Is the current Heavyweight Division that bad?

Lets look at the era Klitschkos aside. There are a lack of talent in America with less boxing gyms around but there is more talent from around the world. There are some pretty big heavyweights but skills wise they are very basic, but maybe effective. If they'd be effective in other eras is quite questionable. There is also a lack of flair types. There are no spectacular KOs, no flashy skills just basic boxing, not too much aggression, no new big power punchers.

Klitschkos are both top20 HWs though

 

The major issue that the heavyweight division has to be its lack of depth, there are just too many poor fighters that have been in the top 10 recently.

When you combine this with the fact the top 2 fighters will not fight one another and your left with a boring division but not one totally devoid of talent as the kiltchko brothers are certainly top level fighters with a possibility that haye may be as well. At least he should add excitment

 

Basically, they start this talk in most eras and it's usually just crap. Is it really that bad? I don't think it's the division so much as how the actual fights are playing out. The fights aren't typically that good. But the talent is there.

 

Yes.

 

I agree, although it does appear the American heavyweight pool has dried up. Right now, there's only one US contender really: Eddie Chambers. And he's about to get derailed by dumb management in fighting Wlad... then again, when you can get a title shot, you take it. But other than him? Arreola is good, but he's basically Bowe of 94-96: heavy hands and a lot of fighting spirit, but also slow on his feet, weak defensively and out of shape. Although he's young, there is no indication that he's going to be in better shape in the future. The Klitschko beating didn't wake him up, so what will? Thompson is decent, but he's getting old and lacks power/a flashy style. Beyond that, there's Ruiz who just won't leave, but other than him?? Kevin Johnson just proved to be a joke, Austin is no more than a fringe contender even if he was ranked in the past, and that's it. There's some washed up former contenders/champions like Brewster, Toney and Rahman, but they have no future.

It is worrying. It might be because currently, MMA is more popular than boxing in America. The lighter weights seem to be less affected, though.

 

Too many overweight heavies, which you would never see a few decades ago.

 

Yeah, because Tubbs, Witherspoon, Smith, etc, were never overweight. :huh

 

The division is average. What we need to see more of are up and coming contenders fight each other in the ring. My theory on why the division isn't doing so well is the Klitschko brothers are literally and figuratively head and shoulders above the field of contenders. The matches are one side.

What we need to see more of are up and coming contenders fight each other in the ring. There are plenty of good matches to be made that would give the fans competitive back and forth type of matches. For example:

Peter vs. Arreola
Solis vs. Boystov
Povetkin vs. Chagaev

 

Eddie Chambers is looking good and coming in at a decent weight now. I'm predicting he will pull off the upset. Just a hunch.

If Solis can get in shape and Haye can beat Vitali you've got three fast, technically competent and in-shape Heavyweights. Fights between those three can revitalise the division.

Too many ifs at the moment though. Either way the Klitschkos are in-shape, effective and formidable. It's up to the opponents to make a fight of it. Chambers and Haye can do that. If in shape Solis has the tools but looks to be taking the Riddivl Bowe route before he has actually done anything.

 

Although he's retired now, I always believed that Ibragimov was a quality heavy. He had the speed of Povetkin, and the power of Chagaev with quick feet.

There are some rookie heavies that have impressed as of late. Pulev in particular is the definition of a very skilled and fast boxer, with good size. He has been matched more aggressively than any other heavy I can recall.

 

He already has wins over Chambers, Byrd and Donald, way more than Vitali did to get his shot at Lewis. Povetkin is probably already past prime now, but certainly more left than Chagaev