[Earl-Hickey]

How do you think klitshko would do against the great heavyweight champions of history?

As dominant as he is now, where does he sit in a historical perspective.

For many, klitshko is a kind of boxing marmite, either they love him or hate him.

My problem with him, and the reason I am reluctant to put him in a top 10, is the fact that he has no inside game.

If you look at the current heavyweight division it's true to say that it's populated by either below average prospects, and cruiserweights, a few years ago it was the hangers on from the 90's who were Klitschko's main foes, now it's just average fighters and decent but not great cruisers.

When I watch a Holyfield vs Bowe for example, how am I supposed to compare that with klitshko vs Haye?

When I look at wlad I see a skilled, composed boxer but I still wonder if he can handle himself in the unlikely event that a fight broke out.

 

[Steve Funn]

Not good, a LOT of stoppage losses.

Think Wlads a really good example of a fighter where his achievements in belts and championship fights terms are in such stark contrast to the general perception of what he could do H2H against champions. I think you'd have to go way back to find a (proper) HW champ he would beat tbh.

 

[Lunny]

Agreed with Steve. Wlad's a great fighter but against the Lewis', Fraziers and Alis he's going to have trouble. Frazier is his worst nightmare. There was a thread on esb where everyone was picking wlad to beat smokin Joe. I couldn't understand it one bit.

 

[adamcanavan]

I could see an argument for top 10 based on dominance and you can downplay the haye fight in retrospect but the reality is wlad dominated the best contender this generation, and if he does the same to povetkin he enters my top 10.

 

[JamieC]

Agreed with Steve. Wlad's a great fighter but against the Lewis', Fraziers and Alis he's going to have trouble. Frazier is his worst nightmare. There was a thread on esb where everyone was picking wlad to beat smokin Joe. I couldn't understand it one bit.

Frazier and Ali surely his kryptonite? Aggressive punchers that throw good hooks and uppercuts with great head movement working on the inside?

 

[Earl-Hickey]

Frazier would have been hell for him, like I say Holyfield too, I mean how can anyone pick wlad over a prime Evander, who's proven he can go toe to toe with Bowe, Lewis etc and give them all they can handle?

Holyfield didn't stand on the end of Lennox jab all night, and he wouldn't with klitshko. The reason Lennox won was he had something once Holyfield got on his chest, wlad doesn't

Maybe you can make a case for top 10 on achievement, but not head to head imo, not from what I've seen

 

[adamcanavan]

Like you said, in terms of ranking he has a chance to compete but head to head he struggles alot. Liston has a longer reach and huge power which you have to feel would detonate on wlads chin at some point. Tyson, marciano and frazier would all probably get inside and land on wlads chin, lewis just does the big man thing better i think and would soundly beat him even vitali i feel he struggles head to head with.



Basically i dont think he'd beat anyone :lol:

 

[Steve Funn]

Maybe you can make a case for top 10 on achievement, but not head to head imo, not from what I've seen

Yeah its a different thing, like I dont know enough about the history/can be bothered to do a list but theres people that I think would beat wlad (and people who did beat wlad like sanders) but obviously wouldnt rank as high as him in an 'all time best heavyweights' list if I was to do one.

 

[Nyanners :sad5]

Wlad gets knocked out by all of them. Vitali does much better.