Who will be remembered as the greater fighter: Wladimir Klitschko or Riddick Bowe?

2000 hits over 20 years? Lol So Wlad is an average boxer you're saying? You know how many ball players get 2000 hits over a career? How many heavyweights have had 13 or more title defenses while winning Gold in the Olympics?? That's just for starters. That little analogy of yours is a nice try, but not an accurate one in this case.

 

Bowe ducked Lennox Lewis, had 2 wins over steroid-fueled Evan Fields, and was dominated by Andrew Golota twice. He was champion for 1 year.
Wlad has been champ for nearly 7 years now, Bowe is not in his league.

 

Not true. Wlad's beat plenty of ATG using that critera. Byrd, Peter, Ibragimov and Rahman for instance.

 

About ten times more exciting

 

As most have said, Wladamir has had the better career (mainly down to longevity) but prime H2H - Bowe sends Klitschko to sleep.

 

Different era's though. You can't say Wlad's better because he's been champ for seven years. I mean if you think Wlad is just better overall, then that's fair enough. But I do a head to head breakdown of each of their strengths and weaknesses. I then envisage what would have happened had they fought each other. Then I envisage Wlad in the 90's boxing the same opposition as Bowe, and then vice versa, with Bowe boxing now, and facing Wlad's opposition. When I've considered all of the above, that's when I choose who I think was better.

Wlad is a great fighter. Bowe was too when he was fit and focused. But I don't like all of this "Wlad's had more title defences, Wlad's been champ for longer etc, so he's better." It's nonsense unless you take everything else into consideration.

Rocky Marciano went undefeated at 49-0, but you won't hear many people saying that he's the greatest heavyweight of all time. You have to look at the circumstances involved, and evaluate everything.

 

I really hate Waldo but this comparison is uber ridiculous. Wlad is the greater fighter without a doubt.

 

Who were these great fighters Bowe shared the ring with? Klitschko would tear through the guys on Bowe's resume.
Bowe shamefully ducked the best fighter of his generation and he didn't fight Tyson either. Holyfield is the only guy that Klitschko would have trouble with.
H2H Bowe loses to Klitschko as well.

 

In my opinion, this is a really stupid question. Wlad is by far the better champion. Look at how many successful defenses Wlad actually has compared to Bowe.

 

I respect your opinion. Do you think then, that if both fighters fought each other at their absolute best, Wlad would win?

 

That alone doesn't mean that Wlad was a better fighter.

 

Neither were/are great fighters?

How disrespectful.

 

Bowe could have possibly been on the same level of respect as Klitschko but he just lacked the character.

 

I didn't say that Bowe's resume was stacked. But you're saying Bowe wasn't in his league.

I don't think Wlad could have beaten those versions of Holy that Bowe did. If you think Wlad would have beat Bowe at his best had they fought, that's fair enough. I don't agree. I think Bowe boxing to his full capabilities would have been too much for Wlad. It's all about opinions, and I respect yours.

The only problem I had with your original post, was that you said Bowe wasn't in his league, and he'd been a champ for longer. But that's just circumstances.

Bowe's era was stronger. Do you think Wlad's stats would be the same as what they are now, if we were now in the 90's?

Like I say, if you think Wlad was better that's fine by me. I just don't like it when people pick fighter A over fighter B, just because fighter A has been champ for longer and he's had more defences etc. You also have to take other things into consideration.