Will ONE frigging HW step up to the plate before it's too late?!?

[TitoFan]

One look around the garbage-strewn heavyweight landscape is enough to know that Wladimir Klitschko will very likely retire unchallenged in any major way. Most of us will be left wanting that one epic fight that could’ve pushed Wlad up higher in the all-time rankings. Looking at some of the ranked fighters today, in no particular order…

Chris Arreola – Very inactive 2012. Already had his chance versus Vitali and came up short. Working his way back, but needs to step it up. And yet he’s already has had his upcoming fight with Stiverne rescheduled to April 27 due to bronchitis.

Bermane Stiverne – Fought only once in 2012 (common theme here). Record made up mostly of bums and losers.

Johnathon Banks – Smallish, no power, Seth Mitchell only good win on his record.

David Haye – Had his chance versus Wlad and blew it big time. Doesn’t want to pay his dues at heavyweight, demanding only a shot at Vitali. Ridiculous.

Ruslan Chagaev – Wlad “retread”, little squirt at 5’-11”, little power.

Bryant Jennings – Exciting American prospect, but with few fights (16-0, 8 KO’s).

Tomasz Adamek – Vitali “retread”, a bit smallish at 6’-1”.

Robert Helenius – Big at 6’-6”, but with few fights at 18-0. Only fought once in 2012. Now scheduled to fight “bum-of-the-month” Michael Sprott.

Alexander Povetkin – Next logical Wlad opponent, but Wlad is fighting the great Francesco Pianeta instead.

Deontay Wilder – Maybe they’ll start looking toward Wlad when the guy’s 50-0 with 50 KO’s, having fought every possible bum off the street.

David Price – A personal favorite to step up to the plate… and then he runs into Tony Thompson, the Wladimir punching bag.


It seems a recurring theme here is inactivity, and fight postponements due to injuries or illness. This further frustrates boxing fans who want to see good heavyweight boxing and someone to truly challenge the Klitschkos.

Another recurring theme is the periodic appearance of a “new and improved” heavyweight hope. The guy that is finally supposed to present a challenge to the Klitschkos before they collect their gold watch and go home. Just for grins, I thought I’d post this link from mid-2011. It was supposed to be the top 10 heavyweight prospects at the time. A couple of the names remain… but the others are probably out parking cars for a living now.

Boxing: The Top 10 Heavyweight Prospects in the World | Bleacher Report


Funny list, huh?

What the hell… we’ll just keep shuffling names around until the Klitschkos retire. It seems no one will ever give Wlad the test he sorely needs.

[El Kabong]

Stiverne is waiting on Arreola to get healthy so they can fight. That could be a great fight, hopefully they come to fight in shape and ready to brawl!

Nobody will challenge Wlad it's that simple. He's too far ahead in the game and even the best and brightest young stars won't advance fast enough to worry Wlad.

[Hulk]

Stiverne is waiting on Arreola to get healthy so they can fight. That could be a great fight, hopefully they come to fight in shape and ready to brawl!

Nobody will challenge Wlad it's that simple. He's too far ahead in the game and even the best and brightest young stars won't advance fast enough to worry Wlad.

If someone like Wilder or David Price could hit Wlad on the chin then I bet that'd worry him a lot

[Master]

Stiverne is waiting on Arreola to get healthy so they can fight. That could be a great fight, hopefully they come to fight in shape and ready to brawl!

Nobody will challenge Wlad it's that simple. He's too far ahead in the game and even the best and brightest young stars won't advance fast enough to worry Wlad.

If someone like Wilder or David Price could hit Wlad on the chin then I bet that'd worry him a lot

At least that would be fun whilst it lasts, throw in Seth Mitchell for good measure too. You never know they may hit the jackpot.

[Vendettos]

Stiverne is waiting on Arreola to get healthy so they can fight. That could be a great fight, hopefully they come to fight in shape and ready to brawl!

Nobody will challenge Wlad it's that simple. He's too far ahead in the game and even the best and brightest young stars won't advance fast enough to worry Wlad.

If someone like Wilder or David Price could hit Wlad on the chin then I bet that'd worry him a lot

Yes but that's an irrelevant statement.

Because if I hit Wlad on the chin it'd cause him serious problems.

[TysonBomb]

Wlad only fights guys straight out of the hospital

[Hulk]

Stiverne is waiting on Arreola to get healthy so they can fight. That could be a great fight, hopefully they come to fight in shape and ready to brawl!

Nobody will challenge Wlad it's that simple. He's too far ahead in the game and even the best and brightest young stars won't advance fast enough to worry Wlad.

If someone like Wilder or David Price could hit Wlad on the chin then I bet that'd worry him a lot

Yes but that's an irrelevant statement.

Because if I hit Wlad on the chin it'd cause him serious problems.

Don't flatter yourself, but I get the point

Thing is, Wilder is too raw and Price is coming off of a highly improbable KO loss.

