If Wlad wins on July 2nd, will it finally solidify his position as an ATG?

Yes.

 

I like Wlad, but I don't know if a win over David Haye will put him into all-time great territory. If he continues to rack up defenses and dominate for a few more years, beating everybody around, he'll get there on the all-time great heavyweight list based on longevity, dominance, and title defenses....and h2h ability too. I mean, let's face it. A guy 6-7, 240-245 with serious power and a ramrod jab would be a problem for a lot of heavyweights.

 

Every time someone says this I always think of this guy...whatever happened to him?

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The problem is that if Wlad wins then Haye is just a random former cruiserweight who happened to carry a couple of belts, amongst them one of the HW belts. Haye's resume is very short, not very deep and the opposition he beat is questionable to say the least.

IMO beating Haye enhances Wlad's legacy about as much as beating Ibragimov. That doesn't meant Haye poses as little danger as Iggy did, it just means the history books won't consider Haye a particularly outstanding win for Wlad should he beat him.

 

I disagree, it would be Wlads signature victory

 

wlad sucks

 

I don't think so, because Haye said he'd retire after losing, watering down the value of Wlad's potential win. If Wlad wins he beat another overmatched and overhyped nobody with 27 something fights who retired on the spot after realizing he can't hang with the big boys. Not exactly the hallmarks of a signature win.

Winning over Haye could only become a major accomplishment for Wlad if Haye continued his career, bounced back from the loss and fought his way back to the top, earning a belt or two in the process.

That would then - in hindsight - greatly enhance the value of Wlad's win. Just like Vitali's career progress (after losing to Lewis) enhanced the significance of Lewis' stoppage victory.

 

He would also tie Tyson with tenth succesfull title defences.

Also Haye is in my opinion best fighter he has face in his career

 

Haye's just a hype job.
But hype jobs bring people's attention - and the way in which Wladimir will break him down will make people sit up and take note of Klitschko's whole career.
His opposition wasn't great, but he dominates some of the best around and makes it look easy.

It's like a Holmes-Cooney situation.

 

You got some point in there, but hype surrounding the event makes victory much bigger than in regular match.

Also Hayemaker is no ordinary opponent with 27 some matches he is former undisputed cruiser champion and current HW champion.

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No beating Haye will not be a better win than Iggy, Chagaev, Byrd, Peter, Chambers, Thompson, Rahman and Mercer. A good win never the less, but only in England will it be considered a massive victory and legacy defining fight.

 

Upon boxrec-ing and arranging in my order of significance, this is how Wlad stacks up in my eyes (the bottom half is very difficult to decide):

Haye
or Chagaev (pending the quality of victory vs. Haye)
Byrd I
Chambers
Ibragimov
Brock
Peter I
Peter II
Byrd II
Brewster II
Thompson

Of note for these top ten victories (plus Haye), how much of the opposition carried in an undefeated record (Chagaev, Ibragimov, Brock, Peter I) or one loss record (Haye, Byrd I, Chambers, Thompson).

 

If Wlad wins on July 2nd, will it finally solidify his position as an ATG?

NO!!!!


Will Haye be his biggest win?

Yes

 

This will be Wlad best win, a 2 weight champion who power and speed are top 50 in history-

In fact il name fighters who could be more powerful- Top of my head -

Shavers
Lyle
Liston
Tyson
Ruddock
Moorer
Frazier
Foreman
Rahman
Morrison
Cooney
Louis
Dempsey
M. Baer
Jeffries
Tua
Ibeachi
L. Lewis
Witherspoon
Bowe

In fact Haye power is without doubt top 30 or 25 in history.