The Top 20 Heavyweights as of now

[ludwig]

What is your list?

Below is mine....

1/2 Wlad/Vitali. Interchangeable which one is at the top--we'll never get to see who is better in the ring.
3 Haye, 4 Adamek. Both of these guys get a boost based on success at cruiserweight. Ultimately Adamek's wins at cruiser and heavy are better than Haye's, but Haye has simply been more dominant in the ring, while Adamek has had many close calls.
5. Chagaev-the guy has some decent scalps to his credit and his only loss is to Wlad. Since then he's achieved respectable victories over Meehan and Walker.
6. Povetkin-perhaps he ought to be #3, but he's clearly been slipping and has avoided good heavyweights for the past 2 years. Hopefully he'll finally step it up this summer.
7. Chambers-also has a good claim to be #3. His 2 best wins are against Peter and Dimitrenko--we'll have to see how Peter and Dimitrenko do in their upcoming fights--then we can revisit Chambers' (strong) resume.
8. Thompson--this guy has a strong claim at being a Top 5 heavy with many quality wins to his name. But he's been rather inactive as of late.
9. Peter--former champ and has only lost to the very best competition.
10. Dimitrenko--we'll see what he's really made of when he faces The Dragon on Saturday.
11. Solis-I can't demote the guy too much based on his fight with Vitali, where he was doing ok until the injury. If the loss serves as a wake-up call and Solis gets fit then he's a threat to any boxer alive.
12. Arreola--He may be past his prime. Above all he's gotta get the weight down. We'll see where he's at when he fights on the Ward/Abraham undercard in May.
13. Juan Carlos Gomez--the guy is a cruiserweight legend, and he's got many great heavyweight scalps as well, and only 1 loss (to Vitali). If he can get the weight under control...who knows maybe another title run is in the cards.
14. Helenius--perhaps the most dangerous undefeated contender. We'll see if he's Top 10 material on April 2 vrs. Sam Peter.
15. Boystov--While he's usually rated higher, let's face it his resume is paper thin and he's been hella inactive. Hopefully he heals up and gets in the ring soon.
16. Ustinov--this guy has been moving along so slowly that it makes K2 look like a bad promotional team. Let's see Ustinov in the ring with a live body pronto.
17. Mormeck--eventually it's time to give Mormeck props for wins against decent contenders, however sketchy the decisions. And he is a former lineal cruiser champ.
18. Cedric Boswell--he's been beating up bums for years and he UDed a solid boxer last Saturday...when will he get an eliminator?
19. Pulev--this guy is coming up fast and I hope he steps it up again soon.
20. Tua--it looks like he'll get his rematch against Barrett this summer. If he beats Barrett, he may be in position to fight Wlad as a WBO mandatory. Since I don't want to watch that mismatch, I'll be rooting for Monte.

[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.

[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

[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.

[ninjaspy3]

.....Hey, I don't see Kevin Johnson in this list.....

[Drago]

after reading that list i am even more depressed @ the heavyweight scene

when is the next tyson or holyfield gonna arrive?

[BIG H]

We have the two Drago brothers, Haye and Adamek, apart from those 4 I have absolutely zero interest in the division.

People criticize Tyson's era, but I would still rather watch: Trevor Berbwick,Pinklon Thomas, Tim Witherspoon, Tony Tubbs, Tyrell Bigss, Carl Williams, Tony Tucker, Michael Spinks than any heavyweight outside of the four I mentioned.