Comments Thread For: Banks: Klitschko Will Be Appreciated When He's Gone

:lol1: There has never been a stronger HW era in history.. Yesterdays champs would be utterly annihilated by todays bums and nothing like todays champs/contenders ever existed! Even Klitschko's WORST opponents, like Mormeck ARE better than previous champs like Ali and Louis's signature wins! Today's era is the most global, highest participation, heftiest, tallest, most athletic, most talented skillfully and by record in boxing history. This view is totally busted. You've exposed yourself as a fool! If you really believe what you just posted than I'm more than happy to be a fool my friend. I acknowledge Wlad is a great champion and fighter, and he would be a tough out for anyone due to his size, power, and style. But you're crazy if you think he would walk through fighters like Holyfield, Ali, Lewis, Foreman, etc. He doesn't have the mental character those fighters had. He doesn't deal well when he's been hurt bad. And I'm honestly not knocking him, but he doesn't have the best chin out there. If he had been fighting in the 90s I firmly believe he would have many more losses. And I can't even comment on you comparing this HW era to past eras and saying it's superior, or even on par. If you want to believe that, than go right ahead.

I won't deny he is a legend, but Wlad is a cheating clown and I'll be glad when he's gone.

Ali, who beat three wrecking balls in Liston, Foreman and Frazier is overrated? Sure budz. Not to be rude, but you need to read what I wrote. Specifically, Ali had three fights with Ken Norton, and as Floyd Jr. recently said, it could be argued that Ali lost all three. If you haven't watched all three, do so. If you are objective, it will be apparent that Ali could not stick to boxing Norton (Ali repeatedly screwed off - clowning to such an extent that it was evident that he hadn't the conditioning or talent to simply box Norton). Better yet, after you finish the third Ali-Norton fight, immediately watch Norton's fight against Larry Holmes. Fifteen rounds of straight up championship boxing. Perhaps the greatest heavyweight title fight of the seventies. Now, contrast that with any or all of Ali's fights against Norton. It doesn't matter which fight. In fact, I believe that you could take the best rounds of all three Ali-Norton fights and compare/contrast the composite of those three with the 15 round Norton-Holmes fight, and Norton/Holmes would still remain the superior fight. Now, why was that? Likely it was because Ken Norton was Ali's kryptonite. Why Norton was, I don't know, but he certainly was. Also, in the first Ali-Frazier fight, Ali clearly lost. Watch the fight. See Joe grabbing Ali by the wrists (eighth round I believe) to pull Ali off the ropes and spin him into center ring to kick start Ali to fight. Watch closely the beginning of round 11. I believe that it happens within the first 10-12 seconds of the round - 15 seconds elapsed at the most. A Frazier punch with a delayed effect knocks Ali down - Ali touches one hand and both knees to the canvas, but because Ali did not fall immediately from Frazier's punch (1/2 half to 1 second after the punch landed) the ref, Arthur Mercante, did not call it a knockdown; however, it was a knockdown by any interpretation of the rules. Yes, in round 15, when Frazier decked Ali, Mercante called it a knockdown, but my point is that Frazier knocked Ali down twice in that 15 round "Fight of the Century" as well as having to grab Ali by his wrists and swing him into ring center to get Ali to fight. As for the Liston fights, yes, Ali won; however, both fights were highly controversial as many long time participants and fans of boxing believe that Liston took a dive in each fight. Certainly the rematch in Lewiston, Maine was and remains controversial to the present day if for no other reason than Ring Magazine editor, Nat Fleischer, imposed his will on referee, Jersey Joe Walcott, that Liston had been knocked out - despite the fact that Walcott was following the rules concerning when to start the count (after the fighter who delivered the punch returns to the neutral corner - which Ali would do only when Walcott pushed him to it). Could anybody imagine the same thing happening present day? You know, The Ring's Oscar de la Hoya overruling a referee's decision in the ring to stop a fight that the referee had already signaled to resume? Finally, one more thing: take the time to watch Ali's fights following his loss to Frazier. Tell me that you can see any difference in Ali's rematch with Leon Spinks. My position is that if the viewer isn't aware of which fight he/she is watching, the viewer would not be able to tell based on Ali's performance (in other words, Ali lost both fights to Spinks). What about Henry Cooper's fourth round knockdown of Ali? Cooper, a journeyman fighter, knocked Ali to the canvas, and it wasn't a flash knockdown. Ali's trainer, Angelo Dundee, knew that Ali needed extra time to recover from the knockdown, so Dundee helped Ali back to his stool, and then, noticing a small split in Ali's glove, "Dundee later admitted that he stuck his finger in split glove, causing a slightly bigger split." The extended delay in getting Ali a replacement glove allowed Ali to begin the fifth round with a cleared head getting a TKO in the fifth. Do I think that Ali needed help to beat Henry Cooper? It sure seems that way, but even if I did not, Angelo Dundee did, and he immediately took action to do so. I don't know the rules for that fight, but I have to believe that if Dundee had been caught in the act of deliberately damaging Ali's glove (to the extent that the fight had to be delayed until a replacement glove was provided and laced on Ali) that the fight would have ended there on the spot - either a win for Cooper or a no decision. In either case, Ali would not have had a perfect record after the Cooper fight.

