Wladimir Klitschko All Time Rankings

Imho any Wlad ranking outside of ATG No. 6-12 is unrealistic.
And every ranking between ATG No. 6-12 comes down to "in my book" anyway - which is fine.
I generally think that it is difficult to realistically rank any boxer immediately after his career ends, or whose career ended relatively recently.
Wlad is even more difficult to realistically rank due to 3 losses in the first part of his career, because no one in HW ATG 10 has such a similar example (first 3 losses, then champion).
I'm also curious how the members will rank Wlad.
I would probably drop Jack Johnson from the Top 10 and put Wlad in, because of the arguments you made.

 

Right behind Lennox and Larry. Maybe even ahead of Larry. Its close. H2H theres very few people you could put above him because of his size and power. I know he took some Ls early and that the WBO technically wasn't a major belt but even that reign he had was pretty solid. He was HWs 2nd best champ even at the turn of the century. 15 years fighting at the top level.

As I've grown older I've gradually appreciated Lennox less and Wlad more even though I still have Lennox ahead. As a kid my frustration with Wlad was his reign being boring but once his reign was over and its no longer ruining your enjoyment of the sport its easier to appreciate. Also the era that came after of pulling fighters teeth to fight each other made you really appreciate Wlad consistantly fighting a top contender every 6 months for 5+ years. We really took that for granted. People also held the fact he didn't unify with his brother and weren't interested in HW against him and that was not his fault. People were right to be unhappy but that shouldn't effect Wlads legact and in my estimination it has.

 

Top 5 imo. I think 3,4 and 5 is solidly between him Lennox and Holmes in any order. While people say he was in a weak era he actually had a number of pretty good wins i.e Povetkin, Haye, Byrd, Pulev Chagaev. And 2 of his early losses was because of inexperience gassing himself out in fights he was winning one because he got blitzed and didn't have the experience to deal with it none of which should be counted strongly against him.

 

I have him at #5 and let's be honest, the top 10 are all up for debate.

However, I cannot see a top ten where Wladimir does not have a spot somewhere. It's like chucking out Holmes or Foreman.

 

Predicting the usual suspect comes in and rates him at #22

 

Top 8-12. No way he makes Top 5.

 

I have him around 7. Just behind my elite crop of Ali, Lewis, Louis, Holmes, Foreman, Holyfield. I am comfortable putting him above Tyson, Liston, Dempsey, Marciano, Frazier and Johnson due to the relative strengths of their reigns. Wlad did so much compared to his contemporaries in the lower part of my top 10 that he maintains a very solid spot.

Head to head he is a nightmare, his style would be difficult for fighters of any generation, his power, height, reach, technique and ring IQ are top tier. Wlad was nearly impossible to bully in the clinch, nearly impossible to swing on when he wanted to clinch you. Wlad would slam a 1-2 onto a fighter's face and grab them up before the answer.

Young Wlad was a menace and put some insane beatings on fighters as well.

For all the bad and weird fights he subjected us to, I still find myself unable to punish him. It really wasn't his fault, the AJ fight showed that for me.

 

Incredibly dominant run of 11 years and 18 title defenses. His run as champion was longer than Marciano’s entire career. I see no case where he can be left off top 10 lists honestly. I do understand his style left much to be desired in the excitement department. His career reminds me of Holmes where he won’t get proper credit for how good he truly was until many years pass and people adjust their opinion of him. He dominated his opposition rarely losing rounds in fights, and fought prime contenders, not shopworn or shot names fighters in the division. He didn’t feast on the bones of Holyfield, Moorer, Toney, instead facing men that beat each of these fading heavies. Obviously his brother being the other dominant fighter for a portion of Wlad’s reign complicates matters some but Vitali twice retired during Wlad’s run and never faced the level of competition that Wlad did as champion. I don’t hold two brothers not fighting against each other against either man.
As for Wlad’s losses, I don’t put much weight on Wlad’s loss to Purrity. Wlad was only 22 years old and was fighting in front of him home crowd in Ukraine for the first time. He won every round until the unrealistic pace he set wore himself out. To give it a little context Lennox Lewis was still losing to forgotten Cubans and Russians as an amateur at age 22.
The Sanders loss is the big blemish on Wlad’s career. Nobody expected that outcome going into the fight. However facing a hard hitting southpaw with fast hands is something most heavyweights try to avoid. After the loss, I found it interesting that Vitali stepped in to face Sanders and thought this was new and exciting. Beat one brother the other brother steps in. However in retrospect Wlad should have faced Sanders a second time. I’m not sure the brothers gave it much thought at the time. Wlad later rematched Brewster and won. And finally at the end of the career at age 39 and 41 he lost to two hall of fame level heavies, one of which he desperately tried to chase down and rematch and the other he gave a true all time classic battle before falling.
Wlad faced all comers as champion, he beat more southpaws than any heavy in history, dominated boxers and movers, fought sluggers, kept his belts and didn’t drop them to avoid styles not favorable to him. He put the division in an iron Vice grip and so dominated the American fight scene that he basically erased America’s presence in the glamour division.
I find to leave Wlad off reeks of a bias when the man has more than double the number of defenses as many of the men that make most people’s lists. Look at George Foreman, he won the title with a heavily padded record, made two defenses one against Jose Roman. He got picked off by Ali. Lost on the comeback trail to a 10 loss fighter and retired for a decade. Comes back pads his record again, beats probably the 4th best heavyweight in the division at the time in Moorer and “should” of been picked off again in his first defense against hand chosen Axel Schulz. It’s not easy defending the crown consistently.
Wlad did that over and over again. He’s top 5 for me.

 

Apologies to member @MaccaveliMacc if I disturb the thread. Should Wlad be ranked above Marciano? The question is serious.
I apologize once again.

 

I think so was dominant for way longer, has way more wins, and imo beat better bigger fighters.

 

I think i qualify as one the usual suspects and i have him 15 - 20

 

Losing to Sanders who was a cherry pick because he was past prime , getting mulched in 2 rounds , and then avoiding the rematch eliminates him from any spot in the top 15.

Greatness is often determined by a taking and avenging rematches


Why ? Because your confidence is down. You have to fight a guy you know already won. You don't want to lose again. The pressure is higher. The nerve are worse. It takes more bravery to go up against that guy again. Boxing is filled with guys to NEVER attempt to settle the score.
Its a true act of greatness to overturn loses and disputed decisions.

True ATGs don't run from rematches like Wlad did with Sanders.

Thats not all.

He went to the courts to avoid rematching Williamson who was giving him problems before he lucked out with a headbutt stoppage. He was on the downward trajectory in that fight.

There's more

A rematch should have been scheduled with Povetkin for him to prove he could win without breaking the compu-foul record.
He would never agree to fight Povetkin with a fair ref.

Imagine Ali never agreed to fight Frazer in the rubber. He took the rubber after the criticism he got for holding constantly in the second one.