I haven’t seen too much of Krasniqi, just a few highlights here and there. Seemed like a rugged guy. How good was he? How would he fair today if he were in his prime?
"Solid" seems a good way to describe him. A good, fit boxer with decent power was how he was viewed on this forum during his prime. His appearance always reminded me a bit of Max Schmeling for some reason.
He was much more gifted and skillful than Axel Schulz or Jürgen Blin, therefore two times European champion. Was sparing partner of Lennox Lewis, before he went back to Germany, won Olympic bronze, defeated Wladimir Klitschko in around 1994 or 1995 (world championships in Berlin). He had decent power (knocked Whitaker out by a single cross, for what Ibragimov needed a half dozens punches and the referee/ multiple knockdowns), but lacked on heart/ determination and was a quitter, even when he was comfortable ahead (first Saleta fight and vs. Brewster). With more willpower and descipline would he have won a world title at least. He was around the level of Lyakowitsch, Oquendo and better than McCline or Barrett. He is also very smart and intelligent. For today standards was he for a heavyweight rather small, with 1,90m height and weighted around 95 - 100Kg. He was an all-round boxers like Brock and Jennings, not very atlethic (defined/ muscular), but with a high ring IQ/ general ringship, what let him win against Sam. So he's an underachiever as Golota.
Thanks for the input guys. Gonna have to sit down and watch a couple of his fights someday. How do you guys think he does if he were in his prime today?
He’d be competitive with guys like Rivas, Helenius and current form Hunter. He’d get destroyed by the upper tier and several of the better prospects though.
Probably about the same as he did back in the early 2000s during his prime. I don't think athletic training or boxing technique has improved all that much since then (indeed, we have slightly better controls against PEDs, so our athletes may be worse). Though I'm open to being corrected.
He won all of the first 6 rounds against Brewster, but then lost the focus. After the knockdown, which was counted till twenty (he wanted to quit there) was he confused and broken. Aside of his mentally weakness, was his main issue the stamina (but better than that of Joshua). He had against Thompson a totally blackout, where he didn't find into the fight, but he would have been anyway a tough stylistical match-up for him, due to the size-difference of the 2m-orthodox boxer with his straights (who had Klitschko in deeper water too). But at the very end of his career did he win the first two rounds against Dimitrenko (who reached his peak at that time) comfortable, until he got caught by a perfect liver-hook (when he gave up again). He has a very good rhetoric and eloquent speech too, so he didn't need boxing. Was from the appearence maybe like a Henry Maske of Baden-Würtemberg, but had not the determination and decipline of whom.Therefore did he suit to train from 1997 to 2000 in the gym of Lennox Lewis, as who is known of being lazy in training often too. He could win now against Ruiz Jr., Whyte and be competitive with Parker. Against Joshua and Wilder would he probably build a comfortable lead and then get caught in the later rounds (10 - 12), Fury maybe a little bit earlier.
I think he was several years top 10 (like from his win vs. Sam onwards until the Thompson desaster). His fights against Renè Monse for the European championship, the first who knocked him down (in the first round), were significant.
His best friend is Firat Arslan, who has not his high intellect nor the elloquent rhetorical speech and is very limited, but has a lot more heart. I guess them are not only both from Kosovo, but live in the same town (Rottweil).
