In order of greatness:

-Wladimir klitschko (Ring mag and current linear champ)

-Vitali klitschko (A 3x HW champ)

-Joe calzaghe (Undisputed SMW champ, ring champ at SMW and LHW, one of the longest reigning champion's ever)

-Kostya tszyu (#1 fighter at 140lbs for over 10 years and was the first fighter in 30 years to unify the title's at 140 lbs)

-Dariusz michalkzewski (Linear champ at LHW, ring mag champ from 97-03, and WBO cruiserweight Champion)

Joe Calzaghe

big gap

the rest

Since when has Australia via Russia been European?

Originally Posted by Bobthepen

Since when has Australia via Russia been European?

Only Tszyu is Russian and Russia is in Europe anyway??

Calzaghe - hard to argue otherwise as he never lost
Wlad - A shade better than his brother
Vitali - as above
Dariusz - beat some decent fighters, and made a lot of defences
Tszyu - Overrated. First to unify all belts in 30 years? The sanctioning bodies pissed everybody about for so long it wasn't the achievement it sounds, especially in a weak division.

Originally Posted by BIG H

Originally Posted by Bobthepen

Since when has Australia via Russia been European?

Only Tszyu is Russian and Russia is in Europe anyway??

Only in the minds of those who have been recently educated in the UK or America.

Joe cal I know some people didn't enjoy watchin him but I did and really think had the ability to compete with anyone

Torn on second place, because I think on vitalis best day
he is strong enough and durable enough to get to his bro late so I guess vitali and then wlad

Kostya and then dariusz

1. Wladimir Klitschko (because of so many dominant wins over good fighters during a period of many years)
2. Joe Calzaghe
3. Dariusz M
4. Kostya Tszyu
5. Vitali Klitschko (his resume isn't nearly as good as Wlad's)

Joe and Dariusz are two of the most underrated boxers in history and likely always will be. However, I think Wlad may finally receive the recognition he deserves after he retires.

1. Wladimir Klitschko
2. Kostya Tszyu
3. Vitali Klitschko
4. Dariusz Michalkzewski
5. Joe Calzaghe

Vitali Kiltschko - Hasn't lost since Lewis (Lewis quickly retires in fear of a rematch)
Kostya Tszyu - fought 16 world champions beating one in only his 4th fight)
Wladimr Klitschko- Has a couple of bad losses, but doesn't look like losing currently.
Joe Calzaghe- Overrated
Darius Michalczewski-Underrated

Rating champions from different divisions is a little too 'apples and oranges' for me but the two things that immediately sprang to mind was that Wladimir is probably a more bona fide champion than his brother but I can't help but feel that Vitali allowed Wlad to be the champion that he has.

Also seeing as Joe and Darius are at similar weights - Id have say the have had very similar careers. Darius has the lineage thing but then he doesn't have Roy Jones on his record ().... Dunno... Very similar careers.

Kostya Tszyu? Pass.

The greatness of tszyu is under appreciated, true story! I used to love the way he would knock out slick fighters. Watch this (Cool video):





Here's a list of some of the opponents he beat , their record when they first fought Kostya and some of the titles they've held...


Zab Judah (27-0-0) WBO/IBF140 , WBC/WBA/IBF147 Champion
Sharmba Mitchell (47-2-0) WBA/IBF140 Champion
Julio Cesar Chavez (103-4-2) WBC130 , WBC/WBA135 , WBC/IBF140
Champion
Roger Mayweather (54-11-0) WBA130 , WBC/IBO140 , IBA/IBO147 Champion
Rafael Ruelas (52-3-0) IBF135 Champion
Jesse James Leija (43-5-2) WBC130 , IBA135 Champion
Oktay Urkal (28-0-0)
Ben Tackie (24-2-0)
Miguel Angel Gonzalez (43-1-1) WBC135 Champion
Diobelys Hurtado (28-1-0) WBA/IBA140 Champion
Calvin Grove (49-9-0) IBF126 Champion
Ismael Armando Chaves (40-5-3)
Jan Piet Bergman (32-0-0) WBU147 Champion
Corey Johnson (20-1-1) IBC140 Champion
Hugo Pineda (27-0-1)
Jake Rodriguez (26-2-2) IBF140 Champion
Pedro Sanchez (26-1-2)
Angel Hernandez (40-1-2)
Hector Lopez (26-2-1)
Livingstone Bramble (34-11-3) WBA135 Champion
Juan LaPorte (37-12-0) WBC126 Champion

Kostya was the #1 fighter at 140lbs for over 10 years!!!!!!

He also was the first fighter in 30 years to unify the title's at 140 lbs. Judah WAS a big win, judah was also favored to beat Tszyu!! This guy was the business pure & simple. If more fighters these days had his work ethics & discipline boxing would be in a better state.

His only bad loss was to Phillips, a fight that he was WINNING up until the last couple of rounds where his terrible training habits and lack of activity (most people forget that he had only fought one round in a year) of the time cost him the fight after he ran out of gas. Still, after renewing his proper training he came back and didn't lose for the next eight years until his last fight at the age of 36 against Hatton in a brawl.

He fought an incredible sixteen champions in his short career (only had thirty or so fights) and was often stiffed during his prime years for lack of willing opponents. He just missed out on big fights with Mosley, Oscar, Mayweather for the high risk, low reward factor that he brought up until his final years as an older fighter in one of the top divisions in boxing where he was finally a big money opponent and name.

One of his better years though was 2001 which he was able to get three fights unifying the titles in a great fight against Sharmba Mitchell, defending it against the number one contender and undefeated 28-0 Oktay Urkal, then finishing the year by spectacularly knocking out the undefeated 27-0 IBF champion Zab Judah in two rounds thus becoming the first undisputed 140 pound champion in over thirty years.

He first turned pro in '92 and by '95 was already champion and for the rest of his career only fought the best. Great underrated career and fighter.

Kostya was an excellent fighter but he got knocked out in his "prime" and the best "prime" fighter he beat was Zab.

As for that 16 "world" champions stuff (they are alphabet holders). Yes it means he beat top rated fighters, however, i'm pretty certain loads of current top fighters will have similar numbers on their record.

Originally Posted by Fenster

Kostya was an excellent fighter but he got knocked out in his "prime"

So did mike tyson.

So did lennox.

So did klitschko.

Again with the neurotics....

I don't doubt Tszyu was an incredibly good fighter... I just can't find a viable point of reference to compare him with the other fighters.