Is the heavyweight division finally on the verge of blowing up?

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by catchwtboxing, Nov 25, 2014.


  1. catchwtboxing

    catchwtboxing Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    27,712
    37,025
    Jul 4, 2014
    We have been waiting for it to get better since the day Lennox left. I argue that some of the former problems are now a thing of the past.

    1) A LEGIT CHAMPION
    Wlad still has his haters, and always will, but after unifying three of four belts, stringing together a reign that competes with Holmes and Lewis in length, and beating some quality opponents such as Haye, Povetkin and Pulev, most of them have been silenced or they have faded away. It is just getting harder to deny the man.

    2) VITALI GONE
    Love the guy, but the multi-polar universe of the brothers really did spread a thin roster down to nothing with no hope of unification. If he wants to come back in a few years when Wlad is gone and attempt to break Foreman's record as oldest champ, god bless him. But it is good that he is gone now.

    3) CREDIBLE FIGHTS ON THE HORIZON
    After suffering through a real bad spell of Pineta, Wach and Mormeck, Wlad has had a couple of good ones back to back, and has a good series coming up:

    Winner of Fury-Chisora
    Winner of Stiverne-Wilder
    Povetkin rematch
    Maybe Bryant Jennings

    4) HBO INTERSTED IN WLAD AGAIN
    Looks like they are finally on the bandwagon with a great champ

    5) GOOD PROSPECTS

    Joshua leading the field
    Usyk will be a heavy eventually
    Dinu's carrer FINALLY taking off
    Hugh Fury
    Ruiz Jr.
    Joseph Parker
    Dominic Beazeale
    Good amateurs Pavel Doroshilov, Evengenios Lazaridis, and Sergey Kuzman recently joining the party
    A ton of lesser names such as Martin, Washington, Wallin, Wallisch, Granat etc. who at least seem big and powerful.


    6) BULLPEN
    For a long time, it was hard to think of anyone who might come out of the blue and make a contribution. Now we have a few names like Haye, Helenius, Solis, and even Peter or Price who could come out of nowhere and make some good fights.

    7) AIBA PRO/WSB
    I was down on this league for a long time but after watching the Usyk-Medzihdov fight, I am changing my mind. Guys like Medzihdov, Omarov and Dychko can turn pro after the next Olympics with a wealth of professional experience already under the belt.

    8) LESS RETREADS, FAT GUYS, BLOWN UP MIDDLEWEIGHTS, AND OTHERS THAT NO ONE WANTS TO SEE
    No offense to some of the great names I am about to mention, but it seems like we finally got the Oquendo's, James Toney, Golotas, Adameks, Tuas, Rahmens, etc. out of the top ten for good. In the post Lewis era, it seemed that the division was flooded with guys that left us wishing for guys who were younger, bigger, harder hitting or in better shape.


    So, what do you think?
     
  2. cryptic

    cryptic Active Member Full Member

    574
    1
    Dec 10, 2008
    hell no. the division still is lackluster.
     
  3. CST80

    CST80 De Omnibus Dubitandum Staff Member

    245,378
    240,910
    Nov 23, 2013
    Personally I think its looking a lot more promising.
     
  4. UnleashtheFURY

    UnleashtheFURY D'oh! Full Member

    73,146
    39,635
    Sep 29, 2012
    American networks/promoters were killing the division more so than the lack of talent.... They turned their backs on HW boxing, but yeah things are really starting to heat up, and the future looks very promising.
     
  5. Brighton bomber

    Brighton bomber Loyal Member Full Member

    31,309
    29,486
    Apr 4, 2005
    Things are improving. But there is still some uncertainty in regards to the quality of many contenders. Povetkin is the only contender who I could see being competitive in other stronger era's, the rest like Fury, Glazkov, Chisora, Jennings, Pulev, Solis and Wilder still have much to prove.

    The prospects like Parker and Joshua still have a lot to prove as well, all they have at the moment is potential. They could be exposed at any moment.

    The potential is there, if contenders keep facing off against once another and the prospects mature and become good contenders then we may be on the brink of a decent heavyweight division.
     
  6. brb

    brb Boxing Addict Full Member

    3,133
    64
    Sep 14, 2010
    I think the HW division will always better when there is one champion.
     
  7. Tancred

    Tancred Boxing Junkie Full Member

    8,338
    4
    May 2, 2014
    The division is still poor
     
  8. Flurry

    Flurry Krautchamp Full Member

    829
    0
    Jul 19, 2004
    The division is better than what it used to be when king had his grip on it and feeding us with multiple round robins of Rahman vs Ruiz vs Holyfield vs Rahman again.
     
  9. madpuppy

    madpuppy Well-Known Member Full Member

    2,165
    6
    May 15, 2011
    Apart from Wlad, the quality of fighters is as poor as ever really. The only name of the horizon that I know that may turn out to be good is Joshua, but who knows how he can turn out.

    Shame what happened with Haye, because he is actually one talented guy out of the lot of contenders, but his career faded away so quick with his disgracing himself in the process.
     
  10. Castertroy

    Castertroy Member Full Member

    396
    0
    Oct 25, 2014
    Yes I think it is, potentially some exiting fights ahead, hoping Fury fulfills his potential, Joshua also. Stiverne, wilder, povetkin all make for good fights and wlad is still around who is one of the best heavyweights of all time, I don't care what anyone says. On his day he could beat any of the previous hw champions. There's also Dillian whyte and then Hughie fury who if he gets well and back to 100% could be a great fighter too.
     
  11. JAB5239

    JAB5239 Boxing Junkie Full Member

    14,470
    58
    Feb 23, 2008
    It still sucks, but it improving. There seems to be more willingness for top fighter to fight one another. The skill levels need to be worked on but hey, one thing at a time.
     
  12. TheGOAT

    TheGOAT The Champ is Here ! banned

    7,277
    4
    Oct 20, 2010
    I still say Rahman needs another title shot - Stiverne where ya at?
     
    Boxed Ears likes this.
  13. HellSpawn86

    HellSpawn86 "My heart goes out to you!" Full Member

    18,348
    24,421
    May 6, 2007
    The main problem is that the top fighters need to fight each other. Everyone is just waiting for an undeserved Wlad pay check.
     
  14. Malcolm

    Malcolm Active Member Full Member

    890
    8
    Mar 4, 2013
    Isn't that Boxing all over at the moment?