Wladimir Klitschko....will he go down as an all-time great heavyweight?

Lennex Lewis was KO'd by McCall and Rahman is that really any better? Not dodging Lewis or anyone, just saying...

 

Better isn't the right word but it certainly isn't as bad.

 

You really need to check you facts. First you say he never dominated the division, then he has only one belt, then you say the most ignorant comment. He hasn't unified a title or attempted to? His fight against Ibragimov was for the WBO. He clearly attempted to unify the division. Ibragimov, then the fight against a legitimate WBA champion in Chagaev ( at the time it want known that Valuev would get the title in court atsch). He doesnt have the WBA technically but no one can say that Valuev does. Wlad has a better argument that hes the true WBA champion.
The only title he never had was WBC, his brother's title.
I'm convinced that soon the division will be his completely.
Oh, I forgot: The RING Champion:happy

 

And not as bad is not the word either. He lost so did Wlad. Don't matter how, by one punch Ko or by TKO. A loss is a loss. So you cant say that lewis' losses are not as bad.

 

no....

your based on accomplishments & who you have beaten...

neither klitsko has accomplished much compared to past heavyweights & they certainley havent beaten any one worth a damn

 

I wouldn't say that necessarily. Byrd at his best was a terrific fighter. Olympic middleweight silver medalist, two-time, two-title world heavyweight champion.

 

NO doubt about it ... the worst injury he got was a shoulder injury ... and if it weren't for David Haye he would've already fought 3 times this year (despite the injury) when its all said and done he'll have around 70-80 victories ... **** thats amazing and i'm sure he's going to be pressing 20 title fights as well ... this guy isn't a normal champion ... he will fight 3 times a year defending his title ... and he has so much left in the tank its ridiculous.

 

Wlad is ATG.

Won Olympic Gold (Superheavyweight division) in 1996 (only 20 years old), become WBO World Champion from 2000-2003, now Heavyweight World Champion from 2006 IBF/WBO/IBO and Ring Magazine, 14 sucsessful World Title fights.

56 Prof fights with 53 wins! And he is still on the top.

 

Wladimir is close to ATG status at heavyweight: Olympic Gold, has been a contender since 2000, has been the dominant force in the division since 2006, has beaten many contenders, has unified and beaten titleholders, etc.

Vitali has not accomplished so much but his toe-to-toe ranking makes him a very good heavyweight in historial terms. If he had not been injured between 2005-2007, then he would have 6 or 7 more wins and would rank higher.

 

Can't wait until Vlad gets back into the ring and knocks Chambers out cold, then fights Povetkin, and everyone else in the top ten.

 

Very good point

 

If they can get him to 70 fights total he would have a good shot at being an ATG. That would put him with over 50 KO's for his career which has only been done a few times at Heavyweight. He is going to need to average 3 fights a year to do it though I am not sure if he can do it.

 

If HBO would let him fight more, such a budget is crap.

 

In terms of being up there in the top 3, top 5 HW all-time, I doubt it, as that's a pretty damn hard category to reach. Unless Wlad shows some great, great longevity in the future and makes a ton of defenses to partially make up for the less than stern opposition (it worked for Holmes, didn't it, although Holmes never lost until he was like 36).

Now being lower down, let's say on the outskirts of the top ten or so, maybe yeah I can see that. ATG is pretty subjective, what is it, top 5 all-time at HW, top 10, top 20, 25, etc?

 

He's well on his way to ATG. He adopted the E.Steward style that made LL so successful.