Vladimir Klitschko really this good or just bad contenders??

[Paradox]

How do you feel about Klitschoko current Regine as the heavy weight champ? There has been alto of complaining about them, but to be frank, Ive seen very few who have actually made him work in the ring to retain the tittle.
Alot of the heavy division is filled with over weight, sub par talent, with little passion for the title. For a boxer to duke it out with the Klit bro, hes got the able to bob, weave, duck, tie up but be built like a Bull! The contender in my eyes must be anywhere from 5'11-6'3 at most, but really be able to land some bombs on the bros. its that simple. But with the bro being over 6'6 and lets keep it real, they do have some talent, and make no mistake, they are masters of technique and form.

Its an easy pay for both brothers. Are they fighting a safe fight? yes, Do I blame them ..NO. Hell I give you a few million bucks and a title, all you have to do is use that height and jab to your advantage and you can win, why not?

[Beanflicker]

I feel bad in a lot of ways for the Klitschkos because they are TERRIBLY underated and underappreciated by todays boxing fans for the most part. These two are FANTASTIC HWs (particularily Wlad) with great skills to complement their sizes.

The boxing forums are always plagued with ignorant garbage like "well they are only good because they are tall". Well if being tall was all you needed how come Shaq doesn't pick up boxing? He would be the greatest of all time. The fact is you need the skill and the knowledge to put your physical gifts into practice, and both bros have an abundance of knowledge and skill. Its no different than Muhammad Ali using his superior speed and footwork to overwhelm opponents. Muhammad Ali had the knowledge and skill to put his physical gifts into practice, and thats why he was such a great fighter.

They've smashed virtually every contender you can think of for the last 15 years or so, and if you look at their resumes, even though you won't find a "Rocky Marciano" or "George Foreman" in there, they fought a ton of good, dangerous fighters. And not only are they beating the top contenders out there, they're FINISHING them.

Both will (or should, at least) go down as great HW champions. And I don't care what any of the "old school" boxing fans say, a guy with the skill and athletic ability of Wlad or Vitali gives any HW in the history of boxing trouble.

[Beanflicker]

Also, I'd like to say its very easy for us to sit here and say "well this is how you beat a Klitschko", but its another thing to go in there and do it. They've fought a lot of different guys with a lot of different styles.

[ono]

A mixture of bad contenders and Wlad's size and textbook style. Doesn't give much away but always has the physical advantage. Most opponents are too fat and out of shape to give him something to think about. He could struggle against somebody with fast lateral movement, but there isn't anyone who can give him that problem. The only two are Adamek and Haye, but neither are big enough to cause him too much trouble.

Wlad does everything correctly so in that respect he's a top fighter, but it's more down to weak competition and his physical advantages than his actual talent.

[Balboa]

It's a fair question, and you can say it's a little from column A and a bit from column B.

What sticks out in my mind is how often vanquished fighters comment on how suprised they were at the speed of the brothers. You half expect them to be lumbering buffoons in there on account of their size, and sometimes they even LOOK like plodding behemoths in there, but you read time and again how opponents were suprised at how lithe the brother are in person.

Vitali has also developed this new quick hybrid left hook/jab of late that I think compensates for his fading speed, but he used it to great effect againt Albert in his last outing.

The heavyweight competition these days IS weak, but everyone being lined up against the brothers is getting smashed. What else can you ask for? Maybe they're not the blood and guts warriors that many of the smaller heavies HAD to be in generations past, but they dont HAVE to be. When youre that big, and that educated, and that experienced you just arent required to stand toe to toe and leave your soul in the ring.

Why isn't Lennox bashed for the same things I wonder? He used his height and jab very well, hardly ever got into ridiculous blood-feuds with opposition, and is regarded as one of the greatest of all time.


But it's not over yet, gang. We still have a potential Haye, Adamek, Valuev, and Peter showdown coming. Not HUGE names, but not insignificant either.

[Paradox]

Ive been watching some of the Klit fights, Notiably the fight he had with Sultan last night on youtube. I found it interesting that Klit was phenomenally good at keeping his distance and not allowing his emotions get the better of him and want to tie him up or respond back with reckless style of fighting.
I loved how he was slapping the right hand down, the fight was controlled really by Klit jab, when he fought Sultan

Vladimir in particular seems to be built for this sport in more than one. I think the issue lays in the fact that there needs to be a contender that willing to go the distance. Because I honestly dont think we've seen what the Klit as capable of doing.

[El Kabong]

I think they get a bad rap (Wlad especially) for finding a rhythm and taking his time to dispatch of a fighter. I think HBO is fucking moronic for refusing to show Wlad-Povetkin or Wlad-Peter II. Wlad-Peter I was one of their top rated fights of the past few years (as was Vitali-Arreola) and guys like Ross Greenburg and Bert Sugar look like idiots when they say "No one cares about the heavyweights", "the heavyweights are boring", "Nobody can tell the brothers apart"....if that was the case I doubt Wlad and Vitali would be held in such high regard in Germany and the rest of Europe as well. A lot of the European based fans like to say "Americans don't like the Klitschko's just because they aren't American" and hell people said the same thing about Lennox Lewis but I never believed them until recently. I DO think a lot of guys like Sugar and Greenburg are a little sore that America has no reputable heavyweights that make the sport more popular or are easier to market.

