lets see yer new HW rankings

[K2-Promotion]

here are mine:


CHAMPION: Wladimir Klitschko

1. Hasim Rahman
2. Calvin Brock
3. Sergie Laikovich
4. Chris Byrd
5. Nicolay Valuev
6. James Toney
7. Lamon Brewster
8. Sam Peter
9. Sannon Briggs
10. Danny Willaims

[Jody Lane]

here are mine:


CHAMPION: Wladimir Klitschko

1. Hasim Rahman
2. Calvin Brock
3. Sergie Laikovich
4. Chris Byrd
5. Nicolay Valuev
6. James Toney
7. Lamon Brewster
8. Sam Peter
9. Sannon Briggs
10. Danny Willaims

Mine are:

Title vacant
1. W. Klitschko
2. Rahman
3. Toney
4. Brock
5. Laikovich
6. Peter
7. Brewster
8. Williams
9. Byrd
10. Valuev

[SimonH]

My Ratings (13/3/2006)

Heavyweights

Championship Vacant

1 Chris Byrd
2 Lamon Brewster
3 Wlad Klitschko
4 Hasim Rahman
5 Nikolay Valuev
6 James Toney
7 Samuel Peter
8 Calvin Brock
9 Sultan Ibragimov
10 Danny Williams

Today (23-4-06)

Championship vacant

1 Wlad Klitschko
2 Hasim Rahman
3 Serguei Lyakhovich
4 Nikolay Valuev
5 Chris Byrd
6 Samuel Peter
7 Calvin Brock
8 James Toney
9 Lamon Brewster
10 Sultan Ibragimov

Klitshko becomes #1 contender after beating Byrd, who slips to #5.

Rahman moves to #2 on the strength of the Toney performance, who drops to #8.

Lyakhovich comes in at #3, after beating Brewster, who slips to #9.

Valuev, Peter and Brock all move up one place, because of the changes at the top.

Ibragimov drops a place,and Williams drops out the top 10, to make way for Lyakhovich.

[YounGun]

My Ratings (13/3/2006)

Heavyweights

Championship Vacant

1 Chris Byrd
2 Lamon Brewster
3 Wlad Klitschko
4 Hasim Rahman
5 Nikolay Valuev
6 James Toney
7 Samuel Peter
8 Calvin Brock
9 Sultan Ibragimov
10 Danny Williams

Today (23-4-06)

Championship vacant

1 Wlad Klitschko
2 Hasim Rahman
3 Serguei Lyakhovich
4 Nikolay Valuev
5 Chris Byrd
6 Samuel Peter
7 Calvin Brock
8 James Toney
9 Lamon Brewster
10 Sultan Ibragimov

Klitshko becomes #1 contender after beating Byrd, who slips to #5.

Rahman moves to #2 on the strength of the Toney performance, who drops to #8.

Lyakhovich comes in at #3, after beating Brewster, who slips to #9.

Valuev, Peter and Brock all move up one place, because of the changes at the top.

Ibragimov drops a place,and Williams drops out the top 10, to make way for Lyakhovich.

What a sad list of names

[SimonH]

What a sad list of names

Yep, and what is worse, is that it is a sad list of 'no' names. Since Lennox Lewis retirement, and Mike Tyson's fall outside the top 10, it is the first time in my Grandmothers life time (1924), that she has never heard of any of the top 10 fighters!!! The sport truly is in dire straits, in Britain and the USA.

[YounGun]

What a sad list of names

Yep, and what is worse, is that it is a sad list of 'no' names. Since Lennox Lewis retirement, and Mike Tyson's fall outside the top 10, it is the first time in my Grandmothers life time (1924), that she has never heard of any of the top 10 fighters!!! The sport truly is in dire straits, in Britain and the USA.

So true... people always know the big heavyweights, boxing fan or not. This morning a buddy called, asked what I was doing, told him I was reading up on some boxing news, told him how Wlad beat Byrd and is probably the #1 heavyweight now... and he said, "Wlad?" lol.

We have great talent in the lower weight divisions, but for some reason it's the heavyweights that bring boxing into the mainstream.

Where the hell are the heavyweights?

I think we need to go back to the smaller heavyweights... ones that could keep up a good pace for 15 rounds. These big guys just aren't exciting. I feel like I'm watching a marathon, cheering these guys on, saying, "Come on!! You can make it!! You're almost at the end!" This is by the 8th round of a slow paced fight.

So sad...

[Klitsfan]

What a sad list of names

Yep, and what is worse, is that it is a sad list of 'no' names. Since Lennox Lewis retirement, and Mike Tyson's fall outside the top 10, it is the first time in my Grandmothers life time (1924), that she has never heard of any of the top 10 fighters!!! The sport truly is in dire straits, in Britain and the USA.

