Quote Originally Posted by Bilbo View Post
I know we are told constantly what a pitiful division the heavyweight division is and how totally weak and ordinary it is.

But is it really as bad as people say?

Is Wladmir Klitshcko for example a worse champion than for example Kendall Holt, Steven Lueveno, Chad Dawson, Mikell Kessler, Tomasz Adamek, Nate Campbell etc?

What about Vitali Klitschko?

I actually think if these two were in any division other than the heavyweights people would rate them much higher, Wlad in particular would likely be on the p4p rankings for his continued dominance.

Then we have David Haye. Consider the fuss that was made about a no skills brawler like Michael Katsidis and how added to the lightweight divsion, is not Haye an exciting talent at heavyweight?

Then we have promising prospects like amatuer world champ Odlanier Solis, Alexander Povetkin and solid fighters like Ruslan Chagaev, Eddie Chambers etc.

Ok it's hardly stacked but I think the likes of both Klitschko's, Haye, Chagaev, Solis and Chambers would rise to the top of pretty much any weight class there were in.

All I'm saying is it's not nearly so bad as people claim.

Yes there is some awful dross in there, but there are 4 or 5 world class fighters in the division that certainly match up to the world champs in many of boxings lower divisions.

Your views?
Eddie Chambers needs to drop down to light heavy, Calvin Brock to Cruiser, but you do have a point. The Klitschkos are/can be as dominant a champion as anyone in any other division and that's not because the division is talent poor. Despite my distaste for his antics, David Haye is a force to be reckoned with. Nikolay Valuev is going to be a problem for whomever he steps in the ring against, Povetkin is a bighearted, yet talent or skill anemic (I'm not sure which yet) and there are others like Tony Thompson who, despite just losing, are still a threat. The problem comes from fighters like Holyfield and Toney who still fight on despite their respective advanced age and poor physical conditioning. Both of them should be dominated thoroughly, but when you have a division that doesn't have a cap you can have a tubby eat his way to it and a senior citizen who became a weightlifting maniac to get there. They are the flagship for what's wrong with heavyweight. In any other division if you come in without making weight you don't fight or you get fined. Essentially fighters who do this in lower weight classes get their act together or retire. The big boys just sign a paycheck with grease-soaked fingers. They don't HAVE to get in shape to have a fight.