Chris Byrd schooled Vitali Klitschko on only 10 days' notice

[Beanflicker]

Seriously though I don't know why Vitali chose to quit like that. You'd think he could have coasted for another few rounds. Ah well.

[IamInuit]

Seriously though I don't know why Vitali chose to quit like that. You'd think he could have coasted for another few rounds. Ah well.

I've never torn a rotator cuff. I have no idea whats its like or how debilitating it is.

[Beanflicker]

Seriously though I don't know why Vitali chose to quit like that. You'd think he could have coasted for another few rounds. Ah well.

I've never torn a rotator cuff. I have no idea whats its like or how debilitating it is.

I'm sure it sucks, but in a HW championship fight that you're winning handily in front of your home town (or second home, anyway), you gotta go for that superhuman effort. We've seen guys tear their biceps completely off the bone and keep fighting.

[Beanflicker]

had to go back and watch those last few rounds. He was still able to throw with the left hand, but I think Chris Byrd knew he was hurt and wearing down, and was going on the offensive, and Vitali knew that Chris Byrd knew that and in a moment of weakness, he quit. I bet that decision haunted him for awhile.

BTW I LOVE Chris Byrd. Totally underrated slickster in the ring.

[Beanflicker]

Chris is a bad dude, took the fight on 10 days notice and made Vitali quit.

[brocktonblockbust]

@Dark Lord Al yes he was ahead of Byrd on all3 cards, but Byrd starting landing some nice crisp and surprisingly popping overhand lefts and Vitali was feeling it, did not like it one bit, Im sure in 2 more rounds Byrd would have stunned him real nice and got the decision.

[ykdadamaja]

had to go back and watch those last few rounds. He was still able to throw with the left hand, but I think Chris Byrd knew he was hurt and wearing down, and was going on the offensive, and Vitali knew that Chris Byrd knew that and in a moment of weakness, he quit. I bet that decision haunted him for awhile.

BTW I LOVE Chris Byrd. Totally underrated slickster in the ring.

But Vitali could have ran the rest of the fight and still won. He didn't need to throw another punch. And it wasn't as if he was fighting Ike Ibeabuchi or Mike Tyson, it was Chris Byrd. The only puncher that punches softer than Byrd is Paulie Malinaggi.

[Beanflicker]

But Vitali could have ran the rest of the fight and still won. He didn't need to throw another punch. And it wasn't as if he was fighting Ike Ibeabuchi or Mike Tyson, it was Chris Byrd. The only puncher that punches softer than Byrd is Paulie Malinaggi.

Yeah I don't know why he didn't at least try. I guess that was his "no mas" moment (although not nearly as embarassing, at least he had a legit injury).

[palmerq]

seeing as byrd made vitali quit does that make him better than lewis as vitali was still very willing to fight on v lewis...There's only one way to find out FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lets get 101 million together, 100 to lewis and 1 to byrd and we will find out the truth here... forget tyson holyfield 3, byrd v lewis is what everyone wants to see ....


as for vitali quiting v byrd I can understand why, vitali was still on the way up at the time and if his shoulder was really bad he could have done some serious long lasting damage to it and damaged his future career.... a fight v byrd for a small title isnt really worth that..

[Max Power]

Chris Byrd fought his best and eluded a lot of damage as always, made Vitali miss a lot. Other than that he performed terrible against him, Vitali won nearly every round. It was only through his gift retirement via major injury not caused by any punch which presented Byrd with a belt.

I love Byrd personally but there's no way he could beat legitimately either Klitschko... EVER! lol

[El Kabong]

Vitali suffered the same injury vs Chisora as well but finished that fight out.

[AdamGB]

This is what is wrong with boxing. We complain when boxers are too scared to lose their 0 and won't risk fighting one another, yet we chastise a fighter for doing the smart thing and prolonging their career.

A shoulder blow out is potentially career ending, def not worth risking the rest of your career on, but we as fans have made a loss a huger deal than it should be.

This is the one area UFC beats boxing in, all of their top fighters mix it up because they are not scared to - they won't be written off over a single loss or for tapping out of an arm bar instead of letting their arm be broken.

Can't say I really like MMA as a sport, but fuck me if the attitude of boxing fans doesn't stink sometimes compared to MMA fans.

This guy quit... This guy was exposed... This guy lost once so he's not a credible opponent for anyone...

No wonder promoters are reluctant to match their fighters against opposition of the same class.

[Beanflicker]

This is what is wrong with boxing. We complain when boxers are too scared to lose their 0 and won't risk fighting one another, yet we chastise a fighter for doing the smart thing and prolonging their career.

Usually I agree, but I don't think this scenario was so cut and dry. Would another 3 rounds really make that big a difference to the shoulder injury?

[IamInuit]

This is what is wrong with boxing. We complain when boxers are too scared to lose their 0 and won't risk fighting one another, yet we chastise a fighter for doing the smart thing and prolonging their career.

Usually I agree, but I don't think this scenario was so cut and dry. Would another 3 rounds really make that big a difference to the shoulder injury?

It could have been a career ender and as mentioned it later haunted him with Del boy. Vitali gets the benefit of the doubt with me. He never did anything like that before or after. I dont consider what he did a quit. Its like saying Greb quit against Graves. We simply do not know how serious it was at the time. Maybe someone could find a copy of the x-rays and then we could put an APB out for an x-ray technician Losing and arm in a boxing match tends to make the task at hand a little difficult.

[Beanflicker]

I dont consider what he did a quit.

Well I think it's undisputable that he quit, I guess the argument is just whether or not it was justified.

I'm not saying it was a full bitch-out, pussy move like Duran's No mas, but at the same time he didn't show the warrior's spirit, the "never say die" attitude that we've come to expect (right or wrong) from world champion boxers.

Whether or not he saved his career by quitting, I have no idea. But my question would be how did he know for certain he had a torn rotator cuff? It could have been just a strained or pulled muscle in the shoulder. In that moment, I doubt he could have known that it was potential career ender, even with his education in sports science.