Does anybody else miss the Klitschko era ?

Skill wise this era is worse than Klichko era was, but it’s more competitive for sure.

 

I sometimes miss watching heavyweights who actually know what the hell they're doing, which isn't the case if you watch a lot HWs today like Wilder and Whyte. But I find this current division far more exciting and competitive. Wlad was just too dominant.

 

They fought 2-3 times a yeas often vs ranked contenders in their prime, which is something Fury or Wilder don't seem to be interested in doing.

 

Don't miss that era but I miss the Klitschko brothers. Both of them were great fighters, would love to see them in any era to be honest.

 

You know who I'd like to see back from the Klitschko era? Sam Peter. A prime one before he let it all hang out and started to audition his face as a punching bag.

Imagine Chisora vs Peter or Whyte vs Peter. Guaranteed fireworks.

 

Combined, they may have fought two or three times a year. (LOL)

Name all the ranked contenders in their prime Vitali fought in his nine WBC title defenses? I'll wait. (LOL)

Don't glamorize that period in heavyweight history.

 

If they were from the west it would be remembered as a great era of boxing I feel that their heritage skews the way they are viewed by the majority of boxing historians

 

On the contrary, they were huge stars in Germany because Germany hadn't had top heavyweights for decades.

In the U.S., they were never big draws ... in person or on television. HBO quit televising Klitschko fights for a while after the Wlad-Ibragimov ratings were the lowest boxing ratings for the network in a long time.

Wlad even moved to the U.S., lived in California during much of his later reign, and dated a TV star for years, and his girlfriend was in the press all the time ... and he'd rarely get a mention even if he was standing next to her.

The "we love our mother too much to ever fight" bit wouldn't have worked here. Brothers beat the hell out of each other in all sports in the US all the time.

They weren't exciting enough in or out of the ring to be stars in the U.S.

But Germany embraced them, even if most of their fights were boring as hell, because they brought big-time boxing back to that country.

 

Americans don’t wanna see foreigners beat up their fighters though that’s a fact

I also think Don King had the networks shut them out they were well received in the US before they refused to work with him

 

Many of the top sports stars in the U.S. are from other countries. Boxers from other countries have become big stars in the U.S. for a 100 years.

HBO did its best to push the Klitschkos. Larry Merchant was so fawning over Wlad leading up to the Sanders fight, George Foreman started making fun of Larry's 'mancrush' on camera.

But their fights weren't seen as exciting. Same way Pernell Whitaker never became a superstar in the U.S., because people didn't find him exciting. HBO admitted it in the Whitaker case, but said on air they were going to keep showing his fights anyway because they thought it was important.

When Wlad's ratings tanked way below Whitaker's had been, they pulled the plug on the Klitschkos for a couple years.

 

I remember it well Vitali retired due to injuries and Wlad got KTFO hard twice

I remained a fan regardless but it was harder to find their fights on television after that

 

Yes, Vitlai did fight 2-3 times a year . And he didn't prey upon old men, or the unranked men as Fury and Wilder did, that's a fact. The older fighters Vitali fought were punchers for the most part.

Taking out Vitali's WBO's matches here's who he beat in the WBC title matches. Some of these guys were ranked in the top ten at the time of the fight. Wilder was fraud who NEVER beat a top ten ring magazine opponent in his Prime/ Fury for now made his name on being a over rated Wilder and a 39 year old Wlad.

Sanders 39-2 #3 rated by Ring Magazine
Williams 32-3, age 31. A puncher. Vitali was scheduled to meet Tyson, Williams defeated Tyson, hence the reason why this fight happened.
Peter 30-1, #2 Ring magazine rated Age 28
Gomez 44-1, #9 ring magazine rated. Argued before box rec says: Klitschko was ranked #2 by [url]The Ring Magazine[/url] and Gomez was ranked #9.
Arreola 27-0, age 28 #6 Ring Magazine rated.
Johnson, 22-0-1. age 30 #10 Ring Magazine rated.
Sonowski 45-2-1, age 31
Briggs 55-5-1, former lineal champion, and a pucher
Solis 17-0, age 30, #9 rated by Ring magazine. Olympic gold champion.
Adamek, 44-1, age 34. #3 Rated by Ring Magazine
Chisora 15-2, unranked age 28. If he wasn't; robbed vs Helenius, he probably would have been ranked
Charr, 21-0, age 27. Unranked.

