BoxRec

Now that we've established that Vitali was the best in 2004/2005, let's move on to another subject. Joe Louis had his 25 title defenses, Muhammad Ali had his trilogy with Joe Frazier, Marciano going 48-0.... but what does best define Vitali's legacy?

wouter wrote:Now that we've established that Vitali was the best in 2004/2005, let's move on to another subject. Joe Louis had his 25 title defenses, Muhammad Ali had his trilogy with Joe Frazier, Marciano going 48-0.... but what does best define Vitali's legacy?

Im sure you meant 49-0. I will always think Vitali's legacy will be the loss to Lewis. Mabey not to his close fans but I cant imagine 20 years from now thinking of anything else.

His best best defeated opponent was Corrie Sanders.

His legacy is that without ever actually beating a top fighter he is still constantly talked about with shock and awe by some people who should know better...

The Lennox Lewis fight was defining as regards Vitali. Vitali proved beyond doubt there that he could not only compete with the very best on equal terms, but also that he had guts and determination. The other opponents were too mediocre to display Vitali's potential.

Vitali will have no true lasting legacy.
Will be just another run of the mill guy to have held a heavyweight title.
If anything,I expect Wlad to be more fondly remembered in the future.

I think Vitali has a legacy. He was a Ring Magazine champion. He owns the highest knock out percentage of any gloved fighter. He was also never floored by a punch. These are noteworthy accomplishments.

Vitlai was also a professional heavyweight champion kick boxer. There has never been a heavyweight champ in kick boxing and boxing. If Vitali had stuck to boxing, he would have achieved more as many of his ring injuries were based on the punishment he took as a kick boxer.

If there has been a heavyweight champion who has been as dominant on the score cards as Vitali his name escapes me. Speaking of the score cards, Vitlai was ahead of both Byrd and Lewis. A bad injury cost him the Byrd fight. Vitali retired and was heavily critized. Had the fight been for higher stakes, or had Vitali already made lots of money in boxing, maybe he finished the fight and risks further injury. Who knows?

Vitali was also ahead of Lewis 4-2 on all cards. He did not quit here, a cut that was not hindering his vision or bleeding much in rounds 5 or 6 halted the bout. IMO, Lewis was tiring and would have lost if they let the fight go on. As it was the ring doctor decided to stop the fight on a bad cut.

Perhaps Vitlai’s legacy lies with the above achievements and not getting re-matches with Byrd or Lewis. Bad breaks that could happen to anyone define Vitali’s defeats, not ring ability. Vitlai wanted to re-match both Byrd and Lewis. Byrd and Lewis opted not to press their luck again. There was plenty of money to be made in the re-matches that never were.

In closing, Vitali doesn’t have a top legacy, but not all of it is his fault.

There was no option for quitting like a bitch against Byrd, WTF? I want justice! New poll!

I vote for his legacy as, "quitting like a bitch with a few minutes to go against light hitting sissy pants Chris Byrd when he was far ahead on points."

Can I get a second for that?

evndrbsn wrote:There was no option for quitting like a bitch against Byrd, WTF? I want justice! New poll!

I vote for his legacy as, "quitting like a bitch with a few minutes to go against light hitting sissy pants Chris Byrd when he was far ahead on points."

Can I get a second for that?

How about you try fighting someone in the ring with a torn rotator cuff before you judge... I doubt you've ever set foot in a ring!...

silkov wrote:

evndrbsn wrote:There was no option for quitting like a bitch against Byrd, WTF? I want justice! New poll!

I vote for his legacy as, "quitting like a bitch with a few minutes to go against light hitting sissy pants Chris Byrd when he was far ahead on points."

Can I get a second for that?

How about you try fighting someone in the ring with a torn rotator cuff before you judge... I doubt you've ever set foot in a ring!...

Actually you are wrong yet again. I tore a ligament in my left knee in January in the ring. Did I quit? No. Am I saying I am as good as Klitschko or anyone else for that matter? No. I'm saying I think quitting is bullshit. Holyfield tore his rotator cuff against Byrd and Toney ... guess what! He didn't quit and he was losing both of the fights!

Why don't you try standing with a torn knee ligament. I couldn't walk the next day but for when it happened, I stood there and took my shots like a man. Kind of difficult to bend at the waist to duck shots with the front leg gone. I think I can criticize quitters whenever I want to, because I am not a quitter!

At least with a torn rotator cuff, you have full movement of your legs so you can run if you have to. So what he had one arm. Look at Larry Holmes. Same damn injury and fought a much more grueling fight with a much harder hitting better heavyweight in Ken Norton.

