Wladimir Klitschko: Who would he beat?

[El Kabong]

The way a few posters on here talk about the guy apparently they are still in shock that he's "The Man" of the division right now. People love to bring up his shortcomings as a fighter and that's nothing new for the Heavyweight Champ, it happened to Lewis, Holyfield, and everyone else before them. Anyway, the crux of this thread is who do you think is the best fighter Wladimir Klitschko would beat 9 out of 10 times and 5 out of 10 times....so give at least 1 fighter Wlad would clean house with and at least 1 he would be really competative with. Take your time and explain your picks and TRY to be reasonable and rational and don't just hate on the guy and try not to overrate the guy either, if you're going to do either of those just don't even bother posting.

[boxer dude]

Buster Douglas, Michael Moore, and maybe Frank Bruno LOL

[El Kabong]

Wlad takes 9/10 vs:
Ken Norton - Ken didn't take punches well at all he lost vs every single big puncher he fought.

Andrew Golota - Wlad does everything Golota did only better and with more power.

Earnie Shavers - Yes The Acorn had big time power and he could crush anyone with 1 punch....but he didn't take it very well either and giving up all that height, reach, and weight would be too much for him to overcome. Wlad fights from a distance and Shavers would be lucky to get close with a wild swing.

Jimmy Young - Didn't have the power to beat Wlad and it's highly doubtful he would have pressed Wlad into action tiring him out so I see it similar to the Chris Byrd fights

Wlad splits 5/10 vs:
Riddick Bowe - Riddick never really fought a power puncher like Wlad and, he routinely gave up his height and reach, if not for his boxing ability(on the inside), power, stamina, and chin he'd get beaten every time. But because Bowe was able to win even fighting out of his advantage then I give him the benefit of the doubt.

Larry Holmes - Now this choice may piss a ton of folks off but in his Prime Larry allowed himself to get plowed by some very average power punchers (yes he got up to win) but with Wlad's boxing ability there's also the chance Larry isn't winning every single round when he gets caught and with Wlad's power there's also the chance of Larry either getting knocked down again or KO'd. Larry Holmes had decent power but nothing that would really drive fear into Wlad, 69 wins 44 KO's....that's above average but nothing spectacular.

[El Kabong]

Buster Douglas, Michael Moore, and maybe Frank Bruno LOL

Michael Moore the film maker Not even Michael Moorer former heavyweight champ?

[generalbulldog]

Okay these are the guys I think he can beat.

John L. Sullivan: Too small and not as advanced yet

Max Baer: 1 hit wonder, and not all that skilled

Jack Dempsey: Too small and wild

Rocky Marciano: Too small and short

Floyd Patterson: too small and short

There you go, Wlad for sure can beat those former HW champs.

[CFH]

Buster Douglas, Michael Moore, and maybe Frank Bruno LOL

Michael Moore the film maker Not even Michael Moorer former heavyweight champ?

He's probably in the right weight class...

[CFH]

I think he would beat a lot of the older generations of heavyweights due to his size alone. He's very good at keeping smaller fighters at the end of his jab and his right hand would be a formidable weapon against any opponent.

[El Kabong]

Okay these are the guys I think he can beat.

John L. Sullivan: Too small and not as advanced yet

Max Baer: 1 hit wonder, and not all that skilled

Jack Dempsey: Too small and wild

Rocky Marciano: Too small and short

Floyd Patterson: too small and short

There you go, Wlad for sure can beat those former HW champs.

So he couldn't beat Jack Johnson? Or Jim Jeffries? or James Corbett? or Jess Willard? And thanks for not being too sarcastic, I certainly appreciate it

[boxer dude]

Not sure he would have beat Marciano, I would give Rocky the benefit of the doubt just because he never did loose.

He would have beat Archie Moore,

Michael Moore (the fighter lol)

Frank Bruno

Buster Douglas

And the best fighter he might have probably beat is Big Daddy Bowe, I actually think that would have been a very entertaining fight.

And for the record I think his brother is better than him and would have beat or at least stood a decent chance against a lot more atg's than he would have.

[El Kabong]

I can also see Wlad beating the following:

Tommy Morrison: he just didn't have the talent or style to hang with Wlad plus he didn't take punches all that great either.

Donovan Ruddock - dangerous puncher but seriously lazy in the ring and in training.

Michael Dokes - solid all around fighter but simply not a threat to Wlad

Ray Mercer - we saw what a very raw Wlad did to an old Mercer, I think the Prime vs Prime wouldn't be all that different.

Ron Lyle - dangerous, but wild and didn't have great stamina

I think Wlad would hold his own vs Tyson and Liston. Say what you will about how dangerous Mike Tyson is but if his style had one flaw (it didn't it had more than a few) it was fighters that used similar techniques as Wlad: good use of height, reach, the jab, solid defense, and tying up on the inside...Wlad is solid to above average in most of those areas which means he would have a chance...if he had an uppercut he'd be a sure thing. As for Liston, i just don't think he could handle the movement and the size of Wlad...sure Sonny could bang but he'd have to catch Wlad first and that is easier said than done

[El Kabong]

Michael Moore (the fighter lol).

That would be Michael Moorer
Michael Moorer

I think we all know Wlad would just flatten Shannon Briggs. Briggs in his day was a decent fighter with good handspeed and good pop, but I think Wlad would start up an asthma attack

[generalbulldog]

Okay these are the guys I think he can beat.

