Greater fighter: Thomas Hearns or Wladimir Klitschko

Yes. But it was a mediocre division.

That’s the point.

 

If McCallums career didn't fire until Curry than Vitalis arguably never fired at all. His career even pre Curry is arguably better than Vitali as a whole and the Jackson win in my opinion is better than any Vitali scored in his whole career.

I think McCallum was entitled to a shot by virtue of his high ranking. Champions frequently face highly rated contenders even when they aren't well known or huge draws. Hearns defended against multiple guys ranked below McCallum who at the time were less highly regarded like Fred Hutchings and Mark Medal. As best I can see none of these guys were huge draws or represented massive paydays.

Hearns not fighting McCallum isn't the crime of the century and obviously Duran and Hagler were more lucrative and taken precedence but given his many fights against guys who were even less highly regarded and less profitable I think the fight should have happened.

The closest parallel is Canelo not fighting Benavidez back in the day (2019 to 2023) when he was considered a dangerous opponent but not really famous with the public and less accomplished. I think that's a reasonable assessment.

 

Roberto Duran
Wilfred Benitez
Pipino Cuevas
Ray Leonard
Marvin Hagler

Now match up 5 boxers that are remotely close to those boxers that are on Wlads record.

 

You do know for a time that Mike and Thomas were stable mates right?
You do know when Mike finally got his opportunity, back when HBO was HUGE, that he choked vs a boxer he should have easily stopped (Mannion) to the point HBO was didn't want anything to do with him after.
Mike was no doubt a great fighter but a horrible manager who would often price himself out of bouts.

 

Duran was in the wrong division and past it. Povetkin was a better opponent of similar style.

Byrd obviously compares to Benitez.

Chagaev and Iggy were stumpy guys who knew how to fight going forward like Cuevas.

Hearns went 0-2-1 against Leonard and Hagler with two losses by stoppage. That’s not the sort of stuff that could make him rank above Wlad.

 

NONE of those boxers are in the HOF PERIOD.
None of those boxers were multi division champions.
To even mention Pov in the same sentence as a DURAN shows right there that you are clueless.
Not one of those boxers had 11 title defenses eIther (Cuevas) and NONE of them were ever considered pound for pound one of the hardest punchers while they were fighting (Cuevas).

 

Antonio Cervantes
Carlos Palomino
Roberto Duran

Go ahead and put 3 of Byrds opponents that you feel match up well with those three.
Lets also remember Benitez was SEVENTEEN when he beat Cervantes.

 

Oh, he was seventeen. Did he progress through his mid and late twenties like top fighters typically do?

And why didn’t you include Bruce Curry, Harold Weston, Hamsho, and Davey Moore?

 

It's the only fight in history where both fighters earned a crust afterwards as a pantomime horse.

 

Or Maurice Hope as well. It shows you that while YOU might think someone is equal they are not.
They are LEGENDS for a reason its that simple.

 

Tbf Haye was better than Byrd. Byrd was just stylistic similar to Benitez.

 

Byrd was a SOUTHPAW and while good defensively no doubt had a completely different style then Benitez.
Benitez also went to the body alot more then Byrd.

 

Let’s say you think Benitez was better than anyone who Wlad beat. Fine, now show me the decade that Hearns dominated. Did he even dominate for a two year stretch?

 

Ironically – as a panto – it almost worked!!