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Because I love hypotheticals and just figure its an interesting thing to think about.
So guys, if the Cold War was still on and we had 0 Eastern Europeans fighting professionally who would the champions be? Would things be better or worse in your view?
David Haye would be a champion, I am sure Audley may have held a version of a title as well as Arreleo. No things would be in a worse place because people would be saying that these fighters would be up with the greatest heavyweights ever.
It would be a real interesting landscape. I would say Toney, Arreola and Haye would hold belts along with Peter.
The Heavyweight division would certainly take a hit.
No Ukrainians - Klitschkos, Dimitrenko, Glazkov, Bidenko, Platov etc
No Poles - Adamek, Wach, Sosnowski, Golota, Szpilka, Wawrzyk etc
No Russians - Valuev, Povetkin, Boytsov, Ibragimov, Ustinov, Maskaev, Bakhtov, Abdusalamov etc
No Bulgarians - Pulev.....um that's it :D
The top guys would be (in no order)
Fury
Thompson
Arreola
Helenius
Chambers
Mitchell
Chisora
Stiverne
Peter
Johnson
Price
Solis
Haye
Ortiz
Perez
Pianeta
Charr
Within the last ten years...I think Toney would have won a belt. Also Brewster would have reigned a little longer than he did.
Other weight classes would be affected.
Cruiser - Lebedev, Huck, Wlodarczyk, Masternak, Alekseev, Drozd, Kolodziej, Chakhkiev, Licina, Kucher
Light Heavy - Shumenov, Sukhotsky, Sillakh, Erdei, Diaconu, Brahmer, Kostecki, Kovalev, Uzelkov
Super Middle - Bute, Stieglitz, Abraham, Vlasov, Inkin, Wilczewski, Balzsay
Middle - Sturm, Golovkin, Pirog, Korobov, Bursak, Zbik, Proksa
Lamon Brewster would have really been helped because there wouldn't be a Sergei Lyakhovich to go to war with him. Shannon Briggs could have had a better career. Holyfield would have done better late in his career. Byrd & Ruiz would have lasted longer as title holders.
To me Seth Mitchell & Bermane Stiverne will have a BRAWL when/if they fight.