BoxRec

SNG wrote:I really enjoyed his last fight, he put some real venom in his shots. It was great to see him go out to take somebody out, he was exciting. Hopefully it's a sign of things to come, I'd love to see him take some of the other top contenders out in similar fashion.

fergusg wrote:I’ve always found the Klitschko brothers an intriguing phenomenon… I truly wonder if their global status would have been elevated greatly had they been born in the USA.

If you look at the heavyweight title reign of Larry Holmes, I honestly believe that Wladimir could have overcome the same set of title challengers (as per their ability at the time they faced ‘The Easton Assassin’):
• Carl Williams
• David Bey
• James Smith
• Scott Frank
• Tim Witherspoon
• Lucien Rodriguez
• Randall Cobb
• Gerry Cooney
• Renaldo Snipes
• Leon Spinks
• Trevor Berbick
• Muhammad Ali
• Scott LeDoux
• Leroy Jones
• Lorenzo Zanon
• Earnie Shavers
• Mike Weaver
• Ossie Ocasio
• Alfredo Evangelista
• Ken Norton

The same could have been said for Mike Tyson’s title reign:
• Bruce Seldon
• Frank Bruno
• Carl Williams
• Michael Spinks
• Tony Tubbs
• Larry Holmes
• Tyrell Biggs
• Tony Tucker
• Pinklon Thomas
• James Smith
• Trevor Berbick

I also believe that the very same thing can be said for Lennox Lewis’ title reign:
• Mike Tyson
• Hasim Rahman
• David Tua
• Frans Botha
• Michael Grant
• Evander Holyfield
• Zeljko Mavrovic
• Shannon Briggs
• Andrew Golota
• Henry Akinwande
• Oliver McCall
• Lionel Butler
• Phil Jackson
• Frank Bruno
• Tony Tucker

Whilst Larry Holmes defeated the likes of Muhammad Ali & Ken Norton, both men were past their respective primes.

Mike Tyson also defeated Larry Holmes when he was considered as a veteran.

Similarly, Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson, who were both much smaller men than he was and were also past their primes.

Therefore, when you look at the heavyweight title reigns of all-time greats like Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis… it’s actually quite difficult to argue that Wladimir Klitschko could not have defeated the overwhelming majority of those men. However, Wladimir isn’t American and tends to fight in Germany, which perhaps explains the reason why his title reign is often derided or at least devalued. :??

fergusg wrote:I’ve always found the Klitschko brothers an intriguing phenomenon… I truly wonder if their global status would have been elevated greatly had they been born in the USA.

If you look at the heavyweight title reign of Larry Holmes, I honestly believe that Wladimir could have overcome the same set of title challengers (as per their ability at the time they faced ‘The Easton Assassin’):
• Carl Williams
• David Bey
• James Smith
• Scott Frank
• Tim Witherspoon
• Lucien Rodriguez
• Randall Cobb
• Gerry Cooney
• Renaldo Snipes
• Leon Spinks
• Trevor Berbick
• Muhammad Ali
• Scott LeDoux
• Leroy Jones
• Lorenzo Zanon
• Earnie Shavers
• Mike Weaver
• Ossie Ocasio
• Alfredo Evangelista
• Ken Norton

The same could have been said for Mike Tyson’s title reign:
• Bruce Seldon
• Frank Bruno
• Carl Williams
• Michael Spinks
• Tony Tubbs
• Larry Holmes
• Tyrell Biggs
• Tony Tucker
• Pinklon Thomas
• James Smith
• Trevor Berbick

I also believe that the very same thing can be said for Lennox Lewis’ title reign:
• Mike Tyson
• Hasim Rahman
• David Tua
• Frans Botha
• Michael Grant
• Evander Holyfield
• Zeljko Mavrovic
• Shannon Briggs
• Andrew Golota
• Henry Akinwande
• Oliver McCall
• Lionel Butler
• Phil Jackson
• Frank Bruno
• Tony Tucker

Whilst Larry Holmes defeated the likes of Muhammad Ali & Ken Norton, both men were past their respective primes.

Mike Tyson also defeated Larry Holmes when he was considered as a veteran.

Similarly, Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson, who were both much smaller men than he was and were also past their primes.

Therefore, when you look at the heavyweight title reigns of all-time greats like Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis… it’s actually quite difficult to argue that Wladimir Klitschko could not have defeated the overwhelming majority of those men. However, Wladimir isn’t American and tends to fight in Germany, which perhaps explains the reason why his title reign is often derided or at least devalued. :??

JeanClaude Van Damme wrote:He comes the Euro butthurt again.

