The Case for Vitali Klitschko for Top 10 All time

I don't believe Sven Ottke was ever knocked down. Calzaghe was , more than once. Who's greater?

In fact , getting off the canvas to win by stoppage is a better indictment of greatness than never touching down against a dossier full of cans.

 

The fact that Vitali was never knocked down is just a factor. In of in itself it does not garner greatness but combined with the other factors it holds weight.

 

The other factor is quitting on his stool and losing to an end of career Lennox Lewis.

 

Carnera does not have the most KO's in boxing histroy.

Ring Magazine considered him linear and they are the gold standard.

The boxing hall of fame is full of men who quit with lesser injuries. If the fight was at the end of Vitali's career or if he knew how the press would react to it, he might have finished the fight. Later in his career he defeated CHisroa with a similar injury.

 

I can't see him Top Ten based on resume. Maybe in some mythical Head to Head sense... but even then...

 

Head to head he's a monster. But legacy wise? Nah.. His lengthy WBC reign has to be taken with a grain of salt. Wlad was the real champion during those years. And with Corrie Sanders being his best win ( or at least one of them ) that doesn't bode well for a top 10 spot.

 

And an old, fat Sanders at that.

Vitali was good-very good-but great? I just don't see it myself.

 

Wlad was more consistent and ruled for much longer. Obviously Vitali's injuries played heavily into that, but it is what it is.
H2H he well have beaten Wlad, but that isn't a criteria for me.

 

Of course it hasn't been proven. No one will ever face Marciano again.

 

h2h easily top 10, and could even be h2h #1 because of his two champion runs, iron chin, 87% ko power and size. Nobody really beat him and he was never behind in any fight. He has some unique stats for a longterm champion. Lewis did not want to go again for a reason. Vitali was a fighting man through and through. He would take Foreman's age record if he wanted it.

 

H2h for me is mostly fantasy. The measurables do factor eventually like tommy burns vs Vitali etc. Based on accomplishment though I don't have him in top ten. I have him on top 20 on back end just ahead of Bowe.

 

There is no case for him

 

H2h he's top 10. Accomplishments no.

 

There is none to be made.

Vitali is a top 30 in my book, and there is nothing wrong with that.

 

A bit offtopic, but he makes himself look bad also. He can't speak at all, he's extremely stupid as a man outside the ring. He starts saying something and forgets what he wanted to say in the middle of his speech, even if it's only a couple of sentences long.