Perspective on Wlad, and the HW division

Which former greats does Zeljko Mavrovich beat? Which former great does Axle Schulz beat? Which former great does Vaughn Bean beat? Which former great does Bruce Seldon beat?

Do I need to go on?

Average boxers with padded records get title shots all the time. Pulev is just another one in a long list.

 

He fought Povetkin just over 1 (one) year ago.

 

And Wilder is yet another one.

 

Pulev stood there with his arms out in the air with no foot or head movement and Wlad still couldn't out box him.
Reaching in for clinches and double fisting his way in. Having a pawing contest.
Taking turns in a shoot out.
There wasn't any boxing going on in that ring.

 

You should be worried for your boy Fury. Wlad's gonna kill him.

 

ah klitscko lewis was decent skill wise, it was a great fight for a short spell before they gassed early, i think wlad aint moving aswell these days and is relying on them clinches, the fight there tonight was untidy all right besides the finishing hook, hes boxinng skills are declining though

 

Haye lost. Deal with it.

:deal

 

The last guy who was seen as the #2 HW in the world, Povetkin, went life and death with CW Huck.

 

No, the era seems completely normal to me. A champ at the top, and guys below him that are light years below him. The 30s, 50s and 80s come to mind. What random challengers of these eras would trouble any of the top 10 ATG HWs? None.

Again, no boxing fan with a clue saw Pulev as the 'toughest test for a long time'. You're delusional. Pulev had a padded 20-0 record. He has beaten a top 5 HW, has never headlined a card in his career. He struggled with B level opponents like ancient Thompson and clumsy Ustinov.

Why did you think Pulev was going to be a tough test? That's ridiculous.

 

I guess I'd like to see him fight Fury. But Fury isn't anything special either.

 

Wlad's been champion so long, guys who could gain more credibility as solid beltholders are getting dispatched at the contender level looking no better than sparring partners.

Funnily enough, in a sense, he's too dominant for his own good for those who argue this era is terrible. The more he dominates, the worse the opposition looks. I pose the question: What about the other generations he's been successful in?

Wlad's already on his second generation of challengers (look how many today weren't even professional when Wlad was a champion) after emerging from the post-Lennox pack as the man to beat.

The man's been a top fighter for nearly 15 years now, about 10 as the best. That doesn't happen by being lucky enough to pop up in the right place in the right time in a weak era. You've got to be historically great to have that kind of longevity because the division's turned itself over multiple times in that time frame.

 

What former greats are beaten by the opponents of Holmes and Tyson in the 80s? Zilch.

There's your answer.

 

:deal