huki
07-02-2007, 04:57 AM
This was supposed to be a reply to the Vitali KO% thread, but it got long and got off track from the original topic. Plus, I don't want to bump another 5 page Vitali thread.
Most Vitali fans are delusional.. they look at his KO% and think that it should impact his legacy as a great HW in a big way. The fact is that there is way too much hype for Vitali, who didn't accomplish a lot for the short time that he was fighting at the top. He got injured, and unless he has some kind of a spectacular comeback, his legacy is that he was a huge HW who had a great KO % and looked like a future star, but never got a win against an elite fighter. Maybe if he didn't waste his first 4 years and 25+ fights with shit fighters in Germany, he could have had some more time for big fights against top HW's. There's no point in hyping Vitali up now and talking about what he could have done, you can only look at what he actually accomplished in his career and judge him off that. No what-ifs.
What I find really funny, but also pretty sad is that there are tons of posts about Vitali and what he could have been and discussions about what he did all the time all over the internet, but almost no discussions about an undefeated fighter who was impressive as hell and had his career cut short too. At just 24 years old, Ike Ibeabuchi took a huge risk and stepped up to fight the undefeated, dangerous David Tua and beat him easily over 12 rounds after previously only having two fights that went over 6 rounds in his career. Three matches later, he took on an even bigger risk, fighting the undefeated Chris Byrd, who was a very difficult boxer to fight against, especially without any experience against any even semi-good defensive boxers. Ibeabuchi knocked Byrd out in 5 rounds. The same Byrd who Vitali couldn't connect a big punch with and ended up losing against. Ibeabuchi had everything. Great power. (the only opponents he didn't KO were two guys during his first 4 fights at 21 years old, 2 guys with A+ chins - Tua/Wilson, and Wade. Amazing stamina/workrate. Titanium chin. Great jab. Great combinations. Solid and improving technical skills. Plus, he was huge physically at only 6'2.
I can sit here and talk about Ibeabuchi all day and the great things he did in his career that was cut short and what he could have been but I don't, because I'm not delusional and I can accept the fact that his legacy is just winning 2 big fights against very difficult risky opponents, never winning a title, and ending up in jail. Vitali fans can't. People love to talk what-ifs about Vitali but never talk about Ibeabuchi and what he did and could have done. Why? It's simple. He didn't build up a huge fanbase before stepping up in class, so nobody nuthugs him, says things like he would UD Ali and Louis, or even care about him in general. If Vitali Klitschko knocked out 25 bums in Germany, then went on to beat the undefeated Tua with a wide UD and KO undefeated Byrd in 5, then retire at (27-0 with 26KO) because of injuries, people would still be talking about him today all the time.
There could be a case made that Ibeabuchi could have accomplished everything that Vitali accomplished and that he was a better fighter. There could be a case made that Vitali could have beaten Lennox and become a great champion for years to come. But none of these things happened. What-ifs and excuses for losses shouldn't make a boxers legacy better. What they actually did do should. Vitali fans need to accept this and stop the constant hype.
Most Vitali fans are delusional.. they look at his KO% and think that it should impact his legacy as a great HW in a big way. The fact is that there is way too much hype for Vitali, who didn't accomplish a lot for the short time that he was fighting at the top. He got injured, and unless he has some kind of a spectacular comeback, his legacy is that he was a huge HW who had a great KO % and looked like a future star, but never got a win against an elite fighter. Maybe if he didn't waste his first 4 years and 25+ fights with shit fighters in Germany, he could have had some more time for big fights against top HW's. There's no point in hyping Vitali up now and talking about what he could have done, you can only look at what he actually accomplished in his career and judge him off that. No what-ifs.
What I find really funny, but also pretty sad is that there are tons of posts about Vitali and what he could have been and discussions about what he did all the time all over the internet, but almost no discussions about an undefeated fighter who was impressive as hell and had his career cut short too. At just 24 years old, Ike Ibeabuchi took a huge risk and stepped up to fight the undefeated, dangerous David Tua and beat him easily over 12 rounds after previously only having two fights that went over 6 rounds in his career. Three matches later, he took on an even bigger risk, fighting the undefeated Chris Byrd, who was a very difficult boxer to fight against, especially without any experience against any even semi-good defensive boxers. Ibeabuchi knocked Byrd out in 5 rounds. The same Byrd who Vitali couldn't connect a big punch with and ended up losing against. Ibeabuchi had everything. Great power. (the only opponents he didn't KO were two guys during his first 4 fights at 21 years old, 2 guys with A+ chins - Tua/Wilson, and Wade. Amazing stamina/workrate. Titanium chin. Great jab. Great combinations. Solid and improving technical skills. Plus, he was huge physically at only 6'2.
I can sit here and talk about Ibeabuchi all day and the great things he did in his career that was cut short and what he could have been but I don't, because I'm not delusional and I can accept the fact that his legacy is just winning 2 big fights against very difficult risky opponents, never winning a title, and ending up in jail. Vitali fans can't. People love to talk what-ifs about Vitali but never talk about Ibeabuchi and what he did and could have done. Why? It's simple. He didn't build up a huge fanbase before stepping up in class, so nobody nuthugs him, says things like he would UD Ali and Louis, or even care about him in general. If Vitali Klitschko knocked out 25 bums in Germany, then went on to beat the undefeated Tua with a wide UD and KO undefeated Byrd in 5, then retire at (27-0 with 26KO) because of injuries, people would still be talking about him today all the time.
There could be a case made that Ibeabuchi could have accomplished everything that Vitali accomplished and that he was a better fighter. There could be a case made that Vitali could have beaten Lennox and become a great champion for years to come. But none of these things happened. What-ifs and excuses for losses shouldn't make a boxers legacy better. What they actually did do should. Vitali fans need to accept this and stop the constant hype.