I think Vitali could hang with either of them and most likely the post Manny Wlad also. Prior to that guiding hand Wlad had no clue on how or when to clinch. Since he mastered that skill and it is a skill, he has never lost.

Now I fully realize that this division is as weak or average as Marciano’s but they have dispatched the lot. They can’t really be blamed for who’s out there. And btw I’m not sure either Holmes or Norton would have been capable of putting up the effort Vitali mustered up for Lewis. Cannot see either man taking those bombs and giving back as good as he was getting. Unfortunate about the gash big enough to park a smart car in.

I don’t like the Klit brothers and never have although I have always rested on the cusp with Vitali. I think he in particular would have been competitive in any era including the seventies. I’m not sure Wlad would fare well with his jab and grab style because many of the opponents in other eras would have actually taken chances.