https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4sOvbI_tAw Ali Louis Foreman Holmes Lewis A pretty standard list. Foreman in the top 5 is an unusual pick though. Seems like a H2H list. He had Wlad at 8, though that was probably back in 2011/12. With Wlad now having 18 defenses as well as beating Povetkin, Pulev and Jennings since Manny's death, I think he's probably a top 5 lock.
I like his insight, but I still like my list better. I can't see Foreman as the 3rd best HW of All-Time. You need to make more title defenses IMO. Wlad needs to reach 21 consecutive title defenses and get the WBC belt to cement his legacy for me. If he does at least those 2 things he will be #3. 1) Louis 2) Ali 3) Marciano 4) Lewis 5) Johnson 6) Dempsey 7) Holmes 8) Foreman 9) Tyson 10 Frazier
Yes but how good were these last 18 defenses? Povetkin was definitely a solid win, but Jennings only had 19 fights, not sure he was ready for Wlad. Pulev is overrated in my opinion. Nothing in his last 18 defenses that any top 10 HW wouldn't have plowed through pretty easily. Wlad is without question top 20 and maybe top 10. Having lost to three subpar fighters by knockout, I just can't rate him top 5.
I think when all is said and done it'll be hard to deny Wlads place as a top 5 ATG. What's most impressive about Wlad's reign is longevity. You know as well as I know that talent isn't everything..... A true hallmark of most ATG fighters is their work ethic and dedication. You can have all of the talent in the world, and not have an ATG career.... That's what sets guys like The Klitschkos, Mayweather, and Hopkins apart from most fighters, apart from their skill set.
Contrary to what you may think I don't dislike Wlad. Great fighter no doubts. Seems like a good man too, got mad respect for him. My refusal to consider him top 5 of all time has more to do with the other guys he's up against for that honor than him. Guys like Marciano and Ali were NEVER knocked out their whole careers. Foreman was knocked out once in over 80 fights. And he didn't even fight a lot of his best potential years, neither did Ali. I truly think the fight that finished Ali was Earnie Shavers. He took flush shots from that man and didn't go down. And people used to joke Shavers could knock out God. But the fight may have given him Parkinson's. Do you think Wlad could have taken flush shots from Earnie Shavers and not go down? Not asking if he could beat Shavers cause he probably could, but I'm talking about taking flush shots from him? I realize chin is not the only measure of a boxer, but still you got to take it into account. No matter how you flush it, Wlad was knocked out by three pretty average fighters and that has to take him down a peg from guys who went their whole careers and never got put down, or just put down once or twice by great fighters. Even Lennox Lewis just went down twice and avenged both defeats, and I even think the McCall stoppage may have been premature. Larry Holmes got knocked out once, by Tyson in over 60 fights. Joe Louis only went down twice, once in the twelfth round while he was still green, and once by Marciano in the twilight of his career.
1a. Ali 1b. Louis After those, it is highly debatable. Johnson, Marciano, Jeffries, Lennox, and Holmes seem like the next guys up. Possibly the next tier includes Foreman, Frazier, Wladimir, Holyfield, and Dempsey? ...but I waver on this, probably daily, if I were to think about it.
There are some great fighters with very embarrassing losses early on in their careers, while Wlad is certainly chinny I think his early struggles were more stamina related(Sanders aside) I think Shavers had the power to KO him sure, Shavers he hit like a truck..... Wlad's chin is certainly lacking compared to a lot of the other greats I won't deny that, but is that how we rate greatness? You at least acknowledge the case for Wlad being a top 10, I can understand you not considering him top 5 material regardless of how he finishes out his career.
So acknowledging this, why dismiss someone like Wilder? He's not been knocked out. Yes, Sconiers knocked him down. And Sconiers was a bum, no question about it. But Wilder has beaten superior fighters since. One legit knockdown in 35 fights is not that shabby, even if it was against a bum. I don't think its enough to write him off. And if you are a reasonable person you surely realize the Nichols thing was a farce.