He won't be in this area of the world. We're too salty and we make excuses that the good ones are playing football/basketball. Wlad deserves much better.

It's not that he's not appreciated (I appreciate him), it's just that this HW era is the weakest in history. If Wlad would have been this dominant in, let's say, the 90s, it would be a different story. I personally don't think he would have been, but who knows. Either way he's a helluva fighter and a very classy champion. This exactly^^^^^^^^^^^

Touche, but so is Wladimir sort of... Lewis is still top 3 IMO I never called Wlad top 3 (Ali/Louis/Johnson), but he was never put to sleep by one punch like the Rahman/McCall fights.

LOL, Lewis was always one punch away from being put to sleep, can never be an atg. Foreman, Liston, Frazier, Shavers would only need to land on solid shot to finish him. Also he ducked Vit after his gift result. Touche, but so is Wladimir sort of... Lewis is still top 3 IMO

Well it's been over 3 years since Vitali Klitschko has retired and I still don't "appreciate" him. I expect the exact same to happen with Wladimir... I don't like the fact that both brothers were always safety first. The only time they got a bit aggressive and took risks was when there opposition was well below average. If you want safety first watch Lewis-Tua.

ATG Heavyweight, next to Lewis and Vitali. Those 3, can beat any heavyweight from the past and present. LOL, Lewis was always one punch away from being put to sleep, can never be an atg. Foreman, Liston, Frazier, Shavers would only need to land on solid shot to finish him. Also he ducked Vit after his gift result.

One could argue that Ali (who was floored by a scrub) was overrated for having such a difficult time with Ken Norton. If you were not aware of this, watch videos of their three fights. Ali, who beat three wrecking balls in Liston, Foreman and Frazier is overrated? Sure budz.

People will miss having a dominant heavyweight champion. They won't miss his fights. Obviously he's going to be recognised as an ATG. That goes without saying.

You're wrong, it's the strongest in all history, with maybe the exception of the Lewis era. It's the least American in all history. Household names of Ali's era would be considered bums nowadays, that's how strong this era is: http://www.heavyweightblog.com/3917/muhammad-alis-opponents-vs-klitschko Exactly, Wlad's heavyweight resume is much better than the resume of past HW champs (aside from Lennox maybe. http://www.heavyweightblog.com/3634/heavyweight-world-championships-of-boxing-statistics-analysis :lol1: :lol1: Elroy, give it a rest.

If he was this dominant in the 90's, most of the guys whom you consider great or very good now in hindsight, wouldn't have been considered good or great if they were made part of Wlad's decade long Heavyweight reign. Exactly, Wlad's heavyweight resume is much better than the resume of past HW champs (aside from Lennox maybe. http://www.heavyweightblog.com/3634/heavyweight-world-championships-of-boxing-statistics-analysis

It's not that he's not appreciated (I appreciate him), it's just that this HW era is the weakest in history. You're wrong, it's the strongest in all history, with maybe the exception of the Lewis era. It's the least American in all history. Household names of Ali's era would be considered bums nowadays, that's how strong this era is: http://www.heavyweightblog.com/3917/muhammad-alis-opponents-vs-klitschko

He's kind of like Floyd in that he pushes the limits of the rules and usually fights boring fights. But at least he knocks guys (and not girls) out unlike Floyd.

Banks: "Klitschko Will Be Appreciated When He's Gone" Translation: "I will miss the fat paycheck when Wlad's gone". How much talent does it take to be that big? None. He was given his size by genes, not talent. His structure and clinching are Wlad's 2 biggest weapons. How many have been big enough for it to even be structurally possible to get to him? Or does size mean nothing in this conversation? Look at some of the comments on this thread and you'd see nearly all known/reasonably well known HWs in the past 60-70 years dismissed as average. If Wlad was 6' 2" 225 lbs., with the same skill set, he'd probably be top 15 but not champ, or not for long. He has good talent, good reflexes, good jab, all the basics. But a weak chin. We just don't see that liability now because he improved his defense under Manny. He's lucky he has the size, and that he had Manny in his corner for many years. He isn't bad by any means, but take away the gifts at birth, you have an above average HW.

Well it's been over 3 years since Vitali Klitschko has retired and I still don't "appreciate" him. I expect the exact same to happen with Wladimir... I don't like the fact that both brothers were always safety first. The only time they got a bit aggressive and took risks was when there opposition was well below average. Have you ever watched Vitali fight? Or for that matter the early half of Wlad's career?

ATG Heavyweight, next to Lewis and Vitali. Those 3, can beat any heavyweight from the past and present. ^^^ This guy is on the ball!!

It's not that he's not appreciated (I appreciate him), it's just that this HW era is the weakest in history. If Wlad would have been this dominant in, let's say, the 90s, it would be a different story. I personally don't think he would have been, but who knows. Either way he's a helluva fighter and a very classy champion. :lol1: There has never been a stronger HW era in history.. Yesterdays champs would be utterly annihilated by todays bums and nothing like todays champs/contenders ever existed! Even Klitschko's WORST opponents, like Mormeck ARE better than previous champs like Ali and Louis's signature wins! Today's era is the most global, highest participation, heftiest, tallest, most athletic, most talented skillfully and by record in boxing history. This