The Top 20 Heavyweights as of now

[TitoFan]

Welcome to the forum, and you get your first Cool Click just for being able to name 20 heavyweights and put them in some kind of order. In other boxing eras, I used to be able to rattle off the top 5-10 heavyweights without too much thought.... but nowadays? Once I get beyond the Klitschko brothers, it all becomes fuzzy.

Anyway..... good, knowledgeable post about a division I personally rank among the most forgettable in the history of boxing.

[TitoFan]

Regarding your list... and IMO... it's Wlad and Vitali, #1 and #2... then a gap the size of the Grand Canyon... then resuming at # 3. I would normally say that Haye is too far up 'cause he's done more talking than fighting in the division, but.... who would I put in his place? So it's Haye at # 3. Some of these names have quietly come up through the ranks, like Peter... only to be put back in their place by one of the Klitschko brothers and sink back slowly and quietly into obscurity. Lots of "can't miss" has turned into "never was". Arreola is another prime example. Lots of hype... lots of disappointment. It's like a merry-go-round in there.

[ludwig]

Regarding your list... and IMO... it's Wlad and Vitali, #1 and #2... then a gap the size of the Grand Canyon... then resuming at # 3. I would normally say that Haye is too far up 'cause he's done more talking than fighting in the division, but.... who would I put in his place? So it's Haye at # 3. Some of these names have quietly come up through the ranks, like Peter... only to be put back in their place by one of the Klitschko brothers and sink back slowly and quietly into obscurity. Lots of "can't miss" has turned into "never was". Arreola is another prime example. Lots of hype... lots of disappointment. It's like a merry-go-round in there.

Thanks for the welcome!

I think you could make an argument that Chambers, Adamek, Chagaev, and Povetkin should be rated higher than Haye. But ultimately, if it came to a fight between Haye and any of them, can you imagine the odds-makers not favoring Haye? So even if Haye hasn't been fighting significant opponents, he's won his matches with enough panache to convince people he's the best heavy not named Klitschko. Personally I'd give Chambers 50/50 against Haye, Adamek maybe 35/65 (slight underdog), while Povetkin and Chagaev would be heavier underdogs (20/80).

I feel ya on the 'merry-go-round'. Here's hoping someone like Pulev or Helenius puts a run together and becomes a challenge to Wlad worth getting excited about.

[CFH]

I don't know if I could even name 20 current heavyweights off the top of my head.

Welcome to the forum, great first post.

[Kev]

I don't know if I could even name 20 current heavyweights off the top of my head.

Welcome to the forum, great first post.

Come on mate it's easy all you have to do is name any 30 heavyweights of the last 15/20 years and the odds are good that 20 of them are still fighting.

[badr_hari]

Its our honor to have 2 all time greats like the Klitschko's in our era. I don't like them, but i respect their accomplishments.
1. Wladimir -
2. Vitali -
3. Povetkin - the only man with a serious chance to beat Wladimir in the near future.
4. Haye
5. Adamek - i think he has the style, skills and speed to beat an old Vitali and i hope this fight is made this in September

from 6 to 20, its irrelevant to rank. In no order some semi-good heavies: Chambers, Thompson, Chagaev, Solis and Chisora. Other top20 heavies: Arreola, Peter, Pulev, Helenius, Mormeck, Dimitrenko. TOP YOUNG PROSPECTS: BOYTSOV and GLAZKOV, strong, skilled, fast, exciting heavyweights.

[Kev]

Its our honor to have 2 all time greats like the Klitschko's in our era. I don't like them, but i respect their accomplishments.
1. Wladimir -
2. Vitali -
3. Povetkin - the only man with a serious chance to beat Wladimir in the near future.
4. Haye
5. Adamek - i think he has the style, skills and speed to beat an old Vitali and i hope this fight is made this in September

from 6 to 20, its irrelevant to rank. In no order some semi-good heavies: Chambers, Thompson, Chagaev, Solis and Chisora. Other top20 heavies: Arreola, Peter, Pulev, Helenius, Mormeck, Dimitrenko. TOP YOUNG PROSPECTS: BOYTSOV and GLAZKOV, strong, skilled, fast, exciting heavyweights.

