Wlads h2h rank drops

Hopkins h2h rank dropped vs Taylor, Jones, and Calzaghe. Years before kov

 

Ali was ill and had Parkinsons when he fought Berbick. He was so ill that he couldn't get a license to fight in America and had to fight in Bahamas where they didnt even have a proper bell to sound at the end of the round. I think Ali was the underdog in that fight as well.

Wlad on the other hand fought in his usual style, was still regarded as the HW champion and the best HW in the world, had been unbeaten in 10 years, had shown few visible signs of decline and was a massive favourite to beat Fury. Wlad had problems not because of his age but because of Fury's size, skill and style. Wlad may have won 5 years ago but it would have been a very close fight.

 

Agreed-- Hopkins-Taylor is a MUCH better ana logy.

 

Didn't prime vlad get sparked by 3 journey men?

 

One journeyman.

A fringe contender.

One genuine top contender.

 

Hopkins was 49 years old and on the closer side to 50. He also wasn't very heavily favored to win in one-side fashion either. He was also fighting a much more dangerous opponent to him in Kovalev, relatively speaking. Wladimir's situation with Fury is in no way similar in these facets.

Your post is way off, idiot. :bart

 

He's a limited fighter, a good fighter but limited, surely that's always been there for all to see.
As soon as he was confronted with a man has big as him, with a jab and a bit of movement he didn't have an answer.

 

:deal

 

I was only a few rows back. I can't give Wladimir more than one or two rounds in that fight.

 

18 title defenses are a JOKE. Every so called defense was for a fragmented title. Never unified. Comparably Louis fighting Max Baer and others prior to beating Braddock could be considered title fights today. Wlads rein as such is incomparable and far less impressive than many past greats.

 

Anyone who can't see neither fighter can really fight does not know boxing technically. These are low skill fighters akin to amateurs in ability at best.

 

Very ignorant comment. Wlad won his first belt of his second reign against Chris Byrd. The best active titlist at the time. Vitali, was in the middle of a 4 year hiatus, due to a career threatening ACL tear. Byrd the IBF belt holder held wins over David Tua, Evander Holyfield, Jameel Mccline and Vitali (due to injury).
To get to this fight Wlad had to defeat a consensus number one contender in Samuel Peter.
As for not "unifying" again this is an egregious statement. Wlad dominated Sultan Ibrigamov who had just defeated Holyfield. The win was for Ibrigamov's WBO title.
Around this time Vitali returns from injury and was granted champion emeritus status (champion in recess) and was awarded an immediate title match with Samuel Peter, who already was a Wlad victim and who Wlad would KO in his second fight with him.
Wlad then fought and dominated Ruslan Chagaev but do to politics his WBA title was not on the line for the fight. So Wlad would ultimately have to fight for this belt a second time- against David Haye who Wlad dominated as well.
So there is Byrd, Ibrigamov, Haye. For 3 of the 4 major titles. The one title he did not possess was granted to a man that was already a victim of his in Peter who Wlad would go on to defeat a second time. The only reason Wlad has not been undisputed since the Haye fight is because of family. Nobody the WBC put up against Vitali would fair any better against a prime Wlad.
Quite simply Wlad with the rightful champion of the division. Wlad has faced the best competition the divsion has had to offer since the defeat of Chris Byrd nearly a decade ago. That is what champions do irregardless of the silly alphabet titles. For example Wilder possesses the WBC belt but he has faced no one of note and rightfully is not considered the "champ". Wlad was and has been forever. The only case that could be made is for his brother. Who missed 4 years with an injury and faced far softer competition than Wlad upon his return.

 

We don't know how Lewis would have been at wlads age because he was retired by then

 

And what boxing great was better at 40?

 

He is the same age as Mayweather. Even turned pro in the same year.

Foreman was great at 46.

Vitali was seen as unbeatable when he was 39.

Lewis was the same age when he beat Vitali.