Wladimir Klitschko....will he go down as an all-time great heavyweight?

wow, couldn't have said it any better mrbassie. im in the same boat as you are, the klits ever so bizarre fan base makes the klitschkos really hard to like. never have i seen a group of fans overrate the **** out of two boxers that aren't all that good, their worse then *******s if anything.

 

I think that after he retires and we all look back at what he has done from Olympics and beyond, he will be considered an ATG. what # will he be will be up for debate, but when its all said and done, he will be an ATG

like many fighters...what they have accomplished in their career is not full appreciated until they are retired... IMO Wlad falls into that group

 

If he finishes business with Povetkin & Chambers and, expecially, gets Tua after Tua has another good win ("prove" he's not afraid of his chin), they I think you have a tough, tough argument to keep him out of the top 20 (I think it'd be impossible).

Winner of Haye/Valuev would be great but I don't see the politics having it happen.

A loss, though, at this point would be devastating. He's already used his mulligans and there isn't anyone around that he truly should not beat.

 

to not like a fighter because of some of the fighters fans is kinda ridiculous.... Make a choice for you not based on other people that the fighter has NO control over... Look at what the fighter does in and out of the ring...not what his fans do...IMO

 

No doubts about it. I remember many people using the exact same negative comments when that was mentioned regarding Lennox Lewis. If he continues to fight/beat everyone the division has to offer then hell yes he would, Vitali would as well.

Face it, these guys are here to fight the best and are doing a great job representing the division. I don't think anyone wants to see them out of boxing only to have the division imitate sumo fighting with Peter, Rahman, Valuev and Toney holding the major titles, talking trash and ducking each other.

 

I completely agree, Unless a hugely popular talent emerges to convicingly beat everybody out there and then get beaten by Wladimir, but i guess there would still be people claiming this new guy was a tomato can and a bum that never would have gotten there in the first place unless the division was in the worst era of all time...

 

OF course.

 

The division offered better in Lewis' day though.

 

Hall of fame for sure maybe an all time great. He has a very good resumee. He has a very good reign as champ. Maybe a better resumee as a champ then Joe Louis whose best victories were before winning the title minus Scmelling. Wlad not only wins but destroys all of his foes. He beat many guys with undefeated records. His main problem ha s been mandatories. He also dismantles and ruins his opponents careers. Has Byrd Brock Austin Brewster Thompson, Ibragimov, Rahman or many other done much since their bad beating. Chagaev took one hell of a beating too we'll see if he can recover. Another point to make is he is only 32 or 33. If he fights as long as his brother another 5 or 6 years you never know what he might accomplish. Vitali may only be around another year. Then Wlad could go back to single domination as ring champ. What if he unifies with the WBA champ and whoever picks up Vitali's WBC when he retires. Wlad could still get some good wins. Povetkin, Chambers, Solis, Ustinov, Boystov have yet to fight him. Aging legends that still linger like Toney, Tua, Briggs Mccall would fatten that resumee too.

 

i never knew all time great heavyweights got stopped by guys like corrie sanders and lamon brewster in their prime?

 

and tyson got stopped by Douglas. Lewis was stopped by Rahman..You can say that for EVERY boxer. What is your point.... oh yeah... you never have one:yep

 

I have him around number 75 at the moment. If he wins his next 3 fights in devastating fashion I might move him up to number 72, unless Butterbean makes a comeback.

 

No.

This isn't a slight on him though... but there simply isn't the opposition available for him to be any more than a very, very good fighter.

He hasn't dominated the division at any stage, which counts against him. Even now, generally recognised as #1, he only has one title.

 

of course not he is not American so he is held to a higher standard.
Klitchsko would probably be one of teh best H2H heavyweights ever. His size and perfect technical skills would be nearly impossible for anyone to overcome.

 

It is difficult to become an ATG when the opposition is so weak. And still, Wlad managed to lose multiple times against fighters like Sanders, Purrity or Brewster. I can't recall any ATG heavyweight having so embarassing losses.

He won't fight the only serious challenger, who happens to be his brother. OK, I understand it - but if he wants to built serious legacy on shot Rahmans and (tailor-made for him) Byrds, he should built a really long winning streak without losses, something like Holmes. I admit he is the best from otherwise shitty division, but I do not think this is enough to make anyone ATG.