Where is Wlad on the ATG heavyweight list right now?

Ok, maybe not a weak chin. Honestly , I didnt see too many fights of his. I just remember the Lewis one.
But then you discredit Chagaev as if he is a bum. He was a champion, never lost before Wlad, had a great amateur career. What makes you think that Ruddock beats him and Ibragimov?

 

Top 25, which is good. The way he lost those 3 fights is hard to swallow but he has rebounded pretty well.

 

Wlad could get knocked out by every half decent heavyweight puncher in history. I'm talking prime Earnie Shavers, Ron Lyle, Razor Ruddock, Shannon Briggs, Ray Mercer, Oliver McCall etc.

He would stand no chance against the great heavyweights who could punch - Lennox, Foreman, prime Tyson

Wlad might do OK against great heavyweight relative non punchers - Ali, Larry Holmes. But he would still lose.

I would still put him in the Top 50 based on size, skills and abilities

 

Well that has some truth to it. Although I would love for todays prospects to pad their resume like wlad did. He fought every month, more than once per month. In 3 years he already fought he fought in 29 fights and fought Shultz who fought Foreman, Botha, Moorer before Wlad. After that he fought Botha, Mercer, Byrd, McCline, Barrett, Jefferson, Sanders.
Lets look at his and Lewis' career before the title fights.

How many years did it take Wlad to fight for the title? 4 years.
How many years did it take Lewis to foght for the title? 4 years. He beat Ruddock to get there and beat Tucker to get it. Before Ruddock he didnt beat not one good opponent. His opponenet before Ruddock was Mike Dixon a 10-5 fighter, before that Dereck Williams 19-4. Hardly impressive is it?
For Wlad to fight Byrd for the title he fought Shultz, Barrett, Jackson, Bostice. Not very impressive but still not bad. He fought contendes in Bostice, Barrett, Wolfgramm and some decent journeyman whom Lewis also fought in Shultz and Jackson.
I dont see this terrible padding you're talking about. Lewis didn't fight good opposition before a title and Wlad didn't.

Now take a look at Solis, Povetkin, Dimitrenko, Arreola. Out of all of the only Povetkin has a decent opposition up until the Chambers fight. he took a quick road but stopped and fight bums only now and only once-twice a year. Solis, gold medalist, cant get into shape to fight. Rarely fights, and fights bad opposition. Arreola same thing. Only Dimitrenko fought a contender like him self in Chambers and lost. If they all took the road that Wlad took they would have much more experience and they would fight for the title already.

 

Is Shavers decent? On the poll recently he was number 2 alltime

 

Are you drunk :huh