John L. Sullivan: Too small and not as advanced yet

Max Baer: 1 hit wonder, and not all that skilled

Jack Dempsey: Too small and wild

Rocky Marciano: Too small and short

Floyd Patterson: too small and short

There you go, Wlad for sure can beat those former HW champs.

So he couldn't beat Jack Johnson? Or Jim Jeffries? or James Corbett? or Jess Willard? And thanks for not being too sarcastic, I certainly appreciate it

Okay to be fair these are the lists of other HW champs, he could take.

-John Ruiz
-Pinklon Thomas
-Oliver McCall
-Herbie Hide
-Trevor Berbick
-Michael Spinks
-Ken Norton
-Ernie Terrell
-James Braddock
-Ingemar Johanson

[piye]

No way does Wlad beat Riddick Bowe. This is all fictional anyway. But I think you are a bit too much of a cheerleader for this guy. I mean let it go.

[El Kabong]

No way does Wlad beat Riddick Bowe. This is all fictional anyway. But I think you are a bit too much of a cheerleader for this guy. I mean let it go.

I think I'm pretty reasonable and rational with my explinations. I mean other than Holyfield and Golota there's nobody on Bowe's record that would really bother Wladimir and I highly doubt that even at his very best Golota would.

Riddick Bowe fought 0 big punchers that is a FACT. A very raw Lennox Lewis crushed Riddick Bowe in the amateurs and I'm thinking that may have had an effect on Bowe's choice of not taking on any big guns. I mean look at his record, only Pierre Coetzer stands out as a power threat. He didn't fight Lewis, Tyson, Ruddock, Bruno, Morrison, Moorer, Foreman...just Holyfield and Golota were threats to him and he was losing both fights vs Golota before the DQ's. Riddick Bowe's record being that of a former undisputed Heavyweight Champion is a really sorry one. Sorry if that offends you but Michael Dokes, Jesse Fergusson, Larry Donald, Elijah Tillary, and Buster Mathis Jr. aren't awe inspiring.

And just for the record I said that would be a 50-50 fight, Wlad would win 5 out of 10 meaning he would lose 5 as well....I don't think that's a "cheerleader" comment considering how I laid out my arguments for it....but feel free to chime in with your little gripes, I do enjoy them especially when they aren't backed up by any facts or evidence that would prove my points wrong.

[ICB]

Wlad takes 9/10 vs:
Ken Norton - Ken didn't take punches well at all he lost vs every single big puncher he fought.

Andrew Golota - Wlad does everything Golota did only better and with more power.

Earnie Shavers - Yes The Acorn had big time power and he could crush anyone with 1 punch....but he didn't take it very well either and giving up all that height, reach, and weight would be too much for him to overcome. Wlad fights from a distance and Shavers would be lucky to get close with a wild swing.

Jimmy Young - Didn't have the power to beat Wlad and it's highly doubtful he would have pressed Wlad into action tiring him out so I see it similar to the Chris Byrd fights

Wlad splits 5/10 vs:
Riddick Bowe - Riddick never really fought a power puncher like Wlad and, he routinely gave up his height and reach, if not for his boxing ability(on the inside), power, stamina, and chin he'd get beaten every time. But because Bowe was able to win even fighting out of his advantage then I give him the benefit of the doubt.

Larry Holmes - Now this choice may piss a ton of folks off but in his Prime Larry allowed himself to get plowed by some very average power punchers (yes he got up to win) but with Wlad's boxing ability there's also the chance Larry isn't winning every single round when he gets caught and with Wlad's power there's also the chance of Larry either getting knocked down again or KO'd. Larry Holmes had decent power but nothing that would really drive fear into Wlad, 69 wins 44 KO's....that's above average but nothing spectacular.

I don't think Wladimir Klitschko done everything better than Andrew Golota, infact there pretty evenly matched in all departments, except Andrew Golota has a better chin. But Wladimir Klitschko has more heart its a very close 50/50 match up.

I agree with Earnie Shavers, i do think Wladimir Klitschko would pick him apart. Barring a hail mary overhand right from Earnie Shavers.

I agree with Jimmy Young although he did beat George Foreman, and probably beat Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton. But he is simply too small and wouldn't be able to get inside, i think he would go the distance though in a boring fight.

Riddick Bowe didn't deal that well with outside fighters, so Wladimir Klitschko would give Riddick Bowe problems. But in the end Riddick Bowe would catch up to him his stamina, toughness, and boxing skill would win in the end probably by TKO in the 8th round.

Lyle i really don't know why you underrate Larry Holmes, he was great at his best. And what mediocre punchers put him down ? he was put down with one of the hardest punches of all time, by one of the hardest punchers of all time. And got up at 4 and then proceeded to kick Earnie Shaver's ass.

He was down against Renaldo Snipes but that was a flash knockdown, that caught him off guard. He soon recovered then had Renaldo Snipes in big trouble in the same round.

Larry Holmes had the better jab, better technical skills, better speed, better footwork, tougher ETC. Yes i agree Wladimir Klitschko hits harder, but Larry Holmes has underrated power. See the right uppercut against Mike Weaver. Larry Holmes by TKO in 10.

I wouldn't underrate Ken Norton he only had trouble vs fighters that swarmed him. Yes Wladimir Klitschko is a big puncher, but he's cautious boxer aswell. So Ken Norton would have a chance, and Ken Norton can bang himself. He was a master at taking away the jab, if he can take away Holmes and Ali's jab he would take away Wladimir Klitschko jab aswell.