Where do you rank Wladimir Klitschko among the ATG heavyweights?

[roberto duran legend]

We always get these threads after Wlad kos another inept heavyweight.
No way in top ten.

[El Kabong]

We always get these threads after Wlad kos another inept heavyweight.
No way in top ten.

Inept? You act like Pulev was of the same ilk as Lepai....both earned their shots legitimately but Pulev was undefeated, fought some decent competition, looked like the best challenger out of the entire division......if Pulev looked "inept" it's because Wladimir MADE HIM LOOK INEPT.

10 years, 17 consecutive successful title defenses....only 2 heavyweights can boast better or even similar Championship reigns....Larry Holmes and Joe Louis....they are top 10 greats no questions asked and so is Wladimir.

[TigerFan]

Top 10 for me.

Found this article on Wladimir.
Wladimir Klitschko Would've Been A Title Threat In Any Era

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

For me, he has been to 10 ever since he unified.

[imp]

We always get these threads after Wlad kos another inept heavyweight.
No way in top ten.

I also used to think this but he deserves to be put in the top ten but not in the top five.

Wherever he is in the top ten vitali is in a better position.

[walrus]

I would put Wlad in the top 15 but I'd put his jab in the top five.

[SlimTrae]

If a flagrantly out of shape Lennox busted his brother open- needing a bazillion stitches. A Prime Lewis does to him what Vitali did to Shannon the cannon-mouth.

Ali 64-67 was too fast, too talented, with masterful reflexes.

Since styles make fights, earnie Shavers who lost his biggest fights would've stopped Wladimir IMO.

I'm not sure about Holmes, or even Tyson. If a prime Tyson couldn't stop Ruddock (legit) like fight two which went 12 rounds...Both K2's could've...maybe defeated Tyson.

Steward did a masterful job with Lewis and so, too Wlad.
Simply masterful.

[Beanflicker]

Since styles make fights, earnie Shavers who lost his biggest fights would've stopped Wladimir IMO.

I'm not sure about Holmes, or even Tyson. If a prime Tyson couldn't stop Ruddock (legit) like fight two which went 12 rounds...Both K2's could've...maybe defeated Tyson.

Shavers would be lucky to have lasted past 3 with Wlad. He was a bum.

[powerpuncher]

i remember years ago thinking that wlad was highly overrated. he was so one dimensional yet, steward helped him become effective in that one dimension. his biggest downfall for me though is not just that he got KO'd by lesser opponents (because i could get past that), but its that in my mind, he became dominant when the rest of the decent HWs retired. i regard the HW division of the last 10 years very low. honestly, i dont put anybody on wlads list of victims above a C level fighter (and thats being generous to some). the best fighters that he has faced are byrd and haye. i think that he had a perfect style to beat byrd so that was more of a style makes fights. haye was a decent win but i feel like haye was scared and could have made it more competitive if he would have tried.

either way, his lack of good opposition is to his detriment because he has shown me that he has gotten better over the years, but hasnt shown me that he has truly fixed his weaknesses and vulnerabilities. because of his accomplishments though, i have to put him in the top 15.

[Beanflicker]

i remember years ago thinking that wlad was highly overrated. he was so one dimensional yet, steward helped him become effective in that one dimension. his biggest downfall for me though is not just that he got KO'd by lesser opponents (because i could get past that), but its that in my mind, he became dominant when the rest of the decent HWs retired. i regard the HW division of the last 10 years very low. honestly, i dont put anybody on wlads list of victims above a C level fighter (and thats being generous to some). the best fighters that he has faced are byrd and haye. i think that he had a perfect style to beat byrd so that was more of a style makes fights. haye was a decent win but i feel like haye was scared and could have made it more competitive if he would have tried.

either way, his lack of good opposition is to his detriment because he has shown me that he has gotten better over the years, but hasnt shown me that he has truly fixed his weaknesses and vulnerabilities. because of his accomplishments though, i have to put him in the top 15.

In saying all that about Wlad, what would you say about Joe Louis' competition? Or Rocky Marciano's?

[SlimTrae]

Since styles make fights, earnie Shavers who lost his biggest fights would've stopped Wladimir IMO.

I'm not sure about Holmes, or even Tyson. If a prime Tyson couldn't stop Ruddock (legit) like fight two which went 12 rounds...Both K2's could've...maybe defeated Tyson.

Shavers would be lucky to have lasted past 3 with Wlad. He was a bum.

You mean the bum that all the 1970's HW greats talked about?! LMAO!

Let's stroll for a quick minute down memory land--and then (diss') the fighters who made these statements, cool?
Shavers:
68 out of 74 fights ended by KO; 76% KO ratio

1. Ali said "Earnie hit me so hard, he shook my kinfolk back in Africa!" Apparently Ali wasn't quick enough to evade the shots of a (bum).

2. Larry Holmes said "Shavers was the hardest hitting fighter I met in the ring. Being hit by Mike Tyson was like getting hit by a speeding Ferrari. Being hit by Earnie Shavers was like being hit by a Mac Truck!" Apparently Holmes' jab wasn't superior enough to keep this (bum) at bay.