Mitchell is coming off of a less improbable, but still upset KO loss.

Like Master said though, if they hit the jackpot it sure would be fun to watch.

[Gandalf]

Wladimir Klitschko ducked James Toney. If you haven't beaten James Toney at HW and he was active at the time then you are not all that. Manny Steward always knew that Toney was to be avoided at all costs and both of the brothers did just that. It is obvious that they knew Toney was only ever going to make them look sloppy. They are slimey and nobody wants to fight them because they enslave their opponents with stupid contracts.

HW is a rubbish division with no depth, meaning, nor narrative. It is a black hole with nowhere to go and thus people gave up paying attention long ago. Other divisions are full of exciting stars. Who cares about a formerly exciting division that is now effectively defunct and null?

Who is the next guy? Michaelangelo Peanut? Who the heck is Michaelangelo Peanut? Only the Bus Driver's Union has any evidence of the mans existence and seemingly the death records of some people he hit. It's a nonsense, it really is. "Fight Wlad and we will get you off the city centre route". That is just not what title fight contracts should be all about.

[bzkfn]

Wladimir Klitschko ducked James Toney. If you haven't beaten James Toney at HW and he was active at the time then you are not all that.

So by your logic, is Sam Peter an all time great?

[Beanflicker]

Toney made Sam Peters look like shit in their first fight, and got robbed.

[El Kabong]

Not only does Wlad have good power but he's just flat out a better boxer than every other fighter in the division and not just "by a little bit" he's WELL ahead of the field, that is just the reality of the division. Even people saying "Vitali looks old" or "Vitali looks slow" aren't suggesting that anyone will really test him, they throw in qualifiers "maybe", "might", "if"....but nobody says "will beat".

David Price got wrecked by a guy Wlad KO'd twice and the second fight was just a complete "You do not belong in the same ring as me" statement ass whupping.

Wilder could eventually get to where Wlad is, but he's got a LOT of work ahead of him, not fighting better fighters (which also is a must) but honing his craft....the kid is just too raw right now.

[Beanflicker]

To be fair to Wlad, it must suck that he's going to be taking on a young 6'5'', 250lb 28-0 southpaw and people are talking about it like he's going to fight Dustin Diamond.

Who knows how many of the so-called contenders listed above either turned him down or are already scheduled to fight other people.

Who knows, maybe this kid will show us something.

[El Kabong]

To be fair to Wlad, it must suck that he's going to be taking on a young 6'5'', 250lb 28-0 southpaw and people are talking about it like he's going to fight Dustin Diamond.

Who knows how many of the so-called contenders listed above either turned him down or are already scheduled to fight other people.

Who knows, maybe this kid will show us something.

It happens to all champions in their day, some more than others. I can't help but think if Wlad was American or British he'd be emensely popular. The guy has dated actresses, he's a doctor, he's politically aware & active, he's a charismatic guy (yeah I'm sure I'll take heat for saying that but those things are true), he's not the typical muscle head athlete....in America if we had a heavyweight champion like that ESPN would be wetting themselves with excitement covering him asking questions like "When will he run for President?" and "Could he beat Ali?" you must understand once ESPN gets their hooks onto something like that there's no telling how far down the rabbit hole they are willing to go (see Tim Tebow, Manti Teo, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, Danica Patrick, et al).

People don't like Wlad's style of fighting, fine to each their own, I understand completely, I'm picky about the fighters I like too. But to drone on and on and on about a boxer who was completely different in style, upbringing, ability, physical size, etc it just doesn't make any sense....you want Wlad who isn't as strong in the chin department as other fighters to fight toe to toe, you want him to fight in a crouch, to take all his mental and physical advantages & experience and just brush it aside and be a brawler.....you wouldn't ask that of any other person in any other sport. You wouldn't tell Leo Messi to play CB, you wouldn't tell Andre Johnson to play linebacker, you wouldn't have Lebron James play Center, you wouldn't have Sidney Crosby play goalie....those guys are all extremely talented and they probably COULD play those positions, but their Gatural abilities and strengths make them best suited for playing where they currently play. You don't ask Floyd Mayweather to fight like Marvin Hagler and you shouldn't be asking Wlad to fight like Tyson...Wlad fights how he is comfortable, it's up to the opponent to break him out of that comfort zone and either the opponents aren't able or willing to do that.

[gest12645]

nice thread. you should add Fury to the list and Pulev

[TitoFan]

nice thread. you should add Fury to the list and Pulev

Thanks for the observation, you're right. Fury has youth and size on his side. Pulev is a cagey enough fighter... but somehow I don't see him being able to stand in there with a Klitschko. One thing that stands out is the low number of pro fights at his age. In Fury's case... he's got to be careful he doesn't run into a "Tony Thompson" on his way up. Hopefully, one or two legitimate threats to the Klits will clearly emerge in the next year and a half or so.