker comp . . .Sam Peter, Kirk Johnson, and Corrie Sanders wouldn't even have been top 10 in the 1980s. Winning rounds vs a fat old Lewis but ultimately losing (and getting hurt) suggests to me he's a solid beltholder in the 80s but only 1 of the many.

Hide,Donald,Sanders,Danny Williams,Fat Peter and Gomez are definatly as good as Page and as for Coatzee are u having a fkn laugh?

Are you? Herbie Hide? Danny Williams?? Page and Coatzee had more skills and talent in their left pink toe than UK domestic level Hide and Williams . . .People today make a big deal out of utter garbage like Arreola, if a fast puncher with a good chin like Coatzee were around today he'd be written as a bloody phenom. The fact that you said Herbie frikkin' Hide and Danny Williams are on the same level as Page and Coatzee ensures I'll never take anything you say seriously.

[Grimm]

IDIOT!!!!!!

Dokes???
(85)Holmes?
Spinks?

U crazy!!!!!!!

Wat about Spoon?
Thomas?
Tubbs?

Vitaly???

You don't even know how to quote and I'm the idiot.

Why not make a statement instead of resorting to name calling like a child?

What about "Spoon,Thomas and Tubbs" ?

Why don't you explain what you think would happen?

I see them losing just how Juan Carlos Gomez did in a boring 9th round TKO.

[Goodnight, Irene]

We had Vitali in the 70s. How would he fare in the lacklustre 1980s?

Taken from the Ring ratings at the end of 1985 (puiblished in March 86).

Michael Spinks, Champion

1 Pinklon Thomas
2 Larry Holmes
3 Tim Witherspoon
4 Tony Tubbs
5 Greg Page
6 Gerrie Coetzee
7 Trevor Berbick
8 Carl Williams
9 Mike Weaver
10 Michael Dokes

Grimm,

I have him besting Spinks, Thomas, Tubbs, Berbick, Williams. It was too close to call against Dokes & Weaver, while I felt Holmes, Coetzee & Witherspoon would each start favourites.

If he does get them all, as you stated (not out of the realm of possibility) I haven't seen anything from him which says he does it easy. Care to elaborate?

[dempseyfire]

IDIOT!!!!!!

Dokes???
(85)Holmes?
Spinks?

U crazy!!!!!!!

Wat about Spoon?
Thomas?
Tubbs?

Vitaly???

You don't even know how to quote and I'm the idiot.

Why not make a statement instead of resorting to name calling like a child?

What about "Spoon,Thomas and Tubbs" ?

Why don't you explain what you think would happen?

I see them losing just how Juan Carlos Gomez did in a boring 9th round TKO.

Considering Witherspoon, Tubbs and Thomas are completly different fighters from Juan Carlos Gomez I don't see the correlation.

[Grimm]

IDIOT!!!!!!

Dokes???
(85)Holmes?
Spinks?

U crazy!!!!!!!

Wat about Spoon?
Thomas?
Tubbs?

Vitaly???

You don't even know how to quote and I'm the idiot.

Why not make a statement instead of resorting to name calling like a child?

What about "Spoon,Thomas and Tubbs" ?

Why don't you explain what you think would happen?

I see them losing just how Juan Carlos Gomez did in a boring 9th round TKO.

Considering Witherspoon, Tubbs and Thomas are completly different fighters from Juan Carlos Gomez I don't see the correlation.

Thomas too frail and he wouldn't be able to box comfortably on the outside he would have to bring the action to Klitschko which I think would turn out horribly .

Tubbs I don't believe can get in close enough to hurt Klitscko and if he does I think he'll be taken out.

Now Witherspoon on the other hand may actually have a better chance than the others but I personally do not believe he can do it.

[jezzamundo]

I don't know enough about all the fighters on the list to make a decision on all of the matchups. I think in 1985, Vitali would be the best heavyweight in the world, but not by a lot. That list is FAR deeper than the HW top 10 of today.

I think Vitali beats an aging Holmes by a close, possibly split decision. Most of the other fighters on the list get stopped in the mid to late rounds. In reality, if Vitali were to fight all 11 men, he would probably lose a couple, although I can't see any of them stopping him.