Whenever the topic of hardest chin is discussed the name Valuev is seldom mentioned alongside usual suspects such as Chuvalo, McCall, Ali etc. Even when Haye detonated that huge overhand right all it did was momentarily wobble the off-balance oaf with the titanium beard. I don't know whether it is a perceived lack of big punchers on his record or typical anti-oaf sentiment which excludes the Sugar man but by my reckoning he shows the sturdiest chin of all and there isn't a man in history I'd back to crack that Russian steel. What say you Classic Forum?
I can't really, his record is his record. Although I do recall hearing that his skull is substantially thicker than average (Isn't there similar said about Hagler's skull being dense?) which would explain why when Haye landed his money punch his hand came off second best. While it is undeniable that Valuev didn't face a who's who of power punchers he wasn't exactly hard to find, Holyfield in particular touched him up something fierce, throwing and landing the kitchen sink to no avail. Evander may not be renowned for his power, likewise Chagaev and Ruiz, but the accumulation would surely have taken its toll had SNV's jaw not been forged in the centre of Earth. Based on the evidence we do have, how high do you rate his magnificent mandible? Don't forget to vote.
He could take punches very well, but I wouldn't put him in the same league as somebody like McCall or Cobb without more testing.
I respect the guy, but he was built like a T-Rex and it's hard to move 300 pounds with one punch. I think he deserves credit for his chin, but McCall deserves much more for being so much smaller....and fighting some killers.
It's a shame that Burt Sugar never spoke on him. I would've loved to have seen the two greatest "Sugars" of all time cross paths.
He went on that rant about the HW division shortly before he died saying that Carnera would have easily beaten both Klitschkos among other things. He never mentioned Valuev once though, which means he must have respected the hell out of him.
His skull and general frame was immense, which gave him a solidity that no other fighter possessed, but his lack of mobility meant he couldn't roll with shots the way smaller fighters could. He basically took the full brunt of the shot every time out. I'd put him up there with the likes of Vitali, Wach, Mavrovic etc, but I wouldn't quite put him on a McCall level who was never visibly hurt in his career.
Very good Chin but as it's pointed out ,he didn't meet any killer's. Put Lewis ,Tyson or Foreman' in there and I see the sugar monster stopped before the end bell .
