Quote Originally Posted by Master View Post
Again I say this and please digest - Other than size the vast majority modern heavyweight fighters have poor skill and technique. This is why Wlad is so dominate and even then he struggles to finish his opponents because of his suspect chin.

Holmes and Tyson wipe out Wlad.
On the contrary, HW "defence" imo only became of utmost importance during the era of the superheavyweight.

The Klitschko's, Pulev, Thompson etc, utilise their height allied to their timing as there defence.

Shorter boxers like Stiverne, Haye etc are expert counter-punchers.

There are offence oriented boxers and tankers just as there are in every era too.

Nothing has been lost, everything has improved generally. Specifically, "DEFENSIVE" boxers today are more elusive than defensive boxers yesterday!

2 masters of escapology, Byrd and Chambers are unrivalled among HW's throughout time.

Technique? There are boxers with poorer technique as there are in all eras. The problem here is you compare average boxers today with guys like Holmes.

The correct comparison would be champ compared to champ, journeyman compared to journeyman etc. Then everything miraculously falls into place, today's boxers are much better!

I ain't gonna rip on Holmes too much because he was a great boxer but he isn't beating Wladimir, he would most likely be knocked out.

Tyson is a good question, he was certainly more skilled that most HW's of the Klitschko era and otherwise had other qualities to back himself up where he didn't. But again, Tyson IS a modern CHAMP.

What about the golden era...

Geroge Foreman- absolutely no defence or no technique, would be among the least skilled of all current HW's and most hittable.

Muhammad Ali- Total punch bag, almost WANTED to get hit, has also been described as having one of the most technically flawed styles ever. Basically won by out-staminizing his opponents (and being facially assisted).

Joe Frazier- Ate punches for breakfast, had no skills whatsoever, was partially BLIND, so he can be partially forgiven!

Sonny Liston- Highly uncoordinated, could not properly defend himself and was too slow to hit a modern boxer.

These were the CHAMPS of the past!

Wladimir is so dominant because he completely transformed boxing from a slug fest into a chess match. His opponents are some of the most dangerous competition of all time, and he dominates them because he is UNBELIEVABLY good. Helped out obviously because of his length, his weight and his conditioning.

As for his chin, WK has a strong chin! Obviously! Look at that head! He has the best HW record of all time against the hardest hitting opponents of all time and only 1ce in 66 fights ever been starched by anything that might be considered a chin check (which was a butt-fight anyway). And he has NEVER been cold canvassed KOed ever like say Lennox Lewis for example.

He has been knocked down multiple times (even in the fight he lost above) and got up to WIN, always finished a fight on his feet and taken some of the biggest bombs ever and shook them off.

He can be hurt, I never said he had an iron chin, but that's vs this era. You put that chin in any era pre80's and Wladimir Klitschko, has not only an iron chin.. But the strongest of ALL chins! That is a fact!