So true... people always know the big heavyweights, boxing fan or not. This morning a buddy called, asked what I was doing, told him I was reading up on some boxing news, told him how Wlad beat Byrd and is probably the #1 heavyweight now... and he said, "Wlad?" lol.

We have great talent in the lower weight divisions, but for some reason it's the heavyweights that bring boxing into the mainstream.

Where the hell are the heavyweights?

I think we need to go back to the smaller heavyweights... ones that could keep up a good pace for 15 rounds. These big guys just aren't exciting. I feel like I'm watching a marathon, cheering these guys on, saying, "Come on!! You can make it!! You're almost at the end!" This is by the 8th round of a slow paced fight.

So sad...

If you don't find Wladimir exciting to watch then face it you don't like watching heavyweight fighters period.

[SimonH]

What a sad list of names

Yep, and what is worse, is that it is a sad list of 'no' names. Since Lennox Lewis retirement, and Mike Tyson's fall outside the top 10, it is the first time in my Grandmothers life time (1924), that she has never heard of any of the top 10 fighters!!! The sport truly is in dire straits, in Britain and the USA.

So true... people always know the big heavyweights, boxing fan or not. This morning a buddy called, asked what I was doing, told him I was reading up on some boxing news, told him how Wlad beat Byrd and is probably the #1 heavyweight now... and he said, "Wlad?" lol.

We have great talent in the lower weight divisions, but for some reason it's the heavyweights that bring boxing into the mainstream.

Where the hell are the heavyweights?

I think we need to go back to the smaller heavyweights... ones that could keep up a good pace for 15 rounds. These big guys just aren't exciting. I feel like I'm watching a marathon, cheering these guys on, saying, "Come on!! You can make it!! You're almost at the end!" This is by the 8th round of a slow paced fight.

So sad...

If you don't find Wladimir exciting to watch then face it you don't like watching heavyweight fighters period.

Which is Young Gun's and my point. Alright it does not matter us two do not like watching them, the problem is, we are in a huge majority! Having Wlad as the best Heavyweight fighter in the World, does not in any way help the sport become more popular in Britain and the USA...

[VictorCharlie]

I'd say the talent level leaves some to be desired but there are some good fights out there for shere entertainment value. Brock vs Wlad/Peter/Rahman/Lyakovich all could be fun to watch...Briggs and Tua are always worth a look. There aren't any fights out there I'd fork over 50 bucks for PPV but there are definately some fights I could pumped about watching just b/c I think they will full of action.

[Poweraxe]

Heres mine

1. Wladimir Klitschko
2. Hasim Rahman
3. James Toney
4. Serguei Lyakhovich
5. Nikolay Valuev
6. Chris Byrd
7. Lamon Brewster
8. Samuel Peter
9. Calvin Brock
10. Shannon Briggs

[YounGun]

What a sad list of names

Yep, and what is worse, is that it is a sad list of 'no' names. Since Lennox Lewis retirement, and Mike Tyson's fall outside the top 10, it is the first time in my Grandmothers life time (1924), that she has never heard of any of the top 10 fighters!!! The sport truly is in dire straits, in Britain and the USA.

You're right, I don't find the heavyweights exciting. I rarely pay attention to anything that is going on above super middle weight. On top of that, we now have a number 1 heavyweight with 0 charisma. Now we definitely won't have a heavyweight that will bring boxing back into the mainstream.

The heavy weight division needs 3 or 4 talented men who are also mobile... and we need some charisma. Not ignorant trash talking... but charisma, and rivalries. Right now it's just some large, mostly immobile men fighting to be the best heavyweight in a sad division.

Yeah... I'm venting... so what.
So true... people always know the big heavyweights, boxing fan or not. This morning a buddy called, asked what I was doing, told him I was reading up on some boxing news, told him how Wlad beat Byrd and is probably the #1 heavyweight now... and he said, "Wlad?" lol.

We have great talent in the lower weight divisions, but for some reason it's the heavyweights that bring boxing into the mainstream.

Where the hell are the heavyweights?

I think we need to go back to the smaller heavyweights... ones that could keep up a good pace for 15 rounds. These big guys just aren't exciting. I feel like I'm watching a marathon, cheering these guys on, saying, "Come on!! You can make it!! You're almost at the end!" This is by the 8th round of a slow paced fight.

So sad...

If you don't find Wladimir exciting to watch then face it you don't like watching heavyweight fighters period.

