Where do you rate Wladimir Klitschko among all-time heavyweights?

[Freedom]

For what he's accomplished so far in his career, where do you rate Wladimir Klitschko among the all-time heavyweights?

He's beaten a lot of very good fighters (Byrd X2, Haye, Ibragimov, Chagaev, etc.) but never a really great one.

But let's not forget, there are other heavyweights generally ranked among the all-time greats who don't have a prime, ATG HW on their resumes.

Wlad has taken many "0"s and stopped many durable opponents who had never been stopped before (Chambers, Chagaev, Thompson, Brock, Barrett, Castillo, Brewster, Shufford, Shultz, etc.).

[AdamGB]

Problem for Wlad is he's only as good as who he's fought.

As dominant as he is I can't put him in the top ten because he hasn't beaten any guys of that calibre... Maybe he could be, but the fighters aren't around to show it. Having him in the top 15 is pure speculation.

I have him around 20, again not because I doubt his ability... just the merit of his opponents, he's fought everybody, you have to give him that, but this era is weak.

[erics44]

if you put all of the hw champs in with each other from the last 100 years i have no doubt that a prime klit (or both prime klits) would be right up there

if you were to rate the same fighters on entertainment it would suprize me if wlad wasnt last and vital somewhere very close

[GaydarbekStraight]

Voted for the 16-25 option. All of his losses are unforgivable and inexcusable.
Wladimir K's supporters claim he was inexperienced then, but he had a gold medal and two years as a pro, and fought Puritty on his home turf.
Now suppose we do excuse it, do you guys honestly think that he was still inexperienced against Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster? do you really think he had improved since then?
At what department if so?
Holding, stalling and pushing down?
I don't regard any of his wins as a great win either, and it was his elder brother whom ended-up fighting Dereck Chisora. I hoped for that fight to come through, but no, Wladimir Klits skipped the man and never looked back since doing so. Tony Thompson really trumps Chisora, LOL. Wladimir basically preferred fighting an older version of the older man that he already beat, rather face a hungry, tough and willing to engage warrior-gangsta in Chisora. Not my cup of tea as a pick for a great heavyweight, sorry.

[Rantcatrat]

Voted for the 16-25 option. All of his losses are unforgivable and inexcusable.
Wladimir K's supporters claim he was inexperienced then, but he had a gold medal and two years as a pro, and fought Puritty on his home turf.
Now suppose we do excuse it, do you guys honestly think that he was still inexperienced against Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster? do you really think he had improved since then?
At what department if so?
Holding, stalling and pushing down?
I don't regard any of his wins as a great win either, and it was his elder brother whom ended-up fighting Dereck Chisora. I hoped for that fight to come through, but no, Wladimir Klits skipped the man and never looked back since doing so. Tony Thompson really trumps Chisora, LOL. Wladimir basically preferred fighting an older version of the older man that he already beat, rather face a hungry, tough and willing to engage warrior-gangsta in Chisora. Not my cup of tea as a pick for a great heavyweight, sorry.

You put him in the 16-25 option of all-time heavyweights = he is a great heavyweight. With regard to Chisora, he loss to Tyson Fury, it would be very strange if Wlad dodged him. No offense.

Who are other heavyweights in history that have had as long of a dominant reign without facing top competition?

[GaydarbekStraight]

Voted for the 16-25 option. All of his losses are unforgivable and inexcusable.
Wladimir K's supporters claim he was inexperienced then, but he had a gold medal and two years as a pro, and fought Puritty on his home turf.
Now suppose we do excuse it, do you guys honestly think that he was still inexperienced against Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster? do you really think he had improved since then?
At what department if so?
Holding, stalling and pushing down?
I don't regard any of his wins as a great win either, and it was his elder brother whom ended-up fighting Dereck Chisora. I hoped for that fight to come through, but no, Wladimir Klits skipped the man and never looked back since doing so. Tony Thompson really trumps Chisora, LOL. Wladimir basically preferred fighting an older version of the older man that he already beat, rather face a hungry, tough and willing to engage warrior-gangsta in Chisora. Not my cup of tea as a pick for a great heavyweight, sorry.

You put him in the 16-25 option of all-time heavyweights = he is a great heavyweight. With regard to Chisora, he loss to Tyson Fury, it would be very strange if Wlad dodged him. No offense.

Who are other heavyweights in history that have had as long of a dominant reign without facing top competition?

You gotta admit that Chisora was a helluva lot more deserving than Tony Thompson and far more proven.
Chisora fights the best, and dare I say, already surpassed Wladimir in terms of the quality of opponents that he faced.

I do understand those who voted for the yet lower tier than the tier I voted to, I might have made a mistake in my vote.

I wouldn't have considered Larry Holmes' or Joe Louis' oppositions as top quality, not on a permanent basis at least.
I mean they did fight a couple of good opponents here and there, but sucked eggs as they say if you look at their list of faced opponents overall compared to the list of their viable opponents during their respective reigns.
Thus and therefore, since I can see the flaws in other usually considered greats' resumes, I ranked Wladimir where I did, but I can see him being ranked in the tier below.
What is your opinion by the way?
I couldn't find your vote in the poll.

[El Kabong]

Voted for the 16-25 option. All of his losses are unforgivable and inexcusable.
Wladimir K's supporters claim he was inexperienced then, but he had a gold medal and two years as a pro, and fought Puritty on his home turf.
Now suppose we do excuse it, do you guys honestly think that he was still inexperienced against Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster? do you really think he had improved since then?
At what department if so?
Holding, stalling and pushing down?
I don't regard any of his wins as a great win either, and it was his elder brother whom ended-up fighting Dereck Chisora. I hoped for that fight to come through, but no, Wladimir Klits skipped the man and never looked back since doing so. Tony Thompson really trumps Chisora, LOL. Wladimir basically preferred fighting an older version of the older man that he already beat, rather face a hungry, tough and willing to engage warrior-gangsta in Chisora. Not my cup of tea as a pick for a great heavyweight, sorry.

Tony Thompson was a mandatory defense and Wlad didn't want to fight him again but he wasn't going to give up his belt for nothing.