Wladimir Klitschko has a very good resume..where does it rate in history

I don't know how much significance the fight really holds now. Valuev hasn't been keeping very busy and hasn't really scored a decisive win over a meaningful opponent in years. Should Vitali sign to face him, and manage to stop him before midway through the fight, it might raise a few eyebrows, but truthfully I don't think any serious boxing fan rates Valuev as a true top 10 entity anymore.

 

One of the disheartening aspects of current boxing is how often good matches are not made. I understand the Vitali and Wlad situation, but why didn't either of them ever fight Valuev?


Well Valuev just turned down a huge payday to face Vitali. Wlad had also tried for a unification against Valuev after finishing off his mandatories early 2007. Of course King and co. stalled and Wlad got injured in his voluntary busy fight defense against Brewster that summer; by that time Valuev had already lost to Chageav, and the planned unification between Sultan/Chageav was cancelled, giving Wlad the opening to at least unify against Sultan the following year.


Klitschko targets Valuev!
By Karl Freitag
At Saturday night's post fight press conference, IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko said he wants a unification clash against seven-foot WBA heavyweight titlist Nikolai Valuev. "I hope it moves now to the fight against Nikolai. I believe he wishes for this fight just like me. I hope that we do it," commented Klitschko. "It is not simple to close this deal, but I hope that pressure from the public will help the fight come about." Valuev, however, must first get past a tough assignment in unbeaten mandatory challenger Ruslan Chagaev on April 14 at the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart. "I believe that Nikolai wins this fight," added Klitschko. "Chagaev is not so known and not so attractive as Valuev. If I could select one, I would take Valuev." If Valuev is indeed successful, the Klitschko Brothers' promotional company K2 hopes to initiate talks with the Valuev camp for a unificaton clash in June or July. Klitschko also complained that Valuev's co-promoter Don King is difficult to work with and has continually stalled attempts to make a unification fight against Valuev. King and Ray Austin did not attend the presser.

 

Mongoose

1. This does seem to get Wlad and Vitali off the hook

2. It doesn't make these things less disheartening

3. I know it is nasty to say this, but when will Don King do boxing a favor and di . . . retire.

 

He really has played a big role in demolishing the sport, and has stood as an obstacle in the way of unification matches being made, young fighters flourishing, etc..

 

1. Nowhere near his prime?

He scored his career best win a grand total of one year prior to the Clay fights. How is that "nowhere near his prime" ?

2. I would hardly say Martin got the dog**** beaten out of him when he left Liston lying like a corpse on the canvas. But you are right, he couldn't get a rematch. But that is life. Lewis couldn't get Bowe in the ring [as pros], but that doesn't mean we should act asif he did. Same applies to Martin and a rematch.

3. Liston still got knocked down (by a lightheavyweight who wasn't even a big name) in one of the other fights.

3.

Valuev wants no part of them and has explicitly said so. What's more, Valuev seems to be a puppet, controlled by Sauerland and King, who are probably the hardest promoters to negotiate with. There was recent talk about a Vitali-Valuev fight, but Valuev's camp priced him out.

Basically, they knew he was going to take a career-ending beating. To sort of quote Bear: if they wanted their fighter's career to be executed, they wanted to be paid well.

 

Yep... That basically sums that one up...

Seriously though, I do think that Liston was slipping when he fought Clay, but I wouldn't say that he was totally "shot" either... In 1960, Liston was 4 years younger than he was when he met Ali, fighting far more actively and beating the best available contenders to death.. I think most people would say that this version of Liston was better than the one who lost to clay, but I'm also not going to take the position that Ali beat up on a washed up old man either.. Liston was still the reigning champ, had recently done a number on Patterson and still capable of beating just about anyone else in the division outside of Ali... He would also fight on for several more years, and was beating some respectable opponents...

 

Yep. I think it's comparable to when Lewis got sparked by McCall (1994). He hadn't quite reached his peak yet, but he was a VERY dangerous fighter in his prime, not peak, nonetheless. The same goes for Liston in '64. The difference was made in the rematch.

 

Chris-to quote you

"Valuev wants no part of them and has explicitly said so."

This man is considered to have been a champion?

 

Agreed, its a logical fight to be made in Europe too.

 

I have to point out that people suffer detached retinas all the time without having suffered any eye injuries at all.

And an accidental thumb in the eye could easily cause a detached retina.

Bottom line--A detached retina just does not prove a fighter took a terrible beating any more than a pulled hamstring proves a football player was brutally tackled or blocked.