It's hard to look like you have good head movement when your head is at the receiving end of Klitschko's ramrod and super accurate jab... But I do agree to an extent. Their aren't as many talented inside fighters at heavyweight anymore because it's not the european style and the Americans suck for the most part.
Don't be silly. That title goes to Muhammad Ali easily. Easy to look great at controlling distance when you're a bajillion feet tall and your targets are nigh stationary.
The last 6 years of Manny-programmed Wlad is a hard puzzle to figure for any fighter who ever lived. Not saying some wouldn't do it, but it wouldn't be easy. And yes, he controls distance immaculately.
Wlad has an incredible sense of range and how long is arms are. He knows where the danger zone is, and how to stay out of it. For fighters to go into that danger zone they have to go through hell. Wladimir is a great fighter. Let's see how he does with Haye. With a big win, he might move into my top 12 of all time. He is way better than Vitali.
Don´t know about the best but he is one of them. I think Ali, Holmes, Walcott, Schmeling are up there as well. I think the awefulness of this era is often overstated. It isn´t worse than in other times in history. BS. Tyson would beat him and probably early too but that´s due to styles not because Wlad isn´t up there with the best when it comes to controlling the distance. And I can see that Wlad hits him with a hard punch when Mike moves in which lets Mike move into his "don´t-bother-going-through-the-motions"-mode and perhaps seeing him lose. Unlikely though. :thumbsup
Don't see him beating Haye as making a real big difference in his standing as one of the sport's all time great heavyweights.It's a good win,but not much more of a win than Ibragimov or Chambers was.As it stands,he should be regarded as such already.He's basically ruled the heavyweight division for over a decade now.He has decisively cleared his division of almost all credible contenders,hasn't avoided anybody,and he consistently fights world class opposition. You cared enough to post in this thread,bellend.
No,he hasn't avoided his brother.When two close relatives are both decisively against such a fiight,there isn't a credible argument to even be made in support of such a ridiculous argument. And I said almost all credible contenders.I'm aware that there are a select few whom he did not fight.It's difficult to fight somebody who's promoter does not want his fighter in the same ring with you.
He's certainly very good at it. But there have been fighters named Ali, Liston, Lewis etc. who were pretty good at it - and there only some of the ones who shared Wlad's preference for LONG ranges. All good fighters "control distance", sometimes that means shortening it.
Hard to peg one guy as the best ever in that area, but I wouldn't have any qualms about Wlad's name being on the short list for it.