What is the highest possible HW ATG Rank that Wladimir Klithscho can achieve?

Maybe top 15. The quality of opposition is too poor to be any higher than that. As I said in another thread, the last opponent he fought who really fought like you expect a challenger to do so, was Peter way back in 2005. That is not a positive or legacy enhancing statistic.

 

top 15.

you cant get into the top 10 without having beaten an A- level heavyweight at least

 

I don't think he can go much higher than he is now - top 25 or so...the competition he could beat just isn't out there to merit ranking him way up there. The most one could give him points for now is longevity.

 

I'd say this is a weak era by any standards. I'd say the last 10 years or so have been possibly the weakest in the history of the heavyweight division but what makes it worse is that Wlad isn't dominating on his own. If he was the dominant heavyweight in a weak era, you could argue he's similar to Larry Holmes or someone like that, but the problem is, he has his brother taking out half of the opposition for him, so not only is it a weak era, it's diluted further because him and his brother are joint champions. Adding onto that, they are selective with their opposition too and fight guys who suit them. If anyone doubts that, which brother is Povetkin always linked to fighting? Who was Valuev always linked with fighting?

Being in a weak era is one thing. Sharing dominance with your brother who fights half of the elite and also being selective about the styles you face is another.

I'd say that the very highest Wlad could go would be 15. I think a more realistic expectation is something like 18-20.

 

Povetkin is Wlad's mandatory...since 2008....for 4 ****ing years.

Valuev declined a fight with Wlad when Chagaev stepped in.

Valuev declined a fight with Vitali, several times.

Brittards - I thought they're gone but they're still around.

 

Realistically possible, I can picture having him squeak into number ten, on my list. Right now, I've got him at fifteen/sixteen. If he goes through Wach(2012,meh year, gave only numbers), Povetkin+Pulev/Ustinov winner(2013-would be a very good year), and let's say, Arreola/Stiverne gets vacant WBC title and he takes it(2014-would be a nice cherry on top of a long effort, probably), I'm going to find it difficult to rate him lower than 10/11. It would be as great as you're likely to get without having faced a great fighter.

And it's a reasonable enough possibility. But, then again, he'd be 38 by 2014 and I think maybe Povetkin would be up for this in a way he couldn't get up for the guys he's been facing (result regardless, I think it was assumed he'd take them all and he wasn't giving his best leading up to the fights). And with all the potential injuries, mandatory issues, promotional problems, ABC-corruption, that can come up, I won't hold my breath for something like this to happen. But it's still very possible.

Anything higher, I'm thinking I'm going to need to see someone standout as a monster that Volo needs to slay, even if it takes him twice. He needs a HOF type guy that he's not going to get, in order to be rated any higher on my list. A heavyweight HOF, not like shot BHOP after BHOP beats Julius Long or something. Price is the only guy who looks even to have an outside chance at being a genuine star heavyweight on the horizon, let alone a HOF type fighter. And that's a way off.

 

Top 5.

 

1st. Although he would likely have to break Foreman's oldest champ record.

 

For 7 or 8, in addition to what I've already said, I'm going to need to see a Volo/Denis Richards sex tape released. And it would have to be impressive. Damned impressive. :bart

 

Several top 10 ATG's fought in terrible eras, no reason why Wlad can't be ranked top 10 some day. Larry Holmes has no great wins, same with Rocky Marciano and I consider both of them top 10 ATG. The Klit haters just like to say the division is so terrible now, when in fact it is probably better then most eras.

 

Exactly, I see no reason why Wlad can't achieve better rankings than Holmes and Marciano. The last 10 years haven't been worse than the 80s or 50s.