No one cares that Wlad isn't American. He grapples his opponents more than Royce Gracie and fights overseas exclusively to get favors from refs and judges.

Wlad has done nothing to expand his fanbase. Nothing. It's his fault. Cut the butthurt.

JeanClaude Van Damme wrote:He comes the Euro butthurt again.

No one cares that Wlad isn't American. He grapples his opponents more than Royce Gracie and fights overseas exclusively to get favors from refs and judges.

Wlad has done nothing to expand his fanbase. Nothing. It's his fault. Cut the butthurt.

HomicideHenry wrote:Let's get real here... there's nobody around, and won't be for a long time... he could be champion for another five or even ten years.

pound per pound wrote:

JeanClaude Van Damme wrote:He comes the Euro butthurt again.

No one cares that Wlad isn't American. He grapples his opponents more than Royce Gracie and fights overseas exclusively to get favors from refs and judges.

Wlad has done nothing to expand his fanbase. Nothing. It's his fault. Cut the butthurt.

I respectfully disagree. Wlad's smashing knockout over Pulev has opened up HBO's wallet. HBO is the gold standard for American boxing. Now the fans over 50 who aren't familiar with finding boxing on the web can see him.

I think Wlad can fight on for a while.

SNG wrote:I really enjoyed his last fight, he put some real venom in his shots. It was great to see him go out to take somebody out, he was exciting. Hopefully it's a sign of things to come, I'd love to see him take some of the other top contenders out in similar fashion.

victor-romeo wrote:

fergusg wrote:I’ve always found the Klitschko brothers an intriguing phenomenon… I truly wonder if their global status would have been elevated greatly had they been born in the USA.

If you look at the heavyweight title reign of Larry Holmes, I honestly believe that Wladimir could have overcome the same set of title challengers (as per their ability at the time they faced ‘The Easton Assassin’):
• Carl Williams
• David Bey
• James Smith
• Scott Frank
• Tim Witherspoon
• Lucien Rodriguez
• Randall Cobb
• Gerry Cooney
• Renaldo Snipes
• Leon Spinks
• Trevor Berbick
• Muhammad Ali
• Scott LeDoux
• Leroy Jones
• Lorenzo Zanon
• Earnie Shavers
• Mike Weaver
• Ossie Ocasio
• Alfredo Evangelista
• Ken Norton

The same could have been said for Mike Tyson’s title reign:
• Bruce Seldon
• Frank Bruno
• Carl Williams
• Michael Spinks
• Tony Tubbs
• Larry Holmes
• Tyrell Biggs
• Tony Tucker
• Pinklon Thomas
• James Smith
• Trevor Berbick

I also believe that the very same thing can be said for Lennox Lewis’ title reign:
• Mike Tyson
• Hasim Rahman
• David Tua
• Frans Botha
• Michael Grant
• Evander Holyfield
• Zeljko Mavrovic
• Shannon Briggs
• Andrew Golota
• Henry Akinwande
• Oliver McCall
• Lionel Butler
• Phil Jackson
• Frank Bruno
• Tony Tucker

Whilst Larry Holmes defeated the likes of Muhammad Ali & Ken Norton, both men were past their respective primes.

Mike Tyson also defeated Larry Holmes when he was considered as a veteran.

Similarly, Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson, who were both much smaller men than he was and were also past their primes.

Therefore, when you look at the heavyweight title reigns of all-time greats like Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis… it’s actually quite difficult to argue that Wladimir Klitschko could not have defeated the overwhelming majority of those men. However, Wladimir isn’t American and tends to fight in Germany, which perhaps explains the reason why his title reign is often derided or at least devalued. :??

Wlad is a hall of famer on a great run here. I have been a fan of his for his whole career and still am. But His style of fighting is frequently boring due to an often terrible clinching style. Throw in Wlad being KO'd by Sanders, and Lamon Brewster and you have some things that make him not rate as high as Holyfield, Tyson, or Holmes(although Holmes was a pretty boring fighter).
Also although Wlads title run in duration is astounding, I think if you match fighters at their peak I think Vitali is the better fighter.

JeanClaude Van Damme wrote:Bruce Seldon is better than anyone Wlad has ever beaten.

That's saying something.

montrealsuper wrote:Pulev would beat most of the guys Lewis and Holyfield beat. So would Tony Thompson. Wlad's era is underrated. It's been slandered for years by the media and people like Kellerman and Atlas and Rafael.

Wlad is unbeatable right now and he seems to be still improving too. Pulev win was a helluva performance. Pulev is severely underrated. That left hook KO of Pulev was one of the best left hook KOs in HWT history.