If Wlad's career ended today...

personally i wouldn't have him anywhere near the top, he's obviously talented but i don't rate him even as the best in his family . lennox lewis would have crushed him .

top 50 if he's lucky i reckon .

 

You need to remember that Valuev has never been tagged clean by a really serious puncher. Vlad hits far harder than anyone Valuev has faced to date. Simply put, Valuev has not proven his capacity to take a huge punch with impunity.

Come to think of it, Valuev was even shaken by Monte Barrett by Jameel McCline.

 

Good point, but I would like to see these fellows actually fight.

 

Valuev took a lot of flush punches and combo's from Chagaev, who hits pretty damn hard.

The fact that the worst one can dig up is one right hand from Barret early in the fight that shook him up , with him coming back a second later and clearly not being hurt, shows how good his chin is.

Even the fact that no one has ever floored him is impressive in itself. Consider that a lot of fighters get floored by lesser punchers; everyone at heavyweight is dangerous. Holmes was down against Kevin Isaacs, Ali against Cooper, etc etc. On top of that, Holmes Ali and those fighters had great defence and reflexes. Valuev has neither and took a lot of bombs. Nothing happened.

Everything at heayvweight can happen and Wlad certainly can stop him, but i think a UD is more likely.

 

I don't believe that Valuev has been hit much, even by Chagaev. The reason is because of Valuev's extraordinary height, and because only recently Valuev has been exposed to high echolon talent.


Sure, Chagaev scored with enough blows to win their match, but most of those shots were not true, serious power punches. Chagaev didn't try to unload his heavy artillery because he knew he'd be frustrated by Valuev's height...thus, Ruslan sought to pop Valuev just enough to stay ahead on points.

Against Vlad, Valuev would definitely take heavy blows. Vlad is tall enough, fast enough and skilled enough to tag Valuev with his straight right and left hook. Those punches would be harder than anything Valuev has yet had to absorb. If Valuev passes that test, then we know he has serious durability.

 

Valuev would give Wlad all he could handle. With his stamina and chin he could be the foil for Wlad and stop him late.

 

Very true, and a very good point. I will say, however that this was arguably not the best version of Wladimir Klitschko. Although it certainly looks bad that he lost to a journeyman, after sporting an Olympic gold medal and a 23-0 record, we should also consider that he was still several years away from training with Emanual Steward and picking up his best wins. Not to ignore this loss, but there are also other things to look at.....

True, and I will also add that Brewster had aged three years by the time of the rematch, and had only fought once in a two year period - losing to Sergui Lyachovich.

Great fighters have losses that are unexplainable.

 

i can only rank Louis era and later since i have barely seen anything before

1-Ali
2-Louis
3-Marciano
4-Lewis
5-Holmes
6-Foreman
7-Frazier
8-Holyfield
9-Tyson
10-Liston
11-Walcott
12-Charles
13-Patterson
14-Bowe
15-Norton
16-Wlad

That's all i can think of right now. obviously, i missing several pre-Louis guys. Maybe Norton ahead of Wlad but im 50-50 on that since he never won his title in the ring.

right now, Wlad is 11-2, 9kos in ABC title fights, unified champ, 88% ko rate, one of the top hw jabs and right crosses ever. If he beats both Thompson and Povetkin, id move him past Norton and Bowe. Unify a third title and i push him past patterson. Unify all 4 or a few more top 10 wins moves him to #10. After that it will be a little harder to move up :nut

 

Magoo I read your post only now, as I had logged off by the time you had posted a response. Just letting you know I have read it so as not to appear standoffish or anything buddy.

Basically your question was already answered, in that I feel Norton's opposition was far stiffer and he went tooth and nail with 2 ATGs.

 

No problem..

 

on what basis? going by whos opinion? because he certainly does not fit that description with my opinion. sanders was unranked for a reason.

 

You might be on to something there.

I will pick Wlad if they ever fight, but Wlad is a fighter whose gameplan relies on certain physical advantages over his oponents. Against Valuev the book will be torn up and he will have to find something new.

 

He needs to face & beat a big name fighter, like a "Holmes,Tyson or Lewis". or he will not even get out of his brothers shadow, let alone his legacy as a Heavyweight.

 

I think that Vitally is living in Wlads shadow now.

Who would have thought it a few years ago.

 

His physical advantages as well as athletic advantages. He did not have physical advantages against McCline and Austin, but didn't drop a single round against either of them. Valuev is very slow and i'd be very surprised if he managed to beat Wlad. Interesting fight, though. Would be weird to see Wlad punching upward.