I think history will treat the Klitschko's kindly, their records are very good, Wlad has fought anyone and everyone who is a danger in the division and after showing flaws in his style he has adapted to minimize his mistakes and really hasn't been bothered by anyone since the first Sam Peter fight.

I think it is amazing that a guy like Wladimir could have sunk so low in the division only to come back and be so dominant. There was a point in time where Wlad looked like he was going to be another Michael Grant, he was in a state of panic in the ring, he was unnerved by any retaliation and for him to come back from being so gunshy to be able to dominate any opponent that stepped in the ring with him is amazing, as most boxing fans know it usually works the other way, you don't usually go from having confidence, to losing it, to regaining it, typically once a fighter loses confidence they are finished.

[0james0]

That's the thing, they get slated because they bore everyone, but there haven't been many fights they've even tried their best in! They haven't needed to.

You can't knock when they've achieved. But they are not unbeatable now.

[generalbulldog]

I think they get a bad rap (Wlad especially) for finding a rhythm and taking his time to dispatch of a fighter. I think HBO is fucking moronic for refusing to show Wlad-Povetkin or Wlad-Peter II. Wlad-Peter I was one of their top rated fights of the past few years (as was Vitali-Arreola) and guys like Ross Greenburg and Bert Sugar look like idiots when they say "No one cares about the heavyweights", "the heavyweights are boring", "Nobody can tell the brothers apart"....if that was the case I doubt Wlad and Vitali would be held in such high regard in Germany and the rest of Europe as well. A lot of the European based fans like to say "Americans don't like the Klitschko's just because they aren't American" and hell people said the same thing about Lennox Lewis but I never believed them until recently. I DO think a lot of guys like Sugar and Greenburg are a little sore that America has no reputable heavyweights that make the sport more popular or are easier to market.

I think history will treat the Klitschko's kindly, their records are very good, Wlad has fought anyone and everyone who is a danger in the division and after showing flaws in his style he has adapted to minimize his mistakes and really hasn't been bothered by anyone since the first Sam Peter fight.

I think it is amazing that a guy like Wladimir could have sunk so low in the division only to come back and be so dominant. There was a point in time where Wlad looked like he was going to be another Michael Grant, he was in a state of panic in the ring, he was unnerved by any retaliation and for him to come back from being so gunshy to be able to dominate any opponent that stepped in the ring with him is amazing, as most boxing fans know it usually works the other way, you don't usually go from having confidence, to losing it, to regaining it, typically once a fighter loses confidence they are finished.

I say we blame the Jews.

[0james0]

No doubt about it they ate brilliant boxers, it's a real shame there just hadn't been more heavyweights with the courage, skills and stamina to give them a decent workout.

They have been up for fighting anyone, using the rankings for their fodder. They can't help but just beat what's around. But I do think better fighters are coming and they will be tested.


I dislike the Klitscho brothers a lot. Just can't stand them, not really sure why, they just irritate me. But where do we all stand if next year they beat Haye and Ademek? Who's next that could stop them for another 5 years?

[Hunter]

Lennox Lewis didnt get any respect until he retired and he had the same style.

[El Kabong]

I say we blame the Jews.

I didn't know Bert Sugar was jewish.....doesn't really matter, but all he does is talk shit about them never gives them 1 ounce of respect and IMO that is one reason why boxing is doing poorly with fans. When the people that cover boxing talk nothing but shit then that's what the fans hear, it's what they are programed to see, and obviously it doesn't help the sport. Those guys don't have to exaggerate about the brothers but at least give them SOME respect. I think UFC is hands down better than boxing at this point in having people give credit where credit is due and guys like Joe Rogan (even though I think he's a douchebag) won't talk ill of most fighters and fights that they have.

Ross Greenburg has alienated an entire division and just in business practices I think that's a poor choice and a hasty choice.

[Paradox]

IMO, I had to really sit down and watch both of these men fight and once I did and put aside my thoughts, I realized just how good they are.

[milmascaras1]

it's a combination of wladimir being really good and his competition being really mediocre. but you can't blame the klitschko's for their bad competition. as long as they keep winning, there is nothing they can do about their lack of top caliber opponents.

however, if they were fighting in the 1970's, they would still be good but not as dominant. with muhammad ali, joe frazier, ken norton, ernie shavers, jerry quarry, george foreman, jimmy young, larry holmes and others, it would have been very difficult for the klit brothers to dominate. although because of their physical superiority, they might have won a world title at some point.

[littlebif]

Lennox Lewis didnt get any respect until he retired and he had the same style.

Lewis did use the safety style in some fights but he still throw the right hand behind the jab which you can count on your hands how many times Wlad throws it even when his opponent has nothing left he still doesnt want to expose himself by throwing it.

Watch the destruction of Golota,Grant and Ruddock fights and say he had the same style as the Klitschkos.He wasnt always a safety first fighter.