Try getting sympathy from Diego Corrales about quitters.

evndrbsn wrote:Actually you are wrong yet again. I tore a ligament in my left knee in January in the ring. Did I quit? No.

What a hero you are.

The entire forumis full of real tough keyboard hacks. Each had much worse injuries that Vitali, and none of them would ever have considered quitting.

pundit wrote:

evndrbsn wrote:Actually you are wrong yet again. I tore a ligament in my left knee in January in the ring. Did I quit? No.

What a hero you are.

The entire forumis full of real tough keyboard hacks.

You can kiss my ass and show up at X-Treme Fitness in Tampa, Florida if you want to find out for sure, jackass.

evndrbsn wrote:

pundit wrote:

evndrbsn wrote:Actually you are wrong yet again. I tore a ligament in my left knee in January in the ring. Did I quit? No.

What a hero you are.

The entire forumis full of real tough keyboard hacks.

You can kiss my ass and show up at X-Treme Fitness in Tampa, Florida if you want to find out for sure, jackass.

Thanks, I prefer kissing other things.

pundit wrote:

evndrbsn wrote:

pundit wrote:

What a hero you are.

The entire forumis full of real tough keyboard hacks.

You can kiss my ass and show up at X-Treme Fitness in Tampa, Florida if you want to find out for sure, jackass.

Thanks, I prefer kissing other things.

While I was being figurative about kissing my ass, I was not offering other body parts to you.

evndrbsn wrote:

pundit wrote:

evndrbsn wrote: You can kiss my ass and show up at X-Treme Fitness in Tampa, Florida if you want to find out for sure, jackass.

Thanks, I prefer kissing other things.

While I was being figurative about kissing my ass, I was not offering other body parts to you.

My vote goes to the Byrd fight i mean seriously he beat him with one arm oh my god......wait a minute he lost............shit

evndrbsn wrote:

pundit wrote:

evndrbsn wrote: You can kiss my ass and show up at X-Treme Fitness in Tampa, Florida if you want to find out for sure, jackass.

Thanks, I prefer kissing other things.

While I was being figurative about kissing my ass, I was not offering other body parts to you.

Seems you're somewhat on the self-centered side.

pundit wrote:

evndrbsn wrote:

pundit wrote: Thanks, I prefer kissing other things.

While I was being figurative about kissing my ass, I was not offering other body parts to you.

Seems you're somewhat on the self-centered side.

Seems you are somewhat on the delusional side. Just how am I self-centered, by the way? Because I won't let you have your way with me? Sorry, not gonna happen!

Hell, even John "The Hugger Man” Ruiz has more of a legacy than Vitali

pundit wrote:

evndrbsn wrote:Actually you are wrong yet again. I tore a ligament in my left knee in January in the ring. Did I quit? No.

What a hero you are.

The entire forumis full of real tough keyboard hacks. Each had much worse injuries that Vitali, and none of them would ever have considered quitting.

I don't have a problem with Klitschko quitting. Taking the easy way out is always an option in a fight. However it does have repercussions.

On the other hand, his delusional fans seem to have no quit in them when it comes to trying to turn a loss into some kind of victory.

Sort of ironic, don't you think?

Think it's funny when people insist Klitschko would have gone on to beat Lewis.
When the fight was stopped,Lewis had just battered Klitsch in the previous round,and of the two fighters Vitali looked the more tired.
IMO Lewis would have stopped Vitali within the next 2.
As it was,the doctor correctly stopped the fight,because a 39 yr old,fat Lewis had ripped a prime Vitali Klitschko's face apart....and this is his greatest achievement??
Thats all he will be remembered for,his face getting cut to ribbons.
No one will care about his KO percentage,or the fighters he beat(legends like Herbie Hide,Corrie Sanders... )

A prime Lewis would have KO'ed the lump in 5 rounds.

yiddo14 wrote:When the fight was stopped,Lewis had just battered Klitsch in the previous round,and of the two fighters Vitali looked the more tired.
IMO Lewis would have stopped Vitali within the next 2.

That's what I saw as well.

>>>but what does best define Vitali's legacy?<<<

Plain, simple and easy...Vitali's legacy, if you want to call it such, is quitting against a fat middleweight!

Also...something else that needs to be made very clear...neither he, nor his brother have won the heavyweight title...Wlad won a trinket and Vitali was gifted a trinket!

barry wrote:>>>but what does best define Vitali's legacy?<<<

Plain, simple and easy...Vitali's legacy, if you want to call it such, is quitting against a fat middleweight!

Plain, simple, and wrong.