Wlad's all-time status?

Good poll. I say a handful over the next couple.

 

I think he has already reacher top 20 status. Top 10? I think if he wins a few more big fights, he should be in the conversatin bt still borderline.

 

I am going to have to say he needs quite a bit more if not impossible for him. The major problem with Wlad is just his level of opposition. I may be wrong looking back on it later, I mean Joe Louis didnt have the best resume, but he did get the title defenses in and didnt have to deal with all these silly abc's. If Wlad can rack up 7-8 more solid defenses now that he is ranked as the ring champ, I will entertain a top 10 discussion.

 

It depends on what opponents we're talking about and how the fights proceed. If Wlad were to fight and beat his brother in the near future, for example, I'd say that would put him in the top 20, pushing top 15. If he goes on beating the Chagaev-old-Rahman-Tony-Thompson brand of opponents senseless for another couple years, I don't think it will enhance his status all that immensely; he's already established that it's a piece of cake for him, and it is becoming redundant, although if this type of opposition remains more or less all that's available, a real extended reign (let's say, 10+ fights) would still establish a special accomplishment on Wlad's part which could get him looking at the top 10. The one win over his brother would do far more towards a potential all-time great standing for Wlad than four more of these garden variety wins combined, if it were to come about. Unfortunately (from a fan's perspective, though it is perfectly understandable on a personal level), it doesn't look like this fight will ever happen.

If, say, Haye and Povetkin each put on another good showing or two to establish themselves as legitimate elite challengers with momentum, then Wlad duly faced and dismissed them, it would do wonders for his standing, as one of the real difficulties he's facing lies in a paucity of quality prime, hungry, in-shape stars of this sort. A good rise through the ranks by the likes of Denis Boytsov could also provide meat for Wlad to prove himself. Right now, the ranks are pretty sparse in terms of opposition that would put him on the fast track to greatness, but hopefully that will change over the next few years.

To summarize in terms of "number of wins," then: if no real stars emerge over the next few years and Wlad continues to routinely dominate this same sort of run-of-the-mill opposition, it will take quite a few more victories (probably 10 or more) to get him in range for serious consideration as ranking in the top 10 in history (keeping in mind his ugly losses and lack of a "great" win), while he could be in the same place within five or six fights if he gets the chance to face some genuinely exceptional challengers.

 

If he's won 5 by the end of 2011 (including Arreola Valuev and Haye) i'd have him in there.

 

my top 10:
1. Ali
2. Louis
3. Johnson
4. Holmes
5. Lewis
6. Foreman
7. Marciano
8. Holyfield
9. Tyson
10.Liston/Frazier

It's going to be very hard to wlad to be ranked above them.

It's not like Riddick Bowe is a one hit wonder Buster Douglas type fighter. Outside of his 2 wins over Holyfield, he's beaten his fair share of contenders during his era. Bruce Seldon, Tony Tubbs, Larry Donald, Herbie Hide, Michael Dokes, Jesse Fergusson, Jorge Luis Gonzalez, Piere Coetzer, Bert Cooper and Tyrell Biggs. That's one heck of a resume for a heavyweight.

 

If he won 25 fights over the next 10 years he'd go down in my book as the greatest EVER !

 

10 years from now, hes going to be like 45 or 46ish, lets be reasonable. The contenders out there are Povetkin, David Haye and the cuban gold medlaist odlanier solis. If they prove to be worthy and he beats all 3, then he would surpass a riddick bowe and probably sonny liston. But I have a hard time seeing wlad surpass someone like Tyson. Mike Tyson flat out dominated and crsuhed everybody, and he has a superior skillset to wlad.