alex leapai. the southern hemespheres first heavyweight world champ.

[ipswich express]

Originally Posted by The Spider

Just continuing >>>

Whom do you consider to be the current world heavyweight champion?

Wlad holds the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO titles.

Vitali holds the WBC title.

Many, including I believe Ring magazine, have recognized Vitali as the lineal champion since he beat Corrie Sanders (there's that name again ).


So who is the current world heavyweight champion Ipswich Express??

I don't believe there is a current clear cut champion. Vitali hasn't been beaten since Lewis, though Wladimir looks to be in better form. The two best fighters in the division won't fight each other to determine who's número uno, not that I expect them to. You can make a case for either.

Originally Posted by ipswich express

Like I said, where do you draw a line in the sand? I certainly don't recognise the WBO Heavyweight title lineage. You can make a much stronger case for it at Middleweight. If most of the world recognise it, that's fine. Doesn't bother me in the slightest. If Corrie Sanders was calling himself world champion, I wouldn't be upset. I just don't recognise it.

Not even Corrie's immediate family would've considered him "the man" at Heavyweight while Lewis was there. I remember the fight well. the general reaction was a contender had been rolled by a fringe contender, not a passing of the torch. Incidentally he binned the title to fight Vitali.

Without putting too fine a point on it, I bet Corrie Sanders and his family considered he won a world title when he beat Wlad. As do many others. Most know he wasn't 'the man in the division'. But there isn't a title for that is there?

[ipswich express]

I believe it's called The Ring magazine championship. It's generally on the money.

Originally Posted by ipswich express

It's fairly easy for knowledgable fans to work out who's the champion in each division, whether it be by lineage or another process.

Is it?

Originally Posted by ipswich express

I don't believe there is a current clear cut champion. Vitali hasn't been beaten since Lewis, though Wladimir looks to be in better form. The two best fighters in the division won't fight each other to determine who's número uno, not that I expect them to. You can make a case for either.

Just one example of where sadly, whether someone is a world champion or not comes down to a matter of opinion.

In this case, virtually the entire world recognize both Wlad & Vitali as current world heavyweight champions

Originally Posted by ipswich express

I believe it's called The Ring magazine championship. It's generally on the money.

I respect Ring better than most other sources. But more and more people are questioning it's 'accuracy' in recent times.

Unfortunately there is no definitive source and therein lies the problem.

[ipswich express]

Absolutely. If I was pressed I'd go with Wladimir. He has the lineage since Vitali retired. If someone wanted to argue black and blue that Vitali is the champ, it wouldn't bother me greatly. Riddle me this, did you consider Francesco Damiani a world champion? Assuming you followed boxing back then. If you did, you'd be in a club of 5 I reckon.

Originally Posted by ipswich express

Absolutely. If I was pressed I'd go with Wladimir. He has the lineage since Vitali retired. If someone wanted to argue black and blue that Vitali is the champ, it wouldn't bother me greatly. Riddle me this, did you consider Francesco Damiani a world champion? Assuming you followed boxing back then. If you did, you'd be in a club of 5 I reckon.

It would be wrong to suggest either of the Klitschkos isn't a world champion. Admittedly they are the most extreme case to split. But sadly there is no clear line in the sand that determines who is a world champion and who isn't in this day and age.

Damiani? Well titles have to begin somewhere. But I'm not 1 of the 5

[ipswich express]

Essentially we're on the same page. The Klits are an extreme case and due to them being related can't really be separated. I honestly reckon you can go through division by division and pick out who is the best fighter in it. Sure there's going to be conjecture, especially when there's a couple of top fighters who haven't faced each other. There's always conjecture though. My recognition of Heavyweight is pretty clear cut. It's a division that has a fairly clear path of lineage, from John L Sullivan onwards.

That being said, I don't follow "lineage" per se as the only guide line. For example Shannon Briggs was a lineal champion when he beat Foreman. He was never the best fighter in the division though.

[Totalpac]

Looks like Alex's opponent is up on Boxrec, Akmal ASLANOV.

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Originally Posted by Totalpac

Looks like Alex's opponent is up on Boxrec, Akmal ASLANOV.

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Take a look at that list of opponents

[Crusher]

Originally Posted by Totalpac

Looks like Alex's opponent is up on Boxrec, Akmal ASLANOV.

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I see him and tank Williams are fighting on the same card potential future match up?

[buster007]

Originally Posted by The Spider

Take a look at that list of opponents

its a payday and ranking fight.

better than nothing.

[swingin]

Originally Posted by Leftsmash

I'd also like to know who was quoted aside from yourself as saying "Alex has the biggest punch in boxing since Tyson"?

ray wheatley i think..

[swingin]

Originally Posted by buster007

its a payday and ranking fight.

better than nothing.

hes just had a hand operation remember....

looks like someone is looking at alex as a vlad opponent.....

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its not like me to say (read my earliest posts..)

i told you so...

the southern hemesphere have never had a world champ (arguably). we deserve another shot. alex..give him one shot on vlads chin....just one.

[kel]

Originally Posted by swingin

ray wheatley i think..

Good ole Ray... i put his opinion right up there with Johnny Lewis