Top 20 H2H heavyweights in history?

Sanders failed the opportunity to fight Lewis when he lost the eliminator against Rahman.
Wlad cherry picked an inactive and past prime Sanders thinking it would be an easy title defence.

 

He did. But then was an obvious option for the fight after he beat Wlad.

He did.

 

How many heavyweights are you judging on their performances at age 40?

Are we going to degrade Foreman because he got his ass kicked by Alex Stewart and hapless Tommy Morrison?

 

I think it would've been interesting to see Lewis against some of the talented 80s Heavyweights at their best.

Mobile boxers like Page.

Speedsters like Dokes.

Tricky slippery boxer type like Tubbs.

One match up realistically that could've happened that I would've liked to of seen is Lewis vs Witherspoon.

Witherspoon had a good showing vs Mercer who was fresh off giving Lewis his hardest fight of his career.

Lewis was still on the comeback trail and Witherspoon had a good defence and a potent right hand which Lewis was vulnerable to at times.

 

Wlad must have been great to have affected you this severely.

 

That doesn't make a lick of sense.
Foreman 88 KO 2 w.klitschko

 

I think Lennox would have done fine anyway even against that style.

And I think Holyfield sort of fits the bill anyway.

 

Don't get me wrong Wlad is a great fighter but I just feel Wlad was always prone to a stylistic nightmare fighter on top of his suspect chin.

Also, Wlad's best win was Haye, whereas guys like Riddick Bowe beat prime Holyfield twice.

 

"None of which were any good". Thompson was great. These guys all made Rings top 10 exact Wach. Wach is one of the best fighter his height ever because contrary to popular belief good HWs above 6'6 are rare.

How many guys were around fitting the parameters you've listed who were better? You ask "wheres the guys above 6'4" and then when you list them they aren't good enough. Now clearly Valuev is the biggest name missing from Wlads resume and at the very end you had Luis Ortiz and Wilder pop up but other then that what are you looking for?

During Vitalis 2nd reign Briggs was Vitalis only opponent 6'4 or taller. And he was just 6'4. The WBC had Stiverne and Arreola fight for a vacant belt.

 

How can anyone make the claim Wlad wasn’t great. He made 18 consecutive title defenses, against a wide variety of styles. Challengers that mostly were in their prime, peak opponents and larger than most heavies have ever been.
Wlad racked up 64 career wins mostly at the world level. This wasn’t Foreman or Holmes racking up wins on the Midwest club circuit in their late 30s and then getting gifts over Axel Schulz.
People don’t comprehend how difficult it is to make 18 consecutive title defenses as a unified champion.

 

Did it ever occur to you that Holyfield just wasn't that good, either. Holyfield is assumed to be great because he beat Bowe, Bowe because he beat Holyfield. But otherwise, Holyfield was a spotty heavyweight, even when juiced to the gills. The Holy that Bowe beat was the same guy an inch from losing his title to Cooper and who did lose to Moorer (please, stop with the excuses on that one).

 

Holyfields resume extends far beyond Bowe wtf

 

Holmes beat more Top 10 guys then Wlad tho. But overall, you're right. Wlad walso beat the most undefeated fighters out of all heavyweight champions.

 

You could argue Byrd and Povetkin were better HWs than Haye. Chagaev and Pulev too. Also, Holyfield is the only top fighter Bowe beat. He doesn't have as wide resume as Wlad when it comes to world class fighters with different styles.