Vitali Klitschko vs. Nikolay Valuev – Don’t Expect an Upset
December 30th, 2009
By Adam Fillingham: I have a lot of friends that enjoy a good boxing match up. So, we have a lot of discussion and this week was the turn of the heavyweight match up between World Boxing Council champion Vitali Kltschko and former WBA champion Nikolay Valuev. Most of the group have predicted an easy win for Klitschko, like most boxing fans would, but one of our group has gone with the 7ft giant Valuev. Now before you all laugh or whatever, he did have a good argument.
Now that’s a good argument. But I still disagree for many reasons, this is why…
1. Vitali isn’t as fast as Haye, and has slowed down more and more through the years but Vitali has no reason to run around the ring. He is not all that much shorter than Valuev and his reach length isn’t that much shorter either. Vitali’s footwork isn’t that of Haye’s to be honest as well, so why would he stay on the outside.
2. Vitali has the chin to stand and trade with Valuev all night long. Valuev does posses some power but nothing close to the power Vitali possesses. Also Vitali will most likely beat Valuev to the punch due to the superior speed of Klitschko. This isn’t a good sign for Valuev since Vitali has slowed down considerably and yet he is still quicker than the former WBA champion.
3. Vitali has too much to lose. If Klitschko looks bad against Valuev or even doesn’t knock him out, he is going to look as good if not worse than his “enemy” David Haye. Klitschko is going to want to get Valuev out of there as quick as possible which will make for an amazing night of entertainment from two boring fighters.
4. Valuev has been exposed by Haye. The battle plans are there and if Vitali needs them he could revert to bobbing in and out. This may not work for a big man like Klitschko but they worked to perfection for Haye and going toe to toe with big Valuev isn’t always a safe game plan.
5. And finally Valuev was hurt for the first time in his career by Haye. Haye showed that Nikolay is human after all and can be hurt. Klitschko has as much, if not more power than Haye at times so also has the ability to hurt him. He could go one step further than Haye and knock him down or even out as Vitali may hit Valuev with many more punches per round than Haye did.
But we will have to see who’s argument will come true in April/May next year.
Tags: 18 Responses to “Vitali Klitschko vs. Nikolay Valuev – Don’t Expect an Upset”
Leave a Reply
please use above banner to link back to us!
This is an obvious win for iron fist. He will be able to shoot huge right hands at Valuev and land them’ like the wild ones that missed Johnson. Look at this fight as a mismatch.
BVut the other guy hasn’t
I love V.K. as WBC champ… He’s done the sport and division proud… He is the main man at 200+ pounds….. V.K. has also defended his title three times in 2009….. That there is respectable……. As for V.K. fighting Nicky Valubum in 2010, well, I doubt it….. Team Valubum are too protective of theur coddled stiff of a hulking fighter…… Klit would hammer Valubum by 8th round KO….. Peace…
MR.BILL
Vitaly had a shorter reach than johnson, but kj did not know what he was doing except to surviving. kevin johnson is a poor excuse for a contender, though, He could not beat butterbean.
That should read, “If someone like Kevin Johnson is so afraid that he flat-out *refuses* to fight…”
Vitali is not a boring fighter. If someone like Kevin Johnson is so afraid that flat-out *refuses* to fight, what can Vitali do about it? He is as exciting as his opposition allows him to be (and need I remind you that Lennox Lewis was often called “boring,” though nobody remembers that now — remember his snoozefest against David Tua?). And Haye doesn’t have great footwork: all he did against Valuev was flat-out *run* in a pretty sad performance (considering what he’d said he was going to do), and got a gift decision from the possibly paid-off judges. Vitali, on the other hand, did employ excellent footwork and movement in destroying Arreola.
i’ve said this before…but vitali could struggle with valuev. it’s the wrong klitschko. wlad would just dismantle a guy with valuev’s lack of movement & he wouldn’t have to worry about being caught on his suspect whiskers either. vitali/valuev has the makings of a really boring fight & it’s hard to say who will win…probably vitali but the judges will decide either way & german judges aren’t always honest. two slow, not particularly heavy hitting jab machines. i’ll call it now: boring.
for me its very easy to say value will win due to some reason,vitali havent fight any boxer that have height advantage over him,which means somethings new to him,secondly, vitali dont hit hard but he does throw somany punches,most of his knockout victory came by the way of refree waving the fight off.I do know both fighter very well and i am going to predict even a knockout victory for value.vitali is too slow and if he dont try to avoid value wide punsches then it will be a short night for him wich is not going to be suprise for me at all.
valuev will always have a chance, you get caught and you could be on your ass, Haye was right to move. if klitschko can out punch him that would be very impressive..
Can’t wait to watch Tua-Valuev & Tua-Klisto
i never once mentioned in my article that Vitali Klitschko was a bad fighter i just said he and Valuev’s fights are boring
ive never thought vitali boaring… hes just basic but superb at it..
ahhblessklitchko how can you call all david hayes fights boaring? hahaha go look some up they are sertinly not he is an explosive fighter normaly. but agreed the valuev fight was a bore but he did what he had to do
Adam there is two of us :L
Steven
Ponko and Mark Gannon – I agree completely! The fact that they are european and white has really hurt their ‘credibility’ in the media and its an absolute shame. People say Vitali is slow and moves like a peice of farm machinary but that is bullocks! He has great foot work for such a big man and his awkward movement is part of his defense, no one can hit him because of it! There is a method to his madness. But since is doesn’t resemble FMJ then its assumed he has no skills. Vitali is a very intelligent fighter and doesn’t get the credit he deserves. Not to mention he and his brother are complete class acts and great represenatives fo the sport. We should be glad to have such great people in our beloved sport. Maybe if they had tattos and got into bar fights and we’re arrested on assult charges people would love them. Something to think about.
Valuev is not in the same league with VK. The fight will more than reveal this. Vitali will have zero problems with Valuev.
But hold on, neither is the Hayewire up to a successful encounter in the ring with a true champion like VK. Haye`s chances of running away from a fight as with Valuev will be impossible against the likes of Vitali Klitschko.
Haye will most likely avoid the brothers altogether this being his cunning survival tactic, in the ring his luck will have run out when opposite either of the Klitschko brothers.
People say Vitali is not fast but if you carefuult watch is foot speed which he has he is very fast not as fast as his brother.
I keep saying Vitali will be in time the best heavyweight champion ever, He’s very smart which you can almost see him thinking in the ring and very fast with his jab after jab, but most of all like a good golfer you have to keep your eye on the ball Vitali always has his eyes on the opponent
, he always has full vision, never over swings and lose his balance he is a very special fighter to watch.
Easy KO victory for Klitscho in this one. i say buy 3rd or 4th round.
apparently manny is running for congress in the philippines…could you imagine voting for someone who thought that withdrawing blood a week before a fight would actually effect his performance?