[SalTheButcher]

10 Sultan Ibragimov

[shza]

My Ratings (13/3/2006)

Heavyweights

Championship Vacant

1 Chris Byrd
2 Lamon Brewster
3 Wlad Klitschko
4 Hasim Rahman
5 Nikolay Valuev
6 James Toney
7 Samuel Peter
8 Calvin Brock
9 Sultan Ibragimov
10 Danny Williams

Today (23-4-06)

Championship vacant

1 Wlad Klitschko
2 Hasim Rahman
3 Serguei Lyakhovich
4 Nikolay Valuev
5 Chris Byrd
6 Samuel Peter
7 Calvin Brock
8 James Toney
9 Lamon Brewster
10 Sultan Ibragimov

Klitshko becomes #1 contender after beating Byrd, who slips to #5.

Rahman moves to #2 on the strength of the Toney performance, who drops to #8.

Lyakhovich comes in at #3, after beating Brewster, who slips to #9.

Valuev, Peter and Brock all move up one place, because of the changes at the top.

Ibragimov drops a place,and Williams drops out the top 10, to make way for Lyakhovich.

I agree with this, except that I thought Lyakhovich's performance was a lot more impressive than Rahman's, so I have Lyakhovich at #2 and Rahman at #3. I also think Lyakhovich would beat Rahman in a head-to-head.

[LawHoops]

based on pure merit---not necessarily pure talent--with explanations: (i hope you all enjoy)

1 Wladamir Klitstchko----u have to give this guy some credit at this point--he has had some major setbacks that he will surely never fully recover from (purrity, but most notably sanders and brewster)---but he takes on all comers and has some pretty decent names on his dossier---at least more wins over top level heavyweight talent than anyone in the top ten---chris Byrd (Twice--both in dominant fashion), Sam peter and eliseo castillo , both unbeaten at the time--castillo by kayo), davarryl williamson, jameel mcline by one sided kayo, ray mercer by one sided kayo, frans botha by one sided kayo, derek jefferson by quick kayo, monte barret decisive kayo, and axel schultz by one sided kayo. hes on his second heavyweight strap--he has the credentials to number one at this point and is the most dominating offensive heavyweight in the game......big strong, skilled, fast hands, powerful--his chin and his stamina will always be an issue when hes in there with guys that can crack (has ome shaky wins too over davarryl and peter)----this vulnerablity hurts his standing among the all time best---but makes his fights that much more entertaining........he has a great trainer in manny steward at his side now ----deserves to be number one---overcome alot of adversity to get there too which tells you he does have heart and charactar to go along with that talent

2 Hasim Rahman---by virtue of staying busy and working his way back to the top.........has piled up some credentials as well--2 time champ, of course kayoed future hall of famer lennox lewis with one punch 5 yrs ago to become the undisputed champ of the division in a huge upset........draws with dave tua and james toney should have been wins--he fought well enough in both those fights and deserved the nod---also got a raw deal in first fight with tua that ended in him getting kayoed---should have won that by DQ and had it not happened was on his way to winning that fight---those fights, although two draws and a kayo loss actually improve his standing rather than hurt it............also showed he has heart by pulling himself off the floor and coming back to kayo corrie sanders.....another solid victory over surging monte barret looks good too...........stiil has a big right hand, a good solid jab, and alot of heart....also been very active lately all that and the fact that hes one of only two men to beat lennox lewis makes him deserving of number 2 at this point---but its a tenuous hold at best...

3 Chris Byrd---boring style and no power aside--u have to give this guy his due.........he has a ton of heart and takes on all comers as evidenced by his recent fight with wlad that he didint have to take...........also has some impressive names on his resume: evander holyfield (albeit a washed up version), jameel mccline, davarryl williamson, fres oquendo, vitali klitchko by tko (famous I quit match), maurice harris, and probably his signature perfromance in easily whipping monster puncher david tua........he was whipped by wlad twice and starched by ike ibeabuchi--but they dont hurt his standing that much because they were fights he could have avoided against guys that were far bigger and stronger........i think the only fight that really hurt him was the draw against golota--but andrew is also far bigger and stronger than him............might retire, but could still beat alot of guys ----ruiz, valuev, probably rahman too would most likely get beat by byrd at this juncture...............again, not the most pleasing guy to watch but he still deserves to be at number three slot even after klitchko butcher job.......

4 John Ruiz----he hasnt retired yet so we still have to consider him----look at the guys hes beaten: evander holyfield (albeit holy was way past it), andrew golota (byrd only managed a draw), hasim rahman, fres oquendo by kayo (rememebr byrd got a lucky decision over fres), and kirk johnson. all those guys were favored to beat him and were far more naturally gifted and talented than him.........after futher review and against my earlier thoughts---do his recent failures really hurt him that much??---roy jones beat him but roy was the number one pound for pound guy in history possibly at the time they fought, james toney beat him but lets face it james cheated with steroids and that shouldnt hurt ruiz, and the valuev decision was bogus--after watching that fight ruiz should have got the nod really...............so as much as we cant stand him---we have no choice but to give him his due--hes an overachiver who never gives up--and you have to respect that----he still deserves to be up here............

