Regarding Holes In Legacies?

I started following Wlad when he came onto the HBO scene around 2001 or 2002, so I remember what happened with a few of these fights not happening. Tyson was fading fast after the Lewis knockout and Wlad was trying to get him into the ring, but Danny Williams knocked Tyson out and Wlad had to settle for Danny Williams.

Holyfield was almost 50 and I think had been stripped of a license for diminished skills or something. He wasn't ranked anywhere near the top ten anymore, so while he did call the brothers out, they would be mocked for accepting the fight.

Was Michael Grant still around then? I thought his stock dropped off significantly after the Lewis and McCline knockouts and like Lance Whitaker or Nikolai Valuev he sort of became a byword for tall guys with no skills.

Tua's heyday was really 96-2003. He might have been a good opponent for a young up and coming Wlad around 2003 but then Wlad got sidetracked by Brewster and Sanders. By the time he got those chin issues resolved Tua was no longer relevant. Tua properly belonged to the era before the Klitschkos.

Ruiz took himself out of the mix losing to blown up light heavyweights Toney and Jones. After that, he couldn't put enough victories together to warrant a title shot since Valuev, Chaegaev, and Haye all took him out.

Helenius is less active than Andre Ward. If he actually wanted a fight he probably could have got it. Still might, if he hasn't retired.

Valuev never fought the Klitschkos because supposedly Don King was protecting him from them.

Adamek is a tad on the small side and would probably just get blown right out by Klitschko.

 

I'm not sure it the question is fair or not, but most people believe the answer is no, and like most Klitschko fans you can't seem to accept answers, or decisions, you don't like.

A rematch against Vitali at aged 38 isn't even close to being something he should be downgraded for, especially since he won the first fight and then he retired. Had he fought other fighters and purposely avoided Vitali it would be a legitimate question, but that's not what happened.

 

Ranked by who? I really don't trust the ranking systems anymore.

 

Lewis said he would re-match, talked like an active fighter, and tried to make matches with other fighters post Klitschko. $18,000.000.00 was there for Lewis to re-match Vitali. I think he avoided the re-match because he did not think he would win. The WBC ordered the re-match and told Lewis to take it or lose his belt. He quietly walked away. Vitali retired his future boxing plans.

As stated Lewis did not give re-matches to those who gave him tough fights ( Mercer, Bruno, and Vitali ). This, and dropping belts to avoid the likes of Ruiz and Byrd, combined with not taking any non-dangerous mandatories vs the Sanders, Ike's and Morrer's of the world, while winning his legacy fights over past their prime names ( Tyson and Holy ) is why I think his legacy has some holes in it.

 

No problem. Ten years is a long time. I could have forgotten some things.

 

Holyfield was defeated rather soundly by Sultan Ibrigamov and Chris Byrd. Wlad defeated both men handily. Holyfield likely would have been seriously hurt had he fought Wlad during this time.



Wlad is going for his 18th defense in two months and has managed to both unify the majority of belts and retain them by facing all comers it really is hard to pick apart his resume.

Vitali's resume while solid is not near the level of his younger brothers.

 

I don't mind people suggesting Lewis had some holes in his legacy because to some extend every fighter does, but in no way is him not rematching Vitali included in that assessment. Whether he talked like an active fighter or not, he retired ffs, so give this line of thinking a rest because it smacks of desperation.

 

Wlad is on his way to at least the 3rd best HW resume of all-time.

He is 4 fights away.

 

Holyfield was booked with the abysmal Ruiz trilogy during that time. Holyfield only wanted to fight for titles he was not interested in two Eastern European brothers on the rise at that time.
I think it's a reach to use him simply because his name ran co-currently with their's in a magazine publication. His career was at a different place than their own. If you want to take issue with a defense or two by Vitali I think you can, Wlad IMO has one of the best track records you can find in the division's history. Of course by honoring the mandatories he is always going to get stuck here and there with a Leapai type which stinks but through no fault of his own. Since he became champion 9 years ago he has been a stellar champion