Vitali Klitschko. Lots of potential, but didn't prove it in the ring, mostly fighting second and third tier competition. Some people even act like he never lost and others have him very high on their H2H list despite the fact he never beaten an elite HW.
Many could be argued here. Fitz Jeffries Burns Johnson Dempsey Louis Marciano Patterson Liston Ali Frazier Foreman Holmes Spinks Tyson Holyfield Lewis Klits Fury AJ Usyk You could make an argument of all these being thought as incredibly skilled, unbeatable, once in a lifetime or whatever epithets people placed on them. I would likely offer Fury and AJ as recent current examples - Usyk will likely fall into this category considering how a win versus Dubois (who he had already beaten before) catapulted him into GOAT territory for some.
For the casual fan, Ali and Tyson are the 2 greatest fighters ever P4P and could do no wrong in their prime. Obviously that's just not the way it is. Lewis also gets quite overrated skill wise. He's one of the best H2H Heavies ever because his combination of size and skill make him the best of the Super Heavyweights, but the size part does as much work as the skill part here. Lewis was clearly a very solid fighter with very solid skills, but if he was 6'3 210 lbs, nobody would be saying he'd beat someone like Louis or Frazier. And obviously Usyk is being overrated to **** recently. You'd swear he had Ali's speed, Duran's skill, Moore's ring IQ, Robinson's combinations and Hagler's chim the way a lot of people talk about him.
The ugly truth is that amongst the pantheon of the greats, the HW fighters are statistically the least skilled. Greater, higher skilled fighters exist at lower weights - HW fighters have the great equalisers - power and size. They will usually always command the most money and most fan imagination, therefore get blown up to levels that they just don't show on film. Some of the Usyk stuff I've seen over the last 3 years, wow - wow.
For sure. Let's not forget where Wilder and Wardley have gotten in this era by just being big, hard hitting guys who actually, legitimately, don't know how to fight. One was at one point considered the best in the world, the other was considered the biggest contender for Usyk's titles alongside Kabayel prior to the drumming Dubois gave him. Zhang was the #3 in the world at one point, and his stamina is so ****, I'm almost convinced he'd get out lasted by my 85 year old grandad in a 1900s 45 rounder. It's not as if he was anything more than a mediocre technician to make up for it either. Just another huge guy with tons of power who made a name for himself because he KO'd another giant who blocked punches with his face. This is the era Usyk is ruling over. No wonder him beating Fury, AJ and Dubois made the world think he's cleaned out an entire division and "completed Boxing", as those guys are among the few that are not a complete mess (they're still very flawed). Then you hear about the evolution of skill, how old fighters had no defence, and were living off pasta, bread, burgers and dreams. All of that just to require 35 minutes to solve a Kickboxer who ruled over a historically weak Kickboxing Heavyweight division after all its stars retired The WBC's ordered Usyk to make a decision regarding Kabayel by the end of the month. Hopefully the fight gets made, he loses (I think he does), and we can finally say the Heavyweight champion of the world isn't going life and death with a non Boxer. What makes it more embarassing, is that despite how absolutely awful the Boxing Heavyweight division is, it's still the overall best Heavyweight division in combat sports right now Like seriously, there are only 3 UFC Heavyweights that can fight worth a ****. Aspinall, Gane and Volkov. Hokit is the next best guy after them and he couldn't even do a basic ass armbar 2 days ago. Kickboxing ain't looking much better either. And our HW champs just **** on that by taking these circus fights and preparing as if their opponents won't train their assess off every day to shock the world.
He wouldn't fight in the style and manner which he did if he were 6-3, 210. There is not one blanket skillset for all physical assets. Lewis used the particular skills that emphasized his assets. He would have been stupid to do otherwise.
He was in the 225-235 range and as low as 221 when he was destroying Ruddock, Tucker, Bruno, Weaver and Biggs. 2 inches and 20 lbs wouldn't change him to the point where he'd be a more skilled fighter than Ali or Louis. Lewis just didn't have the ability in him.
Who can forget the crazy peak of the Tyson Fury hype train? ? After he beat Dillian Whyte some fans - and the media, GAD I'm looking at you - were claiming, with a straight face, he was an ATG top 10 HW. For shame.
H2H Vitali ranks quite high with me,he has a great judgement of distance,a top chin ,and fights to his strengths.Historically,resume wise, he is a foot note. Stiff,upright,defensively average,with overated power. A might have been top 12. Bowe is another who,though more naturally talented that Vitali, lacked the dedication to do himself full justice.
He was a freaking sniper when he was younger. No one destroyed Ruddock like Lewis did. And he was the first to do a real number on Tucker. I don't trust people who solely assess skills by the eye test, by what looks flashy and cute, some silly footwork to impress the casuals and drunk judges. I look at results, at who knows how to make his opponent fight HIS fight on HIS terms, who can do the dirty work to win the rules of engagement. Even against a murderer's row of punchers, the best any heavy ever faced and beat, Lewis turned the fights to his terms. He was highly skilled, underrated in that respect.