5 James Toney--he needs to be this high based on pure talent alone and thats it--i mean what has he done at heavyweight he whipped evander holyfield, but an even more washed up version than byrd and ruiz already fought and beat, a blown up fat cruiserweight joke in rydell booker, and a disappointing never was in dominick guinn, who was already exposed by monte barret and segei lyanovch, and friday ahunahay (who?) those wins mean nothing.......in his two most meaningful fights he: cheated -against ruiz, and showed up embarassingly out of shape--against rahman--where he got a gift handed to him by getting a draw----the NC againt ruiz was a gift too--should have been changed to DQ win for ruiz.........granted if hes in shape he mops the floor with rahman, byrd, and especally ruiz (he already did mop the floor with him technically), and could even beat wlad on any given night, he just hasnt gotten the job done at this point and is lucky the divison is the way it is to sneak into top five

6 Sergei Lyakhovich-----big win versus lamon brewster catapults him into top ten--showed heart and skill and toughness and injected new life into the division.........started to gain some noteriety when he beat domincik guinn in 04 ---only 29 and looks to be a keeper........brewster was riding high after starching andrew golota in one round and kayoing krasniqui---brewster was looking ahead to bigger paydays and sergei stepped up and beat him............number 6 right now but could be on the rise.....

7 Lamon Brewster----shouldnt drop out of top ten after loss to lyakhovich---showed that same heart and determination in defeat...........tremendous power ppuncher--in terms of one punch power nobody better other than sam peter.........just ask wladamir klitschko and andew golota......both brutally kayoed by lamon..also has a nice victory over luan krasniqui as well............some problems with injuries and weight may have hampered him in loss to lyakovich............still deserves solid ranking and has attractive options out there such as a return with lyakhovich, or a punch out with sam peter..........

8 samuel peter---loss to wlad klitscko doesnt look like as big a setback now that wlad is number one...........still has the prospect tag on him which is why i rank him lower than he probably should be.............maybe hes no savior but hes proved he has amazing power (see kayo of jeremy williams) and a granite chin (see wlad klitschko bout where he ate shots all nite long and barely blinked until the last round---dont forget too he nearly had wlad out of there 2 or three times in that fight)............would be intersting to see him in there with lamon brewster, nicolay valuev, or even hasim rahman............needs more quality wins to move up...but hes the youngest (25) and most powerful guy in the division...........

9 Nicolay Valuev---he has a belt and and official win over john ruiz so therefore needs to be in the top ten by default at least............other than ruiz hasnt really fought anyone of note so its tough to tell how he'd stand up against wlad, peter, brewster, rahman, or toney.....hed probably get kayoed-----he got a gift in the ruiz fight so hes probably on this list temporarily.............although he has a ok jab and isnt as lumbering as he should be............still a guy this size will always be intriguing to watch in some fashion...........

10 Calvin Brock---another guy who could move up---------but why are we still calling this guy a prospect at age 31? seems like its now over never over the next year or so to see if he has what it takes..........has some impressive wins over jameel mcline and most recently flashed some serious power with a spectacular one punch dusting of zuri lawrence----but both of those guys arent punchers (lawrence has 0 kayoes in 31 fights!)and mccline did floor him-----so can he take a shot? what will he do if hes in trouble? looked like we may have found that out against david tua but that fight never materialized and apparently wont happen---timor ibragamov is a good test for him...........if he wins may challenge wlad for the title---than we'll find out what he has............

Honorable Mention:

monte barrett---nice wins over domick guinn and owen beck and near miss vs mesi look good on the dossier---but loss to rahman and low marketability will make it tough on him to move up---torturing vs wlad tells us hes probably not big enough in the end to do any real damage--plus hes almost 35

oleg maskaev----could move into top ten if he can do what hes already done ---beat hasim rahman---if nothing else its been an incredible comeback story---was left for dead after embarrasing kayo losses to lance whitaker, kirk johnson, and the corey sanders who cant fight...........has been very active over the last 3 yrs since travesty to t-rex with 10 straight wins (albeit over suspect competetion )culminating with a win over solid yet unspectacular sinan samil sam to position himself for mandatory shot againt rahman.......at 37 its his last hurrah


DaVarryl Williamson---claim to fame is losing a respectable TD loss against Wlad (a fight where it looked like he could have kayoed wlad), holding off a near 40 yr old oliver mccall, kayoing a washed up never really was in derrick jefferson, then a respectable showing in losing to chris byrd for the IBF strap...tall with a huge right hand makes him dangerous..

[SimonH]

Honorable Mention:

Excellent well thought out post LawHoops [click], just one thing; bearing in mind it is the Heavyweights of 2006, should not the quote above, actually state DIShono(u) (I am British )rable mentions?