List of Heavyweight Champions With Most Title Defenses

tommygun711 · Dec 26, 2010

T.S. said: ↑

So you put Wlad in a no win situation. Defenses don't matter? :huh His career is not over. He may yet get to fight the likes of a Leon or Michael Spinks someday! So who's he supposed to fight? And should he lose to the ones he is fighting?
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they don't matter as in they still won't put him at an ATG status

T.S. · Dec 26, 2010

tommygun711 said: ↑

they don't matter as in they still won't put him at an ATG status
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Well I guess Wlad should just give it up. According to you if he wins he loses if he loses he loses.

chitownfightfan · Dec 26, 2010

VecArrow said: ↑

List of Heavyweight Champions that got upset by a golfer.

1. Wladimir Klitschko
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Sheesh, who is that UGLY ***** in your avatar

TommyV · Dec 26, 2010

chitownfightfan said: ↑

Sheesh, who is that UGLY ***** in your avatar
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Poor Rico.

The Clan · Dec 26, 2010

Kwijibo said: ↑

I'm afraid you're **** at boxing debate little lad.
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I give in!

Your quick wit and superior intelligence has me backpeddling.....

no really...

jog on softcock!

unless of course you have something relevant to add to the debate...

ironchamp · Dec 26, 2010

zadfrak said: ↑

lufcrazy said: ↑

Unfair stat that since you combine both klitschko's as one boxer, which they aren't. Vitali took time out.

Okay then---scrutinize the longevity factor of this;

Vitali won WBO title in 1999. He will be WBC champ in 2011. 12 years. How many losses in that 12 year span? Who else meets the criteria?

Wlad won WBO in what 2001? WBO/IBF champ in 2011. 2 losses for him as well in that timeframe.

Both brothers have losses in title fights only the last 12 years.

Name same other heavies in the past that match that kind of duration?

Very very small list, isn't it?

Most guys have a 3 or 4 year run at the top and the ballgame is over.
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Impressive stat but the thing is this;

In 1999, Vitaly ranked below Holyfield and Lewis, and the WBO belt meant nothing. There was no talk about Vitaly being the uncrowned champ or the biggest threat out there, he was a footnote. Things have obviously changed since then but lets not rewrite history. In 2001, the WBO was still a lightly regarded belt. The big 3 were still the WBC, IBF & WBA. Those were the belts that fighters really cared about. 2nd tier fighters chased the WBO so they can call themselves champion. Not a Knock on Wlad or Vitaly but you never saw Lewis, Holyfield or Tyson chase around the WBO belt. The WBO has since grown in terms of prominence but it still ranks below the big three.

Remember in 2002 Lennox was champion and when Tyson was challenging for the title the WBO wasn't on the line in fact it was a side note and it was treated like a regional belt. Wlad was considered the division's future star and there were some critics along the way questioned both Klitschko brothers, so in no way shape or form were they considered the dominant forces of the division.

With Vitaly he took a 4 year lay off in 2004 he was just less than 1 year removed from losing to Lewis in his shot of being the undisputed champion. He wasn't "the man" in the same context that Lewis was. In fact, in 2004 both Byrd and Ruiz were beating fighters of a similar if not better calibre than fighter's Vitaly was beating. His absence from the ring that started after the Rahman fight never came off put alot of confusion in the division. Since returning he's done fairly well but let's not pretend he dominated for 12 years. His record over 12 years is impressive but he wasn't really the man.

In 2001 Wlad was hailed as the "heir apparent" with a more "american" and crowd pleasing style compared to his brother. By 2004 Wlad had 2 losses and was 1 loss away from being told to retire. His fall from grace hit hard when he was stopped by Lamon Brewster, further reinforced when he was dropped by Davarryl Williamson and all those who called him the division savior were eating crow as his professional image suffered. Then came 2005. The fight against Sam Peter who at the time was being hailed as the next HW Champ was transformational. His image was revived and his career has not taken a look back since. Trouble is he's inevitably going to suffer for the simple fact that he was never at any point in his tenure as champion undisputed. There was always other guys out there who's claim as the champion was a thorn in Wlad's claim as champion. Right now him and Vitaly are the best fighters and of course there is also David Haye. His legacy will suffer because he never held the crown alone despite his obvious talent.

Why this matters is because Lennox Lewis, George Foreman, Michael Moorer,
Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes and even Buster Douglas was at some point the undisputed Heavyweight Champion. They at some point didn't share the throne and that matters.

The only way that we can have 1 champion is if David Haye were to beat Vitaly Klitschko and Wlad beats Haye to become undisputed. Or Haye beats Wlad and is avenged by his brother. Otherwise we have a 2 headed HW Champ.
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Clarkson · Jan 10, 2013

I think having Wlad @ 13 is about right.

It would be ridiculous to compare today's titlists with yesterday's champions as it would be too easy. It would also be harsh to not count any defenses until the titlist becomes lineal or undisputed.

