My top 10 heavyweights in the World today

I put Wladimir above Gomez anyways... But you bring up Gomez' KO loss to Diaz, I might as well bring up Wlad's KO loss to Brewster, since they happened around the same time.

and BTW its laughable that you put Wladimir as the linear champion. Did the consensus #1 and #2 face off after Lewis retired?

 

Ring Magazine declared him the Linear Magazine champion lmao when did they get that authority?

 

Who were the #1 and #2 ranked HW at that time?

Also, you're talking about an era when there was only 1 title. That's not the case today.

 

First of all, you edited my post and didn't answer the question.

Second, that's not my logic at all.

But to establish a new linear champion, all other guys who can consider themselves partial "champion" must be taken out. Wlad beat Chagaev, but Vitali was higher ranked than Chagaev in the first place.

At the very least, in an era of multiple title belts the consensus top2 fighters in a division should fight each other.

That seems pretty obvious. Who gives a **** what the ring says,

 

I take it you mean Peter ?

While Wlad is the more skillful boxer of the two, Vitali's dominant stoppage of Peter was much more complete, from the staredown to the TKO, than Wlad's much more tentative effort.

He was 37, and coming off a four year layoff.

And yet, Sam was shitting himself from the press conference till the end of the eighth.

And the comparison of the brothers' performances against Sam (Who Next?) should give some indication as to which of the two is the tougher fighter, mentally and physically.


Sam Peter could probably throw some light on this question.

 

I think you're ignoring the fact that Peter's mental shape was very much influenced by who he was fighting. Sam was always the intimidator in all of his previous fights, including Wlad.

He was now champion and coming off a decisive KO of Maskaev. And he was less than 3 lbs heavier when he faced Vitali.

But from the moment he met the 37 year- old injury plagued Vitali, who hadn't fought in four years, he was scared shitless.

What caused this if not his opponent ?

You put too much stock in one fight. And you under rate the extent of the injury he suffered in that fight, which required two surgeries to repair. As a sports medicine specialist, he chose not to end his career at that point. And that could well have been the outcome had he continued.

If you zoom in and focus on one bout out of a man's career, you might conclude that Duran was a heart-challenged *****. His quit-job in Leonard 2 was much more egregious than Vitali's sensible decision. Would you characterize Duran as not having the mentality of a champion ?

His performance in his bout with Lewis, a much tougher challenge on every level than any ever faced by his brother, shows this statement to be false.

So says Maskaev, but as far as I can tell, that never actually happened. And besides, we're discussing their pro career here.

That you would even mention this would point towards you being a hater, which, from most of your posts, I know is unlikely.

Again, he was injured. Should he have fought with serious shoulder, back and knee injuries ?

He took on Lewis, and you think he feared Rahman ?

Try to stay even-handed here.



Vitali is more fragile physically than Wlad. Much of this relates to a lengthy injury-plagued career in kick-boxing prior to becoming a pro boxer. But in terms of physical and mental toughness, you could ask Peter or Sanders or even Purity which one was tougher.

 

I'm glad you accept that result. Wlad is the current Ring Magazine champion

Do you also accept the fact that Ring Magazine crowned Vitali their champion after he defeated Sanders?

Just to explain the Ring Magazine champion rules a vacant champion is crowned anytime a #1 fighter meets a #2 or #3.

And while I have your attention, Chris Byrd himself said Vitali was harder to fight. If not for the injury, Byrd's a sure loser. I believe Purrity, Sanders, and Peter would all agree that Vitali was better.

Regarding the current state of the division, Al Bernstein has a timeless quote on the heavyweight division. Its never as good or as bad as you think.

 

and when they do that, the ring champion /= the linear champion.

 

Suzie, most great fighters have fights that they don't won't to remember (Duran, Liston, Toney, Tyson, Dempsey, Louis etc.). I belive that
Vitaly was injured and he just couldn't go one and
i belive that the pain was to big and that Vitaly knew it can go worse if he continued. He wasn't acting, no panic, he was cool (he is that kind of man I think, very serious no clowning outside and outside the ring) but clearly dissapointed. Heart he showed against Lewis and his comeback not erase that night, but in my eyes showed that the older Klitschko is a true champion.