BoxRec

http://www.fightnews.com/fightnews_2/he ... wcmpE.html

Interesting, sort of. I guess the K brothers would only be one or two fights away from holding all of the belts between them and thus making their mama very proud.

It'll be good to see Big V back in the ring again, if he comes back how he was then he dominates the division IMO

Vitali unless he has slipped big time should easily dismantle and stop maskaev in about 6 rounds and then a mega fight with Peter would be on the cards. Would love to see Peter vs Vitali.

It will be good to have him back but hopefully not how he was. We need the top heavyweights fighting 3 times a year to try and make the division less of a joke. Peter should also get the shot at Oleg first, let Vitali fight Rahman finally before walking straight into a title shot.

Lenny Albert wrote:It will be good to have him back but hopefully not how he was. We need the top heavyweights fighting 3 times a year to try and make the division less of a joke. Peter should also get the shot at Oleg first, let Vitali fight Rahman finally before walking straight into a title shot.

Good call Lenny, we need big name fighters fighting more than once a year, i don't think this level of inactivity helps Boxing's cause. If the Heavyweights fought 3 times a year we would be closer to sorting this title mess out a hell of a lot quicker.

I think its appalling Peter got stiffed again.

This bloody well stinks. Peter has ALREADY had to fight Toney again as an eliminator, and now they are letting Vitali, who after all, chose to retire, to walk over him.

I can only hope that Vitali takes Peter on in his first defence of the title, presuming he wins, but is Maskaev going to want to fight him in any case, surely Maskaev is going to want to be bloody well paid to get his ass whupped by Vitali.

Although he was declared Champion Emeritus, that still meant he had only 18 months to defend his title, and so surely, that has now elapsed, as he hasn't had a defence since fighting Williams.

J wrote:I think its appalling Peter got stiffed again.

Totally agree. What more do the want the bloke to do? They should at least pay him back the sanctioning fees he's forked out.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:This bloody well stinks. Peter has ALREADY had to fight Toney again as an eliminator, and now they are letting Vitali, who after all, chose to retire, to walk over him.

I can only hope that Vitali takes Peter on in his first defence of the title, presuming he wins, but is Maskaev going to want to fight him in any case, surely Maskaev is going to want to be bloody well paid to get his ass whupped by Vitali.

Although he was declared Champion Emeritus, that still meant he had only 18 months to defend his title, and so surely, that has now elapsed, as he hasn't had a defence since fighting Williams.

WBC Rule 1.21 concerning championship defense obligations outlines that a champion must defend their title “either in a voluntary or mandatory defense” against a variety of potential opponents, which includes “former or retired world champion (upon majority vote of the Board of Governors)." FightNews has learned that the WBC Board of Governors has approved a title shot for Klitschko against Maskaev.

J,

Yes its bad that it looks like Peter will miss out again (although, I think a Vitali vs Peter match up is more appealing). However, I think he can count himself a tad fortunate he got his WBC eliminator fight with Toney in the first place. He'd done nothing post the Wladimir fight to warrant another eliminator. Then, in the opinion of most the rematch between Toney and Peter was at least deserved (some even saying the decision should have been reversed).

Onto Vitali, I'm quite glad he is returning but for me this has definately done something to his legacy. It was only last year he had a "career ending" injury just prior to fighting arguably his most dangerous assignment out there. Now, Rahman is apparently out of the equation - he returns.

It will be interesting, I think it was James McDonnell who posted a pick of a barely recognisable Vitali - looking like he'd lost about 3 stone. I saw him ringside for the Schulz vs Minto fight and he looked back in fighting shape.

Also, with Wlad as champion, Viali's return could stiffle the devision a bit. Unification matches (providing Vitali beats Maskaev) will be gone... even should one of them lose, the other will not fight a champion of an organisation where the non champion brother lies high in. We are looking for one undisputed champion, the Klitchsko don't think the same way.

So while I think his return can be good for the game. I do hope it isn't long before one of them is out of the title picture.

This champion Emeritus was bad enough when they were handing them out to the likes of Tszyu and Lewis.

Now they're handing them out for a guy who wins a vacant title against Colonel Sanders and defends once against the behemoth Danny Williams.

JOKE!

Yes, despite all his big talk, Vitali spent more time whingeing about how an ancient Lewis was ducking him than he did fighting decent challengers.

If he looks back in fighting shape suddenly, I have to wonder about how he manages to shed and add bulk so fast, he looked practically emaciated in the photographs I saw of him at the WBC convention. Is he juicing? I suspect he's up to something of some kind, because he was 205 lbs as a kick boxer, and over 245 against Williams. 40 lbs of muscle is a hell of a lot to add.

Vitali doesn't seem like he is that interested in having any sort of legacy, I know he was injured, but how come he is suddenly able to fight again? Perhaps the fact he didn't get anywhere in politics has changed his mind. Or was he holding out until he could get an assured title opportunity.

If he gets through this, I'd like to see him defend against Peter, but I think Peter should get in another one or two fights beforehand, he's come on since the loss to Wlad, but Vitali is a lot more experienced, and despite my not liking his persona and behaviour, is a very awkward customer.

Vitali and Sam could put on a hell of a fight, Vitali has a good chin, as does Peter, and both men are aggressive, could be a real toe to toe war.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:
If he looks back in fighting shape suddenly, I have to wonder about how he manages to shed and add bulk so fast, he looked practically emaciated in the photographs I saw of him at the WBC convention. Is he juicing? I suspect he's up to something of some kind, because he was 205 lbs as a kick boxer, and over 245 against Williams. 40 lbs of muscle is a hell of a lot to add..