So to answer you question Vitali beat 7 ranked contenders, which is more than half of the WBC title fights he was in. He was also the older man in all fights except for one. And he was active fight 2 or 3 times a year as stated. See you didn't have to wait long. You might have learned something.

If you add up Wilder's and Fury's and wins over top ten ring magazine top ten ranked opponents, they still don't match Vitali's wins over top ten opponents. Wilder is going to be KO'd again, Fury might retire soon and was busted on PED's

 

Adamek wasn't in his prime. Gomez wasn't in his prime. They were light heavys/cruisers who moved up. Briggs certainly wasn't in his prime.

Sosnowski, Charr, Kevin "heavy bag" Johnson and Danny Williams were terrible challengers and had no business in the ring with him.

The only challengers he met who you could arguably say were in their primes and who were ranked were Odlanier Solis and Chris Arreola.

Frankly, I'd rather watch Fury, Wilder and Joshua in the ring than VItali fight Chris Arreola and Odlanier Solis.

I DO NOT MISS the era when Kevin Johnson and Odlanier Solis were RING rated heavyweight contenders. Not in the slightest.

I've always enjoyed heavyweight boxing. And it was not a good era for heavyweights.

But, go ahead, put on Vitali vs. Kevin Johnson and reminisce on the "good old days." (LOL)

 

Their fights mostly ended in Knockouts.
Knockouts are always good.

 

I see you omitted half of my post! You asked who was ranked and I told you. 7 men of the 12 WBC title fights, the majority. Then you ignore your question to me and try to nit pick!

What qualifies as a title fight today? My turn!

Wilder vs Splika, Dunhaps, Molina or Washington? What a joke, these guys were not ranked and Wilder had issues beating them! Vitali's tier two title opponent slide Solis, and Johnson who you are laughing at and were then undefeated are much better than these non ranked guy Wilder picked for title shots. Now that's the funny part. I call it belt milking and Wilder has no modern equal.

I see Wilder faced a washed up and unranked Arreola. Why? And an a fat / inactive Stiverene who was old. And you have the nerve to say Vitali's title defenses were the bad ones? He clearly fought a better class, breezing through them at an older age, which shows his quality. Wilder's best win is over a 40 something Ortiz. There is no debate here. You're wrong. If you disagree start a thread on who beat beater opponents between Wilder and Vitali.

As for Fury, he was busted for PED's, and had jokes for title defenses too. Schwarz wasn't ranked, well Box Rec had him around 50!

Wallin wasn't ranked or in the top ten either, ( Box rec had him in the 30's ) and he made mess of Fury's face. Wlad was 39, and Fury was likely on PED's for that match Fury looks good beating Wilder now, but make my words Wilder has a glass body and jaw and is full of excuses, someone else will KO him, and Fury's win won't look as good.

There you have it, modern heavyweight boxing! If Fury vs Joshua doesn't happen, this post Klitschko heavyweight divison is a big waste.

Once again, Vitali's win over ranked contenders for the WBC title matches you asked for.

Sanders 39-2 #3 rated by Ring Magazine
Williams 32-3, age 31. A puncher. Vitali was scheduled to meet Tyson, Williams defeated Tyson, hence the reason why this fight happened.
Peter 30-1, #2 Ring magazine rated Age 28
Gomez 44-1, #9 ring magazine rated. Argued before box rec says: Klitschko was ranked #2 by [url]The Ring Magazine[/url] and Gomez was ranked #9.
Arreola 27-0, age 28 #6 Ring Magazine rated.
Johnson, 22-0-1. age 30 #10 Ring Magazine rated.
Sonowski 45-2-1, age 31
Briggs 55-5-1, former lineal champion, and a pucher
Solis 17-0, age 30, #9 rated by Ring magazine. Olympic gold champion.
Adamek, 44-1, age 34. #3 Rated by Ring Magazine
Chisora 15-2, unranked age 28. If he wasn't; robbed vs Helenius, he probably would have been ranked
Charr, 21-0, age 27. Unranked.