Holmes has the better resume and it should probably be better as there were some contenders he didn't fight while Wlad pretty much fought everyone just a weaker era.
If Wlad had Vitali, Ruiz, Valuev and Sanders (win) on his résumé I'd say it'd be head and shoulders above Holmes
Tho Holmes shut up shop post Witherspoon i'd still take him here. My big problem with Wlad is that his brother was the best or second best (counting Wlad) of a substantial part of his reign. Tho i understand them not fighting each other it counts heavily for me.
Holmes 48-0 until he got old, undefeated until age cought up with him! Pretty much the problem comparing with Wlad, who got three big losses at young age.
Right! Forgot about that! He won the rematch in most eyes making it 49-1. AND hat the guts to get into the ring with the most fearsome fellow since Liston!
Holmes had the better resume and the better career. I rank Holmes at #4 ATG and I rank Wladimir at #11. Their longevity is similar but Holmes had fewer blemishes, beat better fighters, his lineage was more clear and he established himself as THE MAN whereas Wladimir had never fully unified and at no point during his reign was he the only man in the world to be called the Heavyweight Champion.
I'll go with that .If he could have faced , and probably beat those guys then he's beaten all the top men of his era . Then his resume s looking very good , comparable with Holmes .
Wlad. Fought southpaws. Unified titles. Went into the lions den facing DKP fighters on a few occasions. Fought better competition on the way to the title. Fought all over the world in many different countries. Had rematches with some tough challengers.
Holmes … I don't get the Wlad thing with people .. He didn't fight his brother. It is completely different to be King of the mountain alone then to share it with someone else .. It's not even comparable.
He was never gonna fight Vitali and Ruiz and Valuev don't really add a lot for me plus he dominated Chagaev and Haye who beat both of them. Also Sanders whole legacy is based on the Wlad win and rematch would have value although it would have had to have been straight away as Corrie fell of quick. I don't think Wlad could have done a lot more maybe if he beats Sanders he gets a Lennox fight and a win there would have been huge.
