Is Vitali Klitschko one of The Greates Heavyweight Boxer OF All Times ?

To be honest here, Chris Byrd does indeed have a better resume than VK...

 

I also rank Lewis ahead of Holyfield, so what? Of course Holy achieved more than Bowe as a whole even though Bowe won 2 out of 3 against him.

I also don't care what you think of my boxing knowledge. Does that bother you?

 

So you're arguing your point based on 5 positions in the rankings? :rofl

Dude, get over it. One could easily say VK is ranked top 20-30 all time at Heavy and there's an argument that can made.

 

I won't argue with a top 30 spot for Vitali, he's definately inside that. And his dominant performances have done him the world of good. But the era is definately weak, looking at his resumé and picking out the best names on there - Herbie Hide, Orlin Norris, Timo Hoffman, Vaughn Bean, Larry Donald, Kirk Johnson, Corrie Sanders, Danny Williams, Samuel Peter, Juan Carlos Gomez, Chris Arreola - that's a pretty shocking resumé for an 'elite' fighter.

I'm with you in that I don't particularly rate his 'skillset' as highly as you. I wouldn't say I any longer for to SuzieQ levels of picking holes in it - he's undoubtedly a very good fighter - but I think he does have flaws. He can be a tad predictable and lacking in variety, his timing is sometimes way off, he moves around pretty much in straight lines everywhere he goes. The problem is with rating Vitali, we've seen two different versions at times. One with big-time power, an evidently very, very solid chin and aggression. Nowadays, we see a more defensively-wary Vitali, getting hit less, upping his punch output but really lacking in that big-power we used to see.

 

This is a shitty era in which this guy hasn't even fought the other top fighteers of the division, atleast Wlad has beaten Rahman, Chageav, Byrd, McCline Brock, Ibragimov etc, Vitali has made his career against unheralded fighters of a shitty era.

 

Well I believe he has just as much claim to call himself a 'champion' as VITLAY does, for sure. The fact that he also beat VITLAY obviously makes him higher on the ATG list using the logic we're being told to use here....

Of course that doesn't take into account winning "events" instead of fights.

 

Yes, you must remember Vitali looked great getting STOPPED by a SHOT Lewis....

 

There's a big difference for being ranked #20 to being ranked #30th, which VK is more likely at.

Difference? See Wladimir over Vitali.

 

In no way am I a hater as I actually admire both Klitscko bros. The improvements especially on Wlad's behalf is really something. Could they have beaten other top heavyweights, ATG's? Maybe.

But the thing is in order to be GREAT you have to fight another GREAT. I don't know what is so difficult for people to understand that. What is the point of having 50 defenses of a title vs. sumo wrestlers? I think none of this is the bros fault and only take the most serious and best competition they can find. Haye hasn't been a heavyweight long enough to prove he's an atg heavyweight.

I think Vitali would be an atg considering his domination of the heavyweight division and on that alone during his era. He is a great athlete and gives the sport a good name.

 

Well, when it comes to winning "events", I think VK has to be the GOAT.

lol...

 

No. Just a Hall of Famer.

I think he will end up as a Top20 or Top15 heavyweight of all time.

 

That wouldn't stop him from beating the majority of names on the list. Vit's a prime example of a guy who is a better head to head fighter than what his resume's ranking would suggest.

 

I think this is actually a logical statement. More people on the globe in general, more countries in the professional boxing arena, more big men in general, a larger talent pool in general with more competitors. I think Brian Minto could beat the best of Joe Louis' Bum of the Month Club, Rocky Marciano's opponents wouldn't do well vs today's third-raters, Jack Johnson's opponents were dwarfed by J.J. who was a giant at 6'2" and 200lbs would simply be overpowered by a bigger fighter who actually knows how to use both hands instead of the oldtimers who were largely one-handed fighters and had **** footwork. There's a papertrail over 30 years deep that constantly says "the heavyweight division is devoid of talent". I think it's more of a case of commentators not knowing WTF they're looking at.

 

Vitali is alot like Ike Ibeabuchi as he gets ranked on shoulda, coulda, woulda, sadly Ike has beaten higher quality opposition than Vitali.