
Originally Posted by
generalbulldog

Originally Posted by
Nameless

Originally Posted by
Fenster

Originally Posted by
Nameless
I don't understand why isn't he rated higher actually, the size helps but any attribute, speed, strength etc are also natural talent that one must exploit, it's like saying "yeah, Floyd Mayweather is excellent but it's mostly just because mother nature did give him dazzling speed". It's the same for the K with the size, you'Re born with it and you learn to use it or not. Wlad did. Why should "blame" and find reasons for his excellent boxing qualities just because he's born naturally bigger? The guy could be a fatty like Arreola or simple unable to use his size effectively but he went by the book and keep himself in good condition. For that reason, I disagree with the "we shouldn't rate him so high, he's just good because of his size" as we could use the same argument virtually with every boxer by pointing one of their natural ability and saying "yeah, he's only good because of X and therefore he's not that worthy to be in the list".
That's a poor comparison.
Wlad has natural speed, strength, ability, just like Floyd/Pac etc. It's part of what makes him a world-class heavyweight.
The difference is, he also has a considerable size advantage over almost everyone he fights. A luxury that Floyd/Pac don't have. They have to weigh the same as their opponents which also makes them, in most cases, of similar height/reach etc.
Wlad is an elite fighter but without his natural size advantage his dominance would be very questionable. Therefore not really P4P worthy.
I disagree Fenster. That's part of his natural ability. Sure, he wouldn't be the same without his height but would Mike Tyson have been the same without his phenomenal strength ?(which was a tremendous advantage over almost every other HW he did faced during his prime) though he was very quick, moving well and his finishing spirit? What about Kid Gavillan and what is probably the best jaw in boxing history (never hit the canvas in over 140 fights)? That's exactly the same reasoning. Floyd and Pac don't have the size advantage but they've been blessed with a capacity to outspeed almost anybody, speed that Wlad doesn't have (though he's not a slow machine by no mean) and they would not have been as dominant without that advantage over the others. It's just part of the natural gift he's been given and opposite to some other boxers, he has been able to use this reach and height very effectively.
So you think size should be a factor in the p4p rankings because you are arguing since it's a natural gift, it should not be ruled out? Correct me if I'm wrong about that.
Because that is not what p4p rankings are all about. Never has and never will be. It is about mythical rankings on who would be the best boxers in the sport if size was taken out of it, of course other factors are weighed in such as boxing skill, accomplishments, and level of competition. But the reason why there are these rankings are because it is to recognize the best boxer regardless of size. So that's why size is taken out of the equation.
No. It's not what I was saying. Sorry for the confusion and I disagree with the "without size" thing, the P4O:
1) in my opinion,is there to show who are the best boxers of their category with all gift taken in consideration. That includes things as jaw, speed, strength, ring generalship, size etc. NOwhere is it written or said that size shouldn't be considered, it's about the best of their categories, all gifts and competition they had included.
2) My point was that we should not say such thing as "Wlad would never have been as dominant wouldn't be of its size" as we could say that of any boxer picking up one of their best ability/attribute. LEnnox Lewis neither wouldn't have been as good as he was without a huge size, that's part of the deal and of the whole package, especially because the size helps a lot in the HW but requires more to that to be a good champion.
3) The "P4P" does not state such thing as "with the exception of the ability X", no matter what it could be, it's about the whole thing, including the level of competition. If Wlad as the size for the HW, good for him, he can use that natural ability to its advantage, I don't see why we should downgrade his accomplishment because he's naturally gifted in that department.
In that respect, I strongly disagree with the argument to downgrade Wlad's talent (or any other fighter) by a "yeah but only because he was so huge". Size is something important but it's not enough, Valuev is the living proof of it. size helped HW such as Lewis, Big George or Wlad, it helped them to become champion but these were not necessarilymore important than Iron Mike strength for example, it's one of the many factors that build a HW champion and I do not see no reasons to overlook that or to downgrade one accomplishment because he had the size gift, among other things.
Bookmarks