The Klitchskos are always good as a topic for a huge number of fights, so who was Wladimiers best opponent. When you look at the overall fighters he has fought, he really does stand over and above the best of the current active fighters and it is a pretty good list of opponents even if i think of quite a few "tests" i would have preferred to see him fight. I think that Chris Byrd was the best fighter he fought, and he should win the tournament, but i wonder whether Klit fans and some of the others on here see it otherwise. Most votes wins, and feel free to predict a tournament winner as well as the current rounds winners. Round 1 Ross Purity vs Sultan Ibragimov Axel Shulz vs DaVarryl Williamson Monte Barrett vs Chris Byrd Frans Botha vs Russian Chagaev Ray Mercer vs Hasim Rahman Corrie Sanders vs Tony Thompson Ray Austin vs Jameel McLine Sam Peter vs Lamon Brewster Fighters are not in their prime, but must be in the shape they turned up for when they actually fought Wlad. all fights are for 12 rounds.
My picks are above. I would add in Brock, and someone else, as Brock was likely better than a few guys on the list.
I forgot Brock. I might give him a shot at the winner. I must say, i thought a few more klit fans would have voted on this, maybe i should have posted on the General forum. Of your picks, i thought Touch of Sleep over Axel Shulz is a little surprising. Neither was really that good, but Axel was tough, he fought some good fighters admittedly older and Wlad was the only one to actually stop him (not counting the Minto fight where he came off a 7 year layoff, trying to emulate Jeffries). In fact, Williamson never really beat a world class heavyweight and he was blasted out early by most of the closest ones he fought, Wlad, Mesi, Meehan and Austin. Williamson did finish off common opponent Kevin Mcbride quicker but I feel pretty confident that Axel Shulz was a class or two above Touch of Sleep and would KO him before the 10th.
I would use the following 16 fighters, and for fun match most of Vitali's guys vs Wlad guys in round one. Field of 16: Peter, Byrd, Ibragimov, Hide, Thompson, Brock, Gomez, Kirk Johnson, Chagaev, Kevin Johnson, Williams, Sanders, Brewster, Rhaman, Mercer, Arreola
