Has Wlad done enough to establish lineage?

The question is lineal not undisputed.

 

His brother, via his comeback, effectively cockblocked Wladimir from being both in everybody's eyes.

Take Vitali out of the equation, and there's nobody else for McGrain & others to rank above Chagaev in mid-2009. Without Vitali as an alternative, Chagaev was the clear #2. Nobody else was close enough behind to make an argument.

So there's the lineal.

As far as undisputed, the only dispute to Wladimir's supremacy in the last several years has been that Vitali is also hanging around making it functionally impossible for either brother to claim that honor.

 

It'd be a very crude calculation indeed if it factors time in years and not days, or at least months.

 

Agreed, Wlad would probably have a better resume had Vitali not returned. If he wasn't already undisputed he would have a belt holder to go after.

 

Linear or not he is clearly better than a host of 90's linear champs...so its meaningless really!

Roy Jones never fought his #2 @ LHW in the 90's!

 

:good

And Wlad would have the chance of a rematch against Peter (which happened) when Peter was the WBC Champion. When the rematch happened Peter was "only" the IBF mandatory.

 

Has he ever fought the number 2 ranked fighter in the division while he was number one (or vice versa)? No.

 

Chris Byrd?

 

Neither had Holmes for what it's worth.

 

Wlad was around #8 at the time. Byrd was #1 though.

 

Take Vitali out of the equation and a reeling Wlad has to face Lennox in 2003 right after being KOd by Sanders.

Take Vitali out of the equaton Wlads reign is over before it even began because there is no 6'8 bodyguard to plow the way for him.

Wlad cant use Vitali as a team mate and take full credit for being Lineal. You cant have cake and eat it too.

 

... that is questionable ... brothers have a long record of 'choosing' conveniently
opponents depending on the personal preference. I can see Wlad having much
more trouble against Arreola, Briggs, Solis ... while Thompson, Wach, Haye,
Chagaev would have better chances against slower Vitaly than against Wlad.

 

Chris Byrd was the No. 1 when Wlad fought him in 2006.

 

In 2004 there where no big bro for helping. Vitali did not want Wlad to work with Emanuel Steward but Wlad fired him out of his camp.


Emanuel Steward was the most important man for Wlad to grow up as a fighter and if Wlad had work with Steward after the Sanders loss Wlad would have rematched Sanders and won.

And if Vitali was not around, Wladimir would have continue working with Don Turner for example. So IMO he would never lost to Sanders.

One reason for the loss the false training with Fritz Sdunek, nothing else. Wlad always wants to work the good american coaches but Vitali and Sdunek let it not happen.

Wlad worked with Don Turner for the rematch against Carlos Monroe. Great fight. Wlad worked with Tommy Brooks for the fight against Ray Mercer, great fight. But after that Sdunek returned in Wlad´s corner. And it was Vitali who wants Sdunek to work with Wlad.

Watch the fight with american coaches and you can see a much more fluid and better Wlad, better footwork, better defence. The fight against Mercer was very good. Tommy Brooks was the headcoach, although Sdunek was the coach at fight night. This proofs, he did not want to let Wlad work with american coaches.

Vitali did more handicapped Wlad´s career than helped him. In his badest time in 2004, no help from Vitali, just the opposite.

The man who helped Wlad, was Emanuel Steward.

 

Isn't it better to be #1 than lineal? Zlot Erdai was lineal but he wasn't the best in his division. Being lineal does not necessarily mean being the best in the division.