I think the fairest comparison is to count Wlad from the point he became the number 1 champ - after beating Byrd II for the IBF title in 2006.

You can't count his first rein of 6 defences because he wasn't the man then.

DREAMCATCHER · Jan 10, 2013

Haters keep hating Wlad keeps winning!

dyna · Jan 10, 2013

ironchamp said: ↑

zadfrak said: ↑

Impressive stat but the thing is this;

In 1999, Vitaly ranked below Holyfield and Lewis, and the WBO belt meant nothing. There was no talk about Vitaly being the uncrowned champ or the biggest threat out there, he was a footnote. Things have obviously changed since then but lets not rewrite history. In 2001, the WBO was still a lightly regarded belt. The big 3 were still the WBC, IBF & WBA. Those were the belts that fighters really cared about. 2nd tier fighters chased the WBO so they can call themselves champion. Not a Knock on Wlad or Vitaly but you never saw Lewis, Holyfield or Tyson chase around the WBO belt. The WBO has since grown in terms of prominence but it still ranks below the big three.

Remember in 2002 Lennox was champion and when Tyson was challenging for the title the WBO wasn't on the line in fact it was a side note and it was treated like a regional belt. Wlad was considered the division's future star and there were some critics along the way questioned both Klitschko brothers, so in no way shape or form were they considered the dominant forces of the division.

With Vitaly he took a 4 year lay off in 2004 he was just less than 1 year removed from losing to Lewis in his shot of being the undisputed champion. He wasn't "the man" in the same context that Lewis was. In fact, in 2004 both Byrd and Ruiz were beating fighters of a similar if not better calibre than fighter's Vitaly was beating. His absence from the ring that started after the Rahman fight never came off put alot of confusion in the division. Since returning he's done fairly well but let's not pretend he dominated for 12 years. His record over 12 years is impressive but he wasn't really the man.

In 2001 Wlad was hailed as the "heir apparent" with a more "american" and crowd pleasing style compared to his brother. By 2004 Wlad had 2 losses and was 1 loss away from being told to retire. His fall from grace hit hard when he was stopped by Lamon Brewster, further reinforced when he was dropped by Davarryl Williamson and all those who called him the division savior were eating crow as his professional image suffered. Then came 2005. The fight against Sam Peter who at the time was being hailed as the next HW Champ was transformational. His image was revived and his career has not taken a look back since. Trouble is he's inevitably going to suffer for the simple fact that he was never at any point in his tenure as champion undisputed. There was always other guys out there who's claim as the champion was a thorn in Wlad's claim as champion. Right now him and Vitaly are the best fighters and of course there is also David Haye. His legacy will suffer because he never held the crown alone despite his obvious talent.

Why this matters is because Lennox Lewis, George Foreman, Michael Moorer,
Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes and even Buster Douglas was at some point the undisputed Heavyweight Champion. They at some point didn't share the throne and that matters.

The only way that we can have 1 champion is if David Haye were to beat Vitaly Klitschko and Wlad beats Haye to become undisputed. Or Haye beats Wlad and is avenged by his brother. Otherwise we have a 2 headed HW Champ.
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Holmes as good as he was never unified and dropped a belt to avoid the nr2.
If he can make the nr 3 spot on a lot of peoples list, why can't Wlad?
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lufcrazy · Jan 10, 2013

Holmes is similar to Wlad in terms of he spent ages as champ and number 1 but was never undisputed.

However Holmes has the edge in resume.

dyna · Jan 10, 2013

lufcrazy said: ↑

Holmes is similar to Wlad in terms of he spent ages as champ and number 1 but was never undisputed.

However Holmes has the edge in resume.
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SD win over Norton?

lufcrazy · Jan 10, 2013

dyna said: ↑

SD win over Norton?
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Yeah his victory over Norton is a clear level above any of wlad's.

Plus his negatives are close debatable fights with spoon, truth and spinks.

chitownfightfan · Jan 10, 2013

VecArrow said: ↑

List of Heavyweight Champions that got upset by a golfer.

1. Wladimir Klitschko
Click to expand...

List of HW champions upset by a crackhead
1.Lennox Lewis

List of HW champions upset by journeymen
1. Mohammad Ali
2. Mike Tyson

You like how I criticize the #1 and #2 and #8 ATGs by showing how they lost to fighters otherwise considered bums.

So I guess its fair to criticize the #7 just the same.:think

Sangria · Nov 6, 2013

Can we expand this to a Top 10 list if anyone can bother putting up? One that doesn't include WBO title defenses?

1 - Joe Louis (25)
2 - Larry Holmes (20)
3 - Muhammad Ali (19)
4 - Lennox Lewis (13)

After this I'm not so sure and don't have the time to look. Frazier and Tyson both have 9 defenses.

freedom2013 · Nov 6, 2013

List of Heavyweight Champions With Most Title Defenses November 2013

1. Joe Louis, 26
2. Wladimir Klitschko, 20
3. Larry Holmes, 20
4. Muhammad Ali, 19
5. Lennox Lewis, 14

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