It depends over what time period, Vitali was 205 at what 21? 40lbs isnt much to add in say 8 years.

I wouldn't be suprised if Vitali/Wlad/Peter/Brewster all juice, I'm pretty sure Briggs, Golota, Holyfield, Tyson all have.

If he has, he's certainly not alone, I wasn't saying he was a unique case. However, 40 lbs when in shape, is a lot to add, it's not like at 245-255 he had a gut and bitch tits, it was ripped solid muscle, Wlad certainly looks like he's been juicing his physique looks far from natural.

Lennox Lewis by contrast, only added about 20 lbs in his whole career, and never looked hugely muscular, he had a natural physique which just filled out as he got older, which is quite normal. Even as a lanky looking 23 year old he was over 230 lbs.

Didn't Vitali get banned at some point during his amature career for steroid use?

EDIT: It was before 96' Olympics http://boxing.about.com/b/a/123589.htm
not suggesting it means he's on them now BTW, just it explains the weight gain from his kickboxing days.

Briggs has the most transparently roided physique I think I've ever seen on a boxer.

Steroid use is rampant in the elite levels of most sports nowadays. ou'd have to be pretty niave to think that boxing, one of the most corrupt sports in the world, is free of them.

Tommy Morrison admitted to using roids his entire career and was never caught once. He also insisted many other top heavies at the time were using but chose not to name names.

I remember reading years ago that when Holyfield was bulking up to heavyweight he went from 190 pounds to 210 pounds of solid muscle in less than a year. That coupled with his high blood pressure and heart problems raises questions.
He also was helped to bulk up by Lee Haney a former Mr.Olympia who was quite forthcoming about his support for performance enhancers.

Former Nevada State Athletic Commision doctor Flip Homansky :

"You can make a cocktail of different steroids to create whatever you want to create......if it's endurance, if it's reflexes, if it's speed."

Homansky also recently stated : " I think that anabolic steroids and human growth hormone are rampant in boxing and mma.
We test very few. We don't test everyone. We only test a couple......you should be testing right after a fight. These people cycle and know when to stop. We're only catching the dumb ones."

Dr.Margaret Goodman also recently stated : " For people that want to say about boxing and mma 'oh,it's just a few guys' it's just crazy. This (drug use) is part of the norm."

That being the case, you would have to say I guess, that anyone taking steroids now is just trying to level the playing field. If everyone's at it, then Vitali isn't really gaining an unfair advantage, but trying to remove one.

I think Vitali vs Valeyuv would be funny... a bit like the clash of the lumbering giants he he cool

I'd love to see that too, it would be very interesting to see how Vitali coped with fighting someone bigger than him for a change.

Valuev is apparently under 7' tall, he's just over 6'11 which means there would only be a 4 inch disparity, but the psychological aspect of this would be very interesting.

Klitschko has developed a style which is better against shorter fighters and is reliant on his jab and confident of staying on the outside, I have to say I have still not seen much of valiuv but don't know how that will work against him at his size (thats one of the things which helped lewis win more experiance against bigger opponents which Klitschko didn't have).

Anyhow all speculation now he could look horrible when he comes back.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:If he has, he's certainly not alone, I wasn't saying he was a unique case. However, 40 lbs when in shape, is a lot to add, it's not like at 245-255 he had a gut and bitch tits, it was ripped solid muscle, Wlad certainly looks like he's been juicing his physique looks far from natural.

Lennox Lewis by contrast, only added about 20 lbs in his whole career, and never looked hugely muscular, he had a natural physique which just filled out as he got older, which is quite normal. Even as a lanky looking 23 year old he was over 230 lbs.

Vitali was over 230 for his pro-debut in 1996, maybe 4-5years prior he was 210. Over 15years 40lbs isn't allot, especially for such a tall lad.

Look at Duran he started at 118 and ended at 168, thats 50lbs and I think its safe to say not Roids

Yes Vitali is a long puncher who likes to keep his opponents at bay with combination punches, I don't know what Valuev's reach is, but I presume it is bigger than Vitali's, though that of course doesn't mean Vitali couldn't outjab him.

I think that Valuev, due to his freakish size, huge skull and neck muscles, is going to be very hard to hurt, but I could see Vitali outpointing him because he has the faster hands and better combination punching, but if Valuev was able to outjab him, then it would I think become very difficult for Vitali.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:That being the case, you would have to say I guess, that anyone taking steroids now is just trying to level the playing field. If everyone's at it, then Vitali isn't really gaining an unfair advantage, but trying to remove one.

Yes and no, you don't need to take steroids to be a world class HW. Rahman/Briggs/Vitali/Wlad all look to be on gear to me BUT they're all very beatable and the steroids have clearly reduced fighters stamina and gained allot of useless muscle into the bargain.

It will be interesting to see how the current Eastern Blocks prospects bodies develop. Povetkin and Boiystiov develop who definately aren't on the juice at the moment.

Vitali can use his reach Valuev can't use his very well. I think Vitalis is around 80 and Valuevs around 86. Vitali would outjab Valuev but Vitalis hands down style would result in him eating plenty of shots himself. Plus we know Vitali tires and may get taken out late himself. Alternatively Vitali may show that Valuev isn't too durable