Adamek has absolutely zero chance of beating a Klitschko. He struggled to beat Michael Grant and his fight with Arreola was looking like it was going to go either way until Arroala injured himself.

He doesn't even have a punchers chance. At the very best he can maybe survive the distance with a gutsy display like Matthew hatton put on against Saul Alvarez. Ultimately he is completely outgunned and it would be a miracle if he beat a Klitschko imo.

[NUCLEAR BULL]

Regarding your list... and IMO... it's Wlad and Vitali, #1 and #2... then a gap the size of the Grand Canyon... then resuming at # 3. I would normally say that Haye is too far up 'cause he's done more talking than fighting in the division, but.... who would I put in his place? So it's Haye at # 3. Some of these names have quietly come up through the ranks, like Peter... only to be put back in their place by one of the Klitschko brothers and sink back slowly and quietly into obscurity. Lots of "can't miss" has turned into "never was". Arreola is another prime example. Lots of hype... lots of disappointment. It's like a merry-go-round in there.

Thanks for the welcome!

I think you could make an argument that Chambers, Adamek, Chagaev, and Povetkin should be rated higher than Haye. But ultimately, if it came to a fight between Haye and any of them, can you imagine the odds-makers not favoring Haye? So even if Haye hasn't been fighting significant opponents, he's won his matches with enough panache to convince people he's the best heavy not named Klitschko. Personally I'd give Chambers 50/50 against Haye, Adamek maybe 35/65 (slight underdog), while Povetkin and Chagaev would be heavier underdogs (20/80).

I feel ya on the 'merry-go-round'. Here's hoping someone like Pulev or Helenius puts a run together and becomes a challenge to Wlad worth getting excited about.

if the heavyweight divison was this weak in my time i'd be high up that list...................fake tough guy haye as you said just talks......i'd drop the prat to 10th just for pulling out of both klit fights after saying and doing everything he did only to no show and fight guys like AUDLEY instead

[Mark TKO]

also take my hat off to you for naming 20 !

But to follow what others said after the Klits and Haye I would forget the rest of them

[El Kabong]

also take my hat off to you for naming 20 !

But to follow what others said after the Klits and Haye I would forget the rest of them

....Adamek

Tomaz deserves SOME credit

Decent list, I don't agree with all of it, but still decent enough. I don't think there's anyone that fits the bill from 5-10...at least not until some more fights between the 11-20 fighters happen

[Mark TKO]

....Adamek

he don't do it for me. And I will say I agree with you a lot that Haye has proven nothing really as yet as a heavy, I was starting to turn against him as the fight with a Klit failed to materialise.

But he has talked himself into this position and generated the interest - something all others have failed to do. So yes at mo its just him and the klits imo

[TitoFan]

Regarding your list... and IMO... it's Wlad and Vitali, #1 and #2... then a gap the size of the Grand Canyon... then resuming at # 3. I would normally say that Haye is too far up 'cause he's done more talking than fighting in the division, but.... who would I put in his place? So it's Haye at # 3. Some of these names have quietly come up through the ranks, like Peter... only to be put back in their place by one of the Klitschko brothers and sink back slowly and quietly into obscurity. Lots of "can't miss" has turned into "never was". Arreola is another prime example. Lots of hype... lots of disappointment. It's like a merry-go-round in there.

Thanks for the welcome!

I think you could make an argument that Chambers, Adamek, Chagaev, and Povetkin should be rated higher than Haye. But ultimately, if it came to a fight between Haye and any of them, can you imagine the odds-makers not favoring Haye? So even if Haye hasn't been fighting significant opponents, he's won his matches with enough panache to convince people he's the best heavy not named Klitschko. Personally I'd give Chambers 50/50 against Haye, Adamek maybe 35/65 (slight underdog), while Povetkin and Chagaev would be heavier underdogs (20/80).

I feel ya on the 'merry-go-round'. Here's hoping someone like Pulev or Helenius puts a run together and becomes a challenge to Wlad worth getting excited about.

I second your wish for a challenge to Wlad. However... the clock IS ticking. Wlad and Vitali (especially Vitali) aren't going to be around forever, which is what it seems like it's taking for someone else to rise to the challenge. The HUGE disappointment here would be to have a new Tyson or Lewis come up..... only to find that the Klitschkos have retired already, or are way past their prime.