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What are we to make of the Klitschkos?
I guess I agree with most of what what said.
It will be interesting to see how they are viewed when they are done boxing. I think Lewis was treated similar to the Klitschkos when he was champ (didnt get alot of respect) but years later people talk about him being great......
For all of the talk that the Klitschkos are not exciting, the one thing they do bring is knockouts, so they cant be all that bad (at least for me).
good find.
I think to be remembered or considered great or hell to even get respect these days you really need one or two big career defining fights. Two athletes in their prime going at each other. It's all well and good being dominant against lesser competition but the doubt will always be there till you face the best round you. Unfortunate if the crop round you aren't so hot....
I think The Klitschko's will be just like Lennox Lewis BUT Lewis had Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, and to a lesser extent Shannon Briggs, Tommy Morrison, and Andrew Golota.
I think Wlad's record is better and he has fought more quality opposition but Vitali had THE FIGHT everyone will remember, the blood and guts battle vs Lennox Lewis and although he came out as the loser he was in a heavyweight battle the kind of fight that is few and far between in the heavyweight division.
If Wlad-Haye comes to fruition and Wlad comes out the winner (especially if he's dominant and Haye gives EVERYTHING he has and Wlad dismantles him) then Wlad is going to be remembered as the better fighter and I honestly think he is.
Wlad is technically the better boxer but his vulnerabilities mean he will not be considered the better fighter. The fact that Vitali has come back and won a couple of fights and is rated as better than Wlad.
But to be as vulnerable as everyone says Wlad is and for Wladimir to have 52 wins already and 46 KO's.....that has to say something good about his skill level.
Wladimir has fought and beaten better competition than Vitali, it's no contest.
People look at the weakneses and Wlad's defeats are embarrassing. Vitali beat Samuel Peter more convincingly and Lennox would have KO'ed Wlad with the punches he landed on Vitali.
Wlad beat Sam Peter before anyone had used Sam's flaws against him....we don't know what would have happened had Wladimir fought Lennox Lewis, we can only assume. Sure post Corrie Sanders Wlad was in a weak state but pre Corrie Sanders Wlad was a brutal power puncher with no worries about getting hit.
I am saying for Wladimir to come back from the "embarrasing defeats" he suffered and be as dominant as he is right now, that is pretty amazing and he deserves credit for honing his skill.
If you have 52 wins and 3 defeats people will naturally focus on the 3 defeats and how they happened.
So people focus on Joe Louis' defeats? Ali's defeats? Frazier's? Tyson's? Lennox Lewis' defeats?!?!
Let's not refuse to see the great maturity Wladimir has had as a professional fighter....from losing to a big puncher to just schooling Sam Peter....avenging his loss vs Brewster in impressive fashion, and unifying belts when nobody else could/tried to.
Wlad has 1 more loss than his brother but he has 15 more wins and 10 more KO's.