Hardly a classic now is it? I remember thinking at the time how excessive the clinching was. In hindsight it actually contained less clinching than most Wlad fights, but still, we're comparing it against other HW fights, not just Klit fights of the last few years (under that criterion it's a barnburner). Want to know a real forgotten classic? Check out Mercer vs Cooper.
It was beautiful to see a 245 pound man move around the ring so gracefully and fluidly. Controlling distance and punching with a lot of power.
Bar the knockdowns, it was a pretty boring fight, far too much holding and clinching. That left hook that Wlad hit Peter with in the 12th round would lay out most HW's throughout time! Wlad ruined Peter that night.
Very good fight, real hard and drama. This fight shows how important Emanuel Steward in Wlad´s corner is. Great work. Wlad ruined Peter that night. Take away his confidence.
Without the Klitchko brothers, there would be a new champion every other title defense. Vitali Klitchko's fight against peter is more significant than Wlad beating up a softened up Sam Peter in the rematch. Vitali showed who is the better Klitchko when he handled PEter with ease in their fight, Wlad's rematch with Peter was academic.
Peter was very hyped in 2005. He was a Top10 contender. Years later, he became a beltholder and The Ring's #2 contender. He is a good win in Wlad's record. By the way, the ukranian also ruined Peter, who then beat James Toney and Oleg Maskaev. But I agree Klitschko-Peter I isn't a classic like Holyfield-Foreman, Klitschko-Lewis or Brewster-Liakhovich. Right now, Wlad has no fights that could be considered "classics". In the future, this fight could be it; or maybe Brewster-Klitschko I (Wlad loss), Klitschko-Mercer or Klitschko-Chagaev, just because it was a flawless performance.