3. By your standard was the Ken Norton who took Ali 39 rounds a bum when he got KO'd 1st round by Shavers?

4. Seven fighters retired after being knocked out by Shavers: Ron Asher, Frank Smith, Bunky Akins, Bill McMurray, Harold Carter, Eddie Parotte, and Larry Sims. How many has Wlad retired?

5. Shavers recorded 23 first-round knockouts and 50 knockouts within the first three rounds.

So the bum label seems different from my claim of (styles) makes fights.

If Peters' style of fight could hurt & drop Wlad, Was that a bum that did that? Would you say Peter isn't a bum, but Shavers is?

Ross Purity--what was he? Serious when Wlad's corner stopped the fight? Was Purity a bum?

Corrie Sanders? Surely he was a bum too?

But look at his (style) of fight. Same as Lamon Brewster.

Interesting debate I'd like to partake with you-respecting a lot of your posts, btw. So not so much do you agree with me, but do you see a trend?

Wlad didn't lose to fighters with different styles, let alone was troubled by flee-footed fighters like Chris Byrd. If anything Byrd who is NOT a bum...was beaten by Wlad like a BUM.

Then IMO Shavers style of a heavy handed, flat footed-come-get-some-style could knocked him out...LIKE THE OTHER BUMS WHO STOPPED WLAD..or were they not bums?

Not to say knockdowns from both fighters could have occurred as Shavers was suspect in the chin department I admit.

But I am relieved if not curious you chose that mythical prediction over the one about Tyson/Holmes.
Interesting to say the least...

[Beanflicker]

You mean the bum that all the 1970's HW greats talked about?! LMAO!

Let's stroll for a quick minute down memory land--and then (diss') the fighters who made these statements, cool?
Shavers:
68 out of 74 fights ended by KO; 76% KO ratio

1. Ali said "Earnie hit me so hard, he shook my kinfolk back in Africa!" Apparently Ali wasn't quick enough to evade the shots of a (bum).

2. Larry Holmes said "Shavers was the hardest hitting fighter I met in the ring. Being hit by Mike Tyson was like getting hit by a speeding Ferrari. Being hit by Earnie Shavers was like being hit by a Mac Truck!" Apparently Holmes' jab wasn't superior enough to keep this (bum) at bay.

3. By your standard was the Ken Norton who took Ali 39 rounds a bum when he got KO'd 1st round by Shavers?

4. Seven fighters retired after being knocked out by Shavers: Ron Asher, Frank Smith, Bunky Akins, Bill McMurray, Harold Carter, Eddie Parotte, and Larry Sims. How many has Wlad retired?

5. Shavers recorded 23 first-round knockouts and 50 knockouts within the first three rounds.

So the bum label seems different from my claim of (styles) makes fights.

If Peters' style of fight could hurt & drop Wlad, Was that a bum that did that? Would you say Peter isn't a bum, but Shavers is?

Ross Purity--what was he? Serious when Wlad's corner stopped the fight? Was Purity a bum?

Corrie Sanders? Surely he was a bum too?

But look at his (style) of fight. Same as Lamon Brewster.

Interesting debate I'd like to partake with you-respecting a lot of your posts, btw. So not so much do you agree with me, but do you see a trend?

Wlad didn't lose to fighters with different styles, let alone was troubled by flee-footed fighters like Chris Byrd. If anything Byrd who is NOT a bum...was beaten by Wlad like a BUM.

Then IMO Shavers style of a heavy handed, flat footed-come-get-some-style could knocked him out...LIKE THE OTHER BUMS WHO STOPPED WLAD..or were they not bums?

Not to say knockdowns from both fighters could have occurred as Shavers was suspect in the chin department I admit.

But I am relieved if not curious you chose that mythical prediction over the one about Tyson/Holmes.
Interesting to say the least...

Earnie Shavers was a BUM. A hard hitting bum, but a bum none the less.

He fought an ancient Ali and did OK, he KO'd a Jimmy Ellis in the latter stages of his career, he stopped a 7-3 Jimmy Young, and he KO'd a Ken Norton at the end of his career. Oh and he caught Larry Holmes with a hail mary right hand. Good for him.

He was never champ, most of the guys he fought were shit, when he fought someone decent he'd usually lose. He had HUGE power, NO chin, NO heart, NO stamina, mediocre skills. He was a bum.

Enough with this guy. It's amazing how many people believe in the fairy tales of big bad Earnie Shavers who would have have swung his powerful fists and KO'd any HW champ who lived after 1980. It's nonsense. He SUCKED.

[Silkeyjoe]

Since styles make fights, earnie Shavers who lost his biggest fights would've stopped Wladimir IMO.

I'm not sure about Holmes, or even Tyson. If a prime Tyson couldn't stop Ruddock (legit) like fight two which went 12 rounds...Both K2's could've...maybe defeated Tyson.

Shavers would be lucky to have lasted past 3 with Wlad. He was a bum.

At 6 foot Shavers has 0 chance against Wlad. Wouldnt get close to tagging him and Wlad would just lean on him on the inside. Shavers might win the 1st round, maybe the 2nd but after that hed just be drained and and Wlad would jab him to submission getting stopped before the end of the 7th.