sad state of boxing

[greynotsoold]

I thought that the skill level in Vitali/Lewis was abysmal. That is one of the fights that hardened my heart against modern boxing, another being Mosley/DeLaHoya I. The HWs are always the least skilled division: that is why, historically, LHWs, even middles, think they can move up and beat them.
The Ks use distance well, and that is a huge part of being a good fighter. If they let a Marciano or a Louis control the range, they'd get eaten alive. The skill involved in such a fight would be the ability to maintain space vs the ability to close it. Dempsey feasted on big slow HWs so who knows. I belive that either K would have an easy night against Ali; he had trouble with a "tall" guy that jabbed (Norton) and either K is much taller and a better jabber (and fighter) than Norton.

I can see what you are saying with the distance thing.
Im probably a bit biased but I think old school were a tougher mix mentally and in upbringing that would make them step through to their desired distance and stick there, so I dont think long distance controllers would last there either.
Im of the school of thought that Lennox Lewis would have come to the same problem against a younger hungry harder Iron Mike for similar reasons.

Something that struck me in the Lewis/Tyson fight...In the first round, Tyson's best, he landed punches that, years earlier, would've ended that fight. But his legs were shot.
As to the older guys being tougher...Jack Dempsey said that, between fights, he enjoyed being a 'mucker' in mines. That meant shoveling rock into 1 ton ore carts for 10-12 hours per day. That makes for a hard man. (Incidentally, in the town where I live, in the early 1900s, they used to have a variety of 'miner olympics' type contests. One guy shoveled a ton of rock into a cart and then pushed it 50 feet in something like 40 seconds.)

[Mr140]

I really think Vitali has all the tools to beat almost every heavyweight i have seen on tape. Now would he lose some i am sure as for Wald his chin is a big problem but he would win some as well i think. Frasier is a great heavy weight but i would be hard pressed to see him try to take on Vitali because he use his size so well. Lets not forget that Tyson was a pretty good can crusher but when he stepped up in comp he lost ever single time almost, see he having trouble with Vitali using distance and size in there fight. Ali and Holmes i think would be more of problem there reach is close to Vitalis and they are very mobile. As for Foreman Vitali more i watch young Foreman more i think Vitali could make it out of the early rounds and pull off late tko or a ud. Lewis had something other heavyweights in history didn't and that being size and reach to deal with the distance that the Vitali could use against alot of the other heavyweights. I do not feel the heavys are that poor i think Chambers, Admak, and Haye even though i do not like him but he has very good speed and power but the brothers have the size over them and they use it very well.