BoxRec

crusader wrote:Being above their best weight doesn't mean a fighter punches with significantly less power than they have in the past....

I really don't see how anyone can say Haye is the best HW in the world. The Klitschko's have been winning more convincingly against top opposition for a long time.

I respect your opinion though can't categorically say its right or wrong. I do believe however that age and lack of training will reduce a fighters power along with sharpness in which to throw a punch.

On the point of Klitschko's longevity, that is true compared to Haye but that doesn't mean that what Wlad could do ability wise 3 years ago he will be able to do now. Also, I obviously think Haye is better than anyone they have faced including oldman Lennox.

WelshDevil wrote:

crusader wrote:Being above their best weight doesn't mean a fighter punches with significantly less power than they have in the past....

I really don't see how anyone can say Haye is the best HW in the world. The Klitschko's have been winning more convincingly against top opposition for a long time.

I respect your opinion though can't categorically say its right or wrong. I do believe however that age and lack of training will reduce a fighters power along with sharpness in which to throw a punch.

On the point of Klitschko's longevity, that is true compared to Haye but that doesn't mean that what Wlad could do ability wise 3 years ago he will be able to do now. Also, I obviously think Haye is better than anyone they have faced including oldman Lennox.

Ok. Let's be fair though, Ruiz was 38 and Valuev was 36, Haye has been fighting 'old men' as well.

crusader wrote:

WelshDevil wrote:

crusader wrote:Being above their best weight doesn't mean a fighter punches with significantly less power than they have in the past....

I really don't see how anyone can say Haye is the best HW in the world. The Klitschko's have been winning more convincingly against top opposition for a long time.

I respect your opinion though can't categorically say its right or wrong. I do believe however that age and lack of training will reduce a fighters power along with sharpness in which to throw a punch.

On the point of Klitschko's longevity, that is true compared to Haye but that doesn't mean that what Wlad could do ability wise 3 years ago he will be able to do now. Also, I obviously think Haye is better than anyone they have faced including oldman Lennox.

Ok. Let's be fair though, Ruiz was 38 and Valuev was 36, Haye has been fighting 'old men' as well.

OK. So Ruiz and Valuev were classed as punchers in your World? Why do you rate them as punchers cos I can't see anything on there records that suggest that?

WelshDevil wrote:

crusader wrote:

WelshDevil wrote: I respect your opinion though can't categorically say its right or wrong. I do believe however that age and lack of training will reduce a fighters power along with sharpness in which to throw a punch.

On the point of Klitschko's longevity, that is true compared to Haye but that doesn't mean that what Wlad could do ability wise 3 years ago he will be able to do now. Also, I obviously think Haye is better than anyone they have faced including oldman Lennox.

Ok. Let's be fair though, Ruiz was 38 and Valuev was 36, Haye has been fighting 'old men' as well.

OK. So Ruiz and Valuev were classed as punchers in your World? Why do you rate them as punchers cos I can't see anything on there records that suggest that?

My point is that if Lennox gets labelled an old man, they should be as well. Punchers usually fair well when they get up there in age, it is the other attributes that tend to go first. Ruiz and Valuev are/were not punchers, but most fighters of that age are not as good as they once were. Therefore, it is unfair to discredit Vitali's chin because he fought an older Lewis, unless you discredit Haye's performance against an equally faded Ruiz or the older Valuev. When you do this (and even if you give Haye full credit for those wins) I have difficulty seeing what the basis is for ranking Haye above the Klitschkos.

I get that Haye looked flashy and spectacular against Ruiz, Barrett, and Enzo, and that he was able to climb off the canvas and beat a tough cruiserweight in Mormeck, but to me, that does not mean he is the best heavyweight in the world. None of those opponents are better than the fighters who the Klitschkos constantly get slated for beating (see above posts). Each to his own, I guess.

I really hope this messy situation with Haye and the Klitschkos gets sorted out within the next year so we have a definitive answer.

crusader wrote:

WelshDevil wrote:

crusader wrote: Ok. Let's be fair though, Ruiz was 38 and Valuev was 36, Haye has been fighting 'old men' as well.

OK. So Ruiz and Valuev were classed as punchers in your World? Why do you rate them as punchers cos I can't see anything on there records that suggest that?

My point is that if Lennox gets labelled an old man, they should be as well. Punchers usually fair well when they get up there in age, it is the other attributes that tend to go first. Ruiz and Valuev are/were not punchers, but most fighters of that age are not as good as they once were. Therefore, it is unfair to discredit Vitali's chin because he fought an older Lewis, unless you discredit Haye's performance against an equally faded Ruiz or the older Valuev. When you do this (and even if you give Haye full credit for those wins) I have difficulty seeing what the basis is for ranking Haye above the Klitschkos.

I get that Haye looked flashy and spectacular against Ruiz, Barrett, and Enzo, and that he was able to climb off the canvas and beat a tough cruiserweight in Mormeck, but to me, that does not mean he is the best heavyweight in the world. None of those opponents are better than the fighters who the Klitschkos constantly get slated for beating (see above posts). Each to his own, I guess.

I really hope this messy situation with Haye and the Klitschkos gets sorted out within the next year so we have a definitive answer.

The old man thing sticks with me regarding Lennox - I watched him from fight one til the end and he wasn't the same fighter, Age comes to all fighters. I stick by my opinion regarding Lewis power in that last fight.

I understand that fighters these days are older than they would be in the 80's - life expectancy and all that. Ruiz had a go while Valuev will be here for years.

I don't and can't disagree with the ranking of the Klitschko's being No.1 and 2. I can have my own believes that Haye will beat them both and is more talented. He just has too prove me right.

50% of Lennox was better than anyone Haye has ever boxed.....

Hard to say who the best is but Haye is without doubt the most exciting heavyweight in the world!

It's solis or vitali u numptys, haye the most exciting

james_allinson wrote:Hard to say who the best is but Haye is without doubt the most exciting heavyweight in the world!

yup his fight vs Valuev sure was full of excitement

Wladimir is the best out there right now.

Vitali is ripe for the taking. His fight against Lewis has no bearing on todays division at all.
Vitali isn't the same fighter he was then and he wasn't particularly great at that point in time!

Raff The Frenchman wrote:

james_allinson wrote:Hard to say who the best is but Haye is without doubt the most exciting heavyweight in the world!

yup his fight vs Valuev sure was full of excitement

I agree that was a boring fight but to be fair the odds where stacked against Haye fighting someone with a massive height and weight advantage! Most of Hayes fights are exciting like the one with Ruiz.

Which other heavyweight is more exciting than Haye then?

I didn't find his fight with Ruiz entertaining. Ruiz marched forward and landed nothing, while Haye moved around and pot shotted him. I don't really see what is so entertaining about that. It was not competative or filled with any two way action.

james_allinson wrote:

Raff The Frenchman wrote:

james_allinson wrote:Hard to say who the best is but Haye is without doubt the most exciting heavyweight in the world!

yup his fight vs Valuev sure was full of excitement

I agree that was a boring fight but to be fair the odds where stacked against Haye fighting someone with a massive height and weight advantage! Most of Hayes fights are exciting like the one with Ruiz.

Which other heavyweight is more exciting than Haye then?

Ruiz fight wasnt very entertaining. Haye spent the fight backpedalling, caught Ruiz with 1 good counter in round 1 and the rest was rabbit punching KD's. Haye did not eve, KO Ruiz, his corner threw the towel while Ruiz could continue but was bloodied up.
Wlad, regardless of his style, scored real lights out KOs.

Audley Harrison is the best

Raff The Frenchman wrote:

james_allinson wrote:

Raff The Frenchman wrote: yup his fight vs Valuev sure was full of excitement

I agree that was a boring fight but to be fair the odds where stacked against Haye fighting someone with a massive height and weight advantage! Most of Hayes fights are exciting like the one with Ruiz.

Which other heavyweight is more exciting than Haye then?

Ruiz fight wasnt very entertaining. Haye spent the fight backpedalling, caught Ruiz with 1 good counter in round 1 and the rest was rabbit punching KD's. Haye did not eve, KO Ruiz, his corner threw the towel while Ruiz could continue but was bloodied up.
Wlad, regardless of his style, scored real lights out KOs.

How can you say he only hit him with one good punch and the rest where rabbit punches when Ruiz's face was in the state it was in!? He hit him with plenty of good shots and it was an entertaining fight to watch imo. The fight was stopped because Ruiz was taking a beating.

Adamek's the most entertaining IMO but far from the best.

Now Wlad is better than Vitali. In the last fight I´ve seen Vitali worse than other fights. He had a bad boxer in front of him and He received some bad hands.

Why isn´t Dennis Boytsov on the list? He would destroy Harrison.

Boytsov is good but I’d put him near the bottom of the top ten rather than the top and as for Vitali he’s ripe for the KO.

"I know we're not supposed to say this......[looks firtively both ways] but....[draws closer]....I had Valuev up by two rounds....[taps finger on nose]....now don't tell anyone I said that, right?"

Haye has the ability to beat both Klitschkos but he hasn't done it yet and therefore, despite their crappy resumes (though precious few ommissions of note) you have to go with big nuggets from the Ukraine.

... I believe boxing fans often confuse 2 different things... that is who might be more exciting to watch and who is the better boxer...patriotism aside, the answer is clear...

Vitali Klitschko

Has anyone put Shannon Briggs on the list?

Vitali to fight Briggs, the prosecution rests

Id say Wlad is,awhile back i would of said Vitali but after watching him against sosnowski he's definietly starting to slow down and look old so to speak.Vitali is definietly tougher than Wlad but Wlad is the better technician.

lol 37 people saying Haye is the best HW over 33 for Wlad...just shows you the level of bias around british fans...How can you have Haye as the best HW after such a poor show vs the limited robot Valuev? Wlad would have knocked Valuev out cold or boxed him to a bloody pulp. If Haye is the best HW why is he running scared from Wlad?