Which heavyweight you rank higher ATG, Vitali Klitschko or Riddick Bowe

Well in Briggs case he was very green and improved with age as did many of the heavyweights especially in recent times. Vlad may be on decline but he is 38 and has improved greatly in his last 19 fights. Vitali IMO improved after the Lewis fight and Jersey Joe Walcott was smart and fit and could hurt you with either hand, could box and had great leg movement and if he was in the condition he was for Marciano in fight 1 of Marciano he would give anyone trouble and possibly any of the ATG, he was not consistent but he was in great condition for that one.

By the way I met Walcott in the late 70's and he was a scary looking guy, thick neck and shoulders and head, hands for a guy that was a shade 1/2 inch over 6" ft he was as rough looking as Joe Frazier who I met later. It was hard to picture a man as physically strong as he was being able to move and pinpoint punches the way he did

 

Planet Klitschko update- Vitali fought a better version of Briggs than Lewis did.

 

I meant the pace that fits their fuel tank for the amount of rounds required. experience of defeat can teach a guy to monitor his fuel tank.

In regard to B-hop etc. I think you are mistaken, they stay fit and use their experience over the younger guys. Physicality is only one aspect of maturity (Physical maturity is downhill as you age typically) and sometimes a great fighter will come along and set the bar again and physicality may be the key where experience may be enough to confuse the ordinary to the very good.

Guys like Robinson, Duran, Walcott, B-Hop, Moore, Griffith, Benny Briscoe where able to stay at the top long after their physical body declined but there experienced picked up the slack. Then you have the case of Holmes vs Tyson (who may have ended up the same way prime for prime because of styles) but was blasted out impressively.

A good example was a well conditioned Duran (which was not always the case) against a prime Iran Barkley (who had KO'd Hearns) he beat up a super-middleweight many weight classes above his best weight in Barkley


Heavyweights may or may not be the same but in the case of Lewis and Vlad the 5 heavy's the Ko'd them respectfully were not at all great in any aspect.

 

In some aspects yes and in some no

 

In all aspects no because he beat nobody as he got older. Foreman beat top guys in his 40's. Briggs did not. Ever.

He only took beatings that left him in he hospital.

 

It really is that simple.

 

Briggs had 31 fights when he fought Lewis .
Johannson won the title in his 22nd fight.
Ali his 19th.
Frazier his 24th.
Lewis his 22nd.
Tyson his 27th.
Holyfield his 24th.

Enough examples?

 

Briggs only fought 6 rated fighters in his entire career.And he lost to 4 of them.

 

You are not dealing in reality.

 

Those that ko'd Lewis were a clear level above 2 of Wlad's . Both were rated contenders.Purrity and Brewster were unranked,

 

I think you're the world record holder of the idiotism.

 

Briggs had a build up record when he stepped up he was Ko'd by Darrel Wilson in 3 before Lennox, his best win came later against Liakavich after LL

 

The latest ESB Classic flavor of the week - " Briggs was prime against Vitali"

 

And even that he was losing as well.

 

Vitali hit harder than Foreman and Lewis, because Briggs said so