Wladimir Klitschko: Who would he beat?

[Hunter]

I am of the mindset that current athletes in most instances compete at a higher level than athletes from 20-30 years ago. I think current athletes can take advantage of modern science (nutrition) and training techniques and in many cases start at a younger age. Also, there is way more money involved now so everyone trys to be a professional athlete for the most part (starting in grade school) and you are closer to having the very best people at the top of the game. When I watch videos of some of the fighters from the 70s, 60s, and even 80s etc their technique is terrible and it reminds me of a bar room brawl. You stick those guys in with a guy like Wlad who has great technique they will get killed.

I think Wlad would beat any of the past fighters most of the time if you plucked them from the past and stuck them in the ring with Wlad. Now if they had access to the same resources Wlad has had for the last 20 years than maybe they could compete but who knows it is a different game now......This is IMO.

[rjj tszyu]

I am of the mindset that current athletes in most instances compete at a higher level than athletes from 20-30 years ago. I think current athletes can take advantage of modern science (nutrition) and training techniques and in many cases start at a younger age. Also, there is way more money involved now so everyone trys to be a professional athlete for the most part (starting in grade school) and you are closer to having the very best people at the top of the game. When I watch videos of some of the fighters from the 70s, 60s, and even 80s etc their technique is terrible and it reminds me of a bar room brawl. You stick those guys in with a guy like Wlad who has great technique they will get killed.

I think Wlad would beat any of the past fighters most of the time if you plucked them from the past and stuck them in the ring with Wlad. Now if they had access to the same resources Wlad has had for the last 20 years than maybe they could compete but who knows it is a different game now......This is IMO.

I totally disagree, technically fighters from the past have been far more gifted than todays crop. People like Ali, Louis, Holyfield, Tyson, SRR, SRL, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler (and the list goes on and on) were a lot more gifted than anyone today technically with the exception of Mayweather (maybe). Yes Wlad has good fundamentals, but he is also very robotic in what he does and in comparison to the likes of Ali, Tyson, Frazier etc is a slow HW.

One thing I do agree with you on is that "most" top athletes now are at a higher level than in years gone by, but not for me in boxing. Now the reason boxing hasn't moved with the times as other sports has is because the people who used to come to boxing are going to other sports where the rewards are higher and the risks are way lower. I mean look at boxing in the 80's for example. Ray Leonards fights used to make more money than the big fights now and when you take inflation into account that is an amazing feat. Same goes for Tyson and hell Ali for that matter. When Ali fought Foreman he made £5million. Now almost 40 years later David Haye did almost 1million PPV sales for Sky in his last bout and made the same 5 million. So how, may I ask is there more money in the sport now?? I'll agree there is more money in other sports, but boxing doesn't hold the same interest it once did and hasn't moved with the times.