Is Wladimir Klitschko a top ten ATG heavyweight?

[Freedom]

Michael Buffer: "Wladimir Klitschko is an all time great. Ali, L ouis, Dempsey & many more were finished before age 41" "Wladimir was magnificent in defeat - class and dignity"

[TitoFan]

No. The way he lost to AJ took some of the bad taste out of people's mouths... but his decade-long reign was still marred by some of the most ridiculously bad heavyweight title fights in boxing history. If he leaves now, it's with a better impression. But one fight does not undo scores of bad fights.

[Hulk]

No. The way he lost to AJ took some of the bad taste out of people's mouths... but his decade-long reign was still marred by some of the most ridiculously bad heavyweight title fights in boxing history. If he leaves now, it's with a better impression. But one fight does not undo scores of bad fights.

I long hated him too or at least how he fought, but it was effective. This last fight was a bit like how John Ruiz fought his last match against Haye. No clinching or bullshit. He fought bravely like Wlad did. Also fuck Haye.

[Alpha]

I'd say he cracks top 15.

[erics44]

No, people are high on an old dog putting in a gutsy end of career showing, but where was this Wlad over a decade of jab and clinch? Wlad has had a great career but has folded all too often when not allowed to jab and clinch. Mark is right, a solid top 20 based on technical skills, but always a punch away from being knocked down or stopped. Vitali was the ior fighter. Chin, output and intelligence. Wlad was always missing a few of those attributes.

exactly people have short memories

its like having a girlfriend who shagged about for 10 years and then forgiving her coz she put in the effort for one last night out

[erics44]

It was tough to throw a punch back because every time you try he grabs and holds tight, then leans

All you have to do is watch any one of his defences to see that

I honestly can't see how people can defend it, it's absolutely clear as day

Mr. Referee, Mr. Referee!!!! He's not letting me hit him back


You're ridiculous

youre ridiculous

[Master]

It was tough to throw a punch back because every time you try he grabs and holds tight, then leans

All you have to do is watch any one of his defences to see that

I honestly can't see how people can defend it, it's absolutely clear as day

Mr. Referee, Mr. Referee!!!! He's not letting me hit him back


You're ridiculous

youre ridiculous

Great comeback, must have taken you ages to think of that one.

[erics44]

It was tough to throw a punch back because every time you try he grabs and holds tight, then leans

All you have to do is watch any one of his defences to see that

I honestly can't see how people can defend it, it's absolutely clear as day

Mr. Referee, Mr. Referee!!!! He's not letting me hit him back


You're ridiculous

youre ridiculous

Great comeback, must have taken you ages to think of that one.

I know

I did think about it, and came up with all sorts of replies but I just felt that that was the best one

[El Kabong]

It was tough to throw a punch back because every time you try he grabs and holds tight, then leans

All you have to do is watch any one of his defences to see that

I honestly can't see how people can defend it, it's absolutely clear as day

Mr. Referee, Mr. Referee!!!! He's not letting me hit him back


You're ridiculous

youre ridiculous

Great comeback, must have taken you ages to think of that one.

I know

I did think about it, and came up with all sorts of replies but I just felt that that was the best one

Well bless your heart

[Nameless]

Yes, he does, and he would have had a significant chance to win against most of the all time great. He had it all, even if his chin was ok and not better. The same goes for his brother which, in my opinion, was even better due to his tremendous chin.

[Master]

Yes, he does, and he would have had a significant chance to win against most of the all time great. He had it all, even if his chin was ok and not better. The same goes for his brother which, in my opinion, was even better due to his tremendous chin.

Vitali would have been better if he had a higher number of defences and was not so injury prone. He didn't and wasn't so he should be lower.

[X]

I always though Vitali was a better fighter than his brother. Bigger, tougher, harder puncher, chin like concrete.

He would have been competitive against any heavyweight who ever lived

[Nameless]

Yes, he does, and he would have had a significant chance to win against most of the all time great. He had it all, even if his chin was ok and not better. The same goes for his brother which, in my opinion, was even better due to his tremendous chin.

Vitali would have been better if he had a higher number of defences and was not so injury prone. He didn't and wasn't so he should be lower.

I wouldn'T say he was that much injury prone; he had one very significant injury to his knee, the rest didn't hold him back that much. When a guy has a KO ratio of 87% against the best of his era, that speaks volume, to me.

[El Kabong]

Yes, he does, and he would have had a significant chance to win against most of the all time great. He had it all, even if his chin was ok and not better. The same goes for his brother which, in my opinion, was even better due to his tremendous chin.

Vitali would have been better if he had a higher number of defences and was not so injury prone. He didn't and wasn't so he should be lower.

I wouldn'T say he was that much injury prone; he had one very significant injury to his knee, the rest didn't hold him back that much. When a guy has a KO ratio of 87% against the best of his era, that speaks volume, to me.

He had back and shoulder issues as well.....Vitali was just wore out from so many rounds in the ring be it amateur boxing, kickboxing, whatever.


I think it's always been the case that Vitali is the natural FIGHTER and Wladimir is the better BOXER who would win in a real bout between them is a hard ask as they are brothers and sure people on here say "Well brothers fight all the time growing up and everything" but when it's a prize fight it's like asking them to duel to the death because that's ALWAYS a possibility in the ring and who out there is going to legit hurt their own flesh and blood and when they're hurt land those final blows to knock your BROTHER unconscious? Which one of the posters here at Saddo's would do that? None of you! Or I'd HOPE none of you would do that...you'd have to be a sociopath.

I'm not saying boxers who are opponents can't be friends or whatever, surely it's happened before and even then we see some stinkers because the guys don't want to hurt each other for example Byrd vs Williamson "Both Byrd and Williamson (22-4) fought like good friends in the opening round, barely throwing a punch between them as the crowd quickly started booing." - Thomas Gerabasi .....and yet people are all 'Why didn't they ever fight? I hold that against them!'.....well you people out there thinking that are retarded



Of course not accusing X, Nameless, or Master of being the people who always called for them to fight just saying

[X]

I did Taekwondo for many years, and so did my younger brother (he was better than me) and we would often spar.

I had lots of good level amateur boxing matches too, but would never spar with my brother, and wouldn't have ever fought him properly.

Proper boxing is a serious business, and the point is to hurt you opponent as quickly as possible. That's different from many other combat sports where the idea is to score points etc

I completely understand why two brothers would not want to have a professional boxing match between each other.

and I also agree with Lyle in that Vitali was a born FIGHTER whereas Wlad is the more talented BOXER, it's also something both Klitshkos have said in the past