Is Wladimir Klitschko a top ten ATG heavyweight?

I rank Wladimir Klitschko in the top ten at #8 or #9.

Do you consider Wlad to be a top ten ATG HW?

 

Many consider Max Schmeling to be an ATG HW.

But he never had a long run as heavyweight champion like Wlad.

And he was KOed by a 0-0-1 opponent, as well as a by man called Daniels who had 47 losses. He also lost to someone named Taylor who was 37-39.

 

Berbick :|

Leon Spinks 6-0 :| (who was KOed in round one by Gerrie Coatzee).

 

No matter what Wladimir Klitschko does, there will always be people who believe he's no good.

He has three losses. But the #1 HW of all time, Muhammed Ali, has five losses.

Some of Wlad's opponents were not very good. But Ali, besides fighting good opposition, fought a lot of journeymen like Richard Dunn who were no better than Wlad's worst title defenses. He was knocked down by Chuck Wepner. He lost to a 6-0 Leon Spinks, who was KOed by Gerrie Coatzee in round one. Yet he's supposed to be the best HW of all time.

Jack Johnson has 11 losses, Max Schmeling has 10 (some to worse opponents than Wlad lost to, such as 47-loss Daniels and 37-39 Taylor). Joe Walcott has 18 losses, Ezzerd Charles has 25. Walcott lost to Johnny Allen (11-15-1) and other journeymen long before he became HW champ. Yet some people cannot forgive Wlad's three losses, despite the excellent run he's had since then.

If Wladimir Klitschko were to somehow go back in time and beat prime Dempsey, prime Louis, prime Ali and prime Holmes, some people would still not respect him. Instead, they'd start ridiculing the fighters he beat and call them bums.

A hundred years ago, some people refused to accept Jack Johnson as HW champion and just said said the division was no good at that time, because Johnson was black. Times have changed since then: there are some people who refuse to believe that Wladimir Klitschko is a top ten ATG heavyweight because they feel an ATG HW champ should be black.

It is futile to try and debate those who hate Wladimir. They will never change. It's like trying to convince a KKK member in 1910 to respect Jack Johnson.