If Wladimir Klitschko goes undefeated for 2 more years..

American*

If Tyson was white and American he'd be like some sort of savior for ESB.

 

He already is, he gets excuses made for pretty much every loss in his whole career.

'88 Tyson and Ingle Gym Naz are the two most unbeatable modern fighters according ESB myth.

 

Less than 3 years and only 8 more defences until Wlad ties the record.

 

There are:

-Total title defenses.
and
-Consecutive title defenses.

They are two different things.

(And then there is acknowledging when he actually became the lineal champ, which to me was 2009 [Chagaev] but to others might not have been until 2011 [Haye] or 2013 [Povetkin]).

 

He only has 10 defenses of the lineal title, starting with Chagaev, so still 15 to go to tie Louis.

 

That would still make him 2nd after Louis "all time" I guess. Because if you count that way, Holmes lineage (starting at 03-1980 according to most, wich I agree with) wouldn't be accepable by just being the clear #1 HW at the time, wich Wlad was way before the Chag fight.

lineage sux this day and age anyway. A lot of the so called actual champions only defend against the guys they know they can beat or sometimes not at all.

 

:thumbsup

He's been the number 1 titlist since beating Byrd. That's the fairist comparison in my opinion.

 

Def agree with part 1.

Not quite as stern as you sound on part 2.

---

When might you guys say Wladimir became the #1 HW, both in your opinion and consensus?

 

Wlad has 17 title defenses and counting. If you count from when he beat Byrd (which established him as the best active Heavyweight) his brother was inactive due to injury from Dec of 04 until October of 08. Nearly 4 full years and you generally lose your position if inactive for longer than a year.
If you consider Wlad lineal only from the Chagaev fight onwards(when Ring magazine awarded him such a title) he has 10 consecutive title defenses.
So it's either 17 in a row or 10.
Either way it's extremely impressive.

 

Its 17. He need 8 more to tie with Louis.

 

8 more defenses is long way away. Not sure he hangs around for that. I could see him passing Holmes and reaching 21 consecutive.

 

Every credible boxing publication lists him at 17. It's 17.

It's annoying hear people say "well he didn't get lineal until...".

 

^ I agree. Mostly because when he defeated Byrd he established himself as the best active Heavyweight.
I only brought to explain the situation.

 

No , Vitali was always seen as the best Heavyweight when he was active.

Louis never split the division with any tag team partner.

 

Only who can't understand boxing finesses believes Vitali the kickboxing brawler was the better boxer