Where is Wlad on the ATG HW List

Heavyweights cant really be compared across eras....Todays heavies are a different weight class then any other time, truth be told most of the heavies that are ranked in the top 20 could have been cruiserweights today, or I should say would have been today....So you have to go more on in ring accomplishments and wlda hasnt done enough to make the top 40ish...

 

Top 35, maybe 30. It's a struggle to name that many heavies that are more deserving, so to not have him in a top 50 is pretty laughable. Vitali however...well one could make a case for him not making a top 50 on resume.

He could eek his way into a top 20 before his career is out if he beats good contenders like Povetkin, Haye regardless of whether his brother beats him as he'd always be considered a bigger threat to Wlad, Valuev and fulfil his mandatories but most importantly unify the belts is going to boost him much further than any single wins. He needs his brother to get injured again.

 

:goodExactly, hell I even think Wlad is still a work in progress. The genius Steward is slowly but surely creating a monster that hits HARD but is increasingly difficult to hit back with an effective punch. We can all talk about Wlad's all-time greatness a decade from now. But he is way better than top 27 already IMO. I have him top 15 based on ring accomplishments and H2H ability. Example: Ken Norton would be lucky to last one single round with monster puncher Wlad. A powerful lead left hook would finish soft-chinned Ken very early and I like Norton. He was a true gentleman; well spoken and respectful of his opponents. A total class act but Wlad would have crucified him if they had ever met in their respective primes.

 

Why does Witherspoon keep popping up on these lists? Not saying he's a bum, but top 50, really?

 

I wouldnt talk about anyone having a so-called "Soft Chin", when Wlad himslelf been knocked out 3 times by average competition/Journeymen. The same could also be said that if Norten would connect with a right or left hook on Wlad's weak chin, the fight could be over just as easily.:deal

 

Wlad nearly passing out due to exhaustion vs Brewster and Puritty shows a soft chin?:huh

 

Top25 or even Top20 right now.

 

I agree, and I like your avatar:hi:

 

No, but being dropped 11 times by 6 different oppenents, most of which were by average opposition, does. I feel Wlad does still infact have a very weak chin, but with the help of Steward, who has been able to teach Wlad shield it alot better than in the past, using excessive clinching at times, as well as improved balance, something I began to notice after the Peter fight in 05.

Not sure wether you agree or not, but without Steward in his corner, he would of been just another Heavyweight with a big punch and a glass chin.

 

I don't think that you understand the difference between a glass chin, and balance issues earlier in his career. Tell me... outside of his fight against Corrie Sanders (being dropped by Corrie Sanders certainly doesn't show a weak chin)... which of those knockdowns shows that Wlad had a weak chin?

 

If you remember Widdow, against Brewster in round 3 of their first fight, Brewster landed a jab on Wlad that made his legs buckle, which made even RJJ laugh about it and question his chin throughout the fight. Also against Peter he was all over the place throughout the first half of the fight, having panic attacks, clinching excessively, and even falling a few times as well, that was the most scared I ever seen Wlad look.

I will say this much, I feel most of the knockdowns were through stamina issues, as well his awkward balance, which seems common in taller fighters, something that has been improved with the help of Steward. All in all, I still believe Wlad's chin is weak, but his defense and jab is so good, there has been no fighter since Peter to really test that chin again. Time will tell wether his chin will be exposed again.

 

You are still tossing those lies around? Wow.

1. Brewster didn't hit Wlad with a jab in round 3. If you honestly believe that, then you clearly don't follow boxing very much. Brewster's power hand is his left, he switched his feet to a southpaw stance and landed a pretty damn big straight left hand power punch. Also, Wlad's legs didn't "buckle"... he simply went for the clinch like Steward was teaching him to do, and Brewster moved out of the way, making Wlad look awkward. However, he went right back to whooping Brewster's ass seconds later. If you followed Brewster like you pretend to... you would know that Brewster has actually dropped and stopped many opponents with that punch.

2. Wlad was all over the ring during the first half of their fight? How about... only round 5? How about the fact that not ONE of those punches in round five landed on Wlad's chin, or face. He landed a haymaker to the back of Wlad's head, and didn't land ANYTHING on the second scored knockdown. That shows a weak chin? Have you ever took a punch in the brain stem? How about a haymaker to the brain stem from Sam Peter? How does that show a weak chin? If you have ever boxed, you would know that a punch to the brain stem really knocks your equilibrium out of whack. It's the most dangerous place to be hit in the head. Which is why it is illegal.

3. How about the FLUSH shots that Peter landed on Wlad's chin, that didn't budge Wlad? Those don't count? Peter never even hurt Wlad with a flush shot to the face. He landed a HUGE left hook towards the end of round 3, square on the jaw of Wlad. The same type of left hook that sent Jeremy Williams into hibernation. Wlad didn't even blink. Sorry... those aren't the types of things that happen when a big power puncher hits a "glass chinned" fighter flush with a power shot.

You go on to admit that Wlad's previous knockdowns were due to his previous stamina (pacing problems)... and balance. Yet.. you still say that he has a weak chin. You really don't make any sense.

If you watch this fight against Golota... you can even see several times in this fight that Brewster throws his left in more of a straight fashion.
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If it's not exposed again, according to you, would you at least say he has an average chin?

I can live with average. When people say it's glass, paper mache, suspect, etc. that just irks me.

 

Widdow- Brewster has power in his left hook, not a straight left, I never once seen Brewster hurt or knockout anyone with that type of punch, and I been watching him since 2000 when he fought Eitenne. Against Peter Wlad looked terrible, especially early on, I counted 97 clinches Wlad initiated, and he did seem panic whenever Peter would land anything solid, usually clinching after every decent blow. The fights on youtube, I think you should take a look at how uneasy Wlad looked in that fight.

Downthabottle- I have recently upgraded Wlads chin from glass to weak, his chin has held up very well since September of 05 when Peter had him falling all over the place. I think must also look at his oppenents over the last 3 years, Bryd- No power, and well past his prime when they fought in April or May of 06, then it was off to Brock- Average power, but exagerated based on his knockout of the year in 05 against Zuri Lawrence, a man that his been knocked out by everyone under the sun. Ray Austin- average power, limmited boxing skills, he should of never been in the ring with Wlad in the first place. Brewster- not even medically cleared to fight Wlad, it was clear he was not the same man Wlad fought 2 years before. Sultan- Above average power, and a solid contender, it was Wlad's worst performance since Peter. Thompson- doesnt possess anything special, other than a good chin, lame competition IMO. Rahman- Wlad's worst oppenent since Austin, Rahman has terrible chin nowadays, being rocked by the likes of Sykes and Lawrence prove that, as well as history of being knocked out in the past.

 

Do you by chance know where I could find something official saying that Brewster was not medically clear for the 2nd fight with Wlad or if you could post it that would be great.

You kinda trailed off topic at the end I think. Thompson stopped Krasniqi in the prior bout and is a pretty big guy at 6'5 240 plus with decent punching power.

Rahman is a puncher even though he isn't as good as he once was.

To be honest though I don't think Wlad is going to get hit much anymore because of his ability to dictate space. He has become very good at judging good enough spacing to hit his opponent and back up a couple steps and keep doing this until the other guy gets fatigued.

So we might never see Wlad get hit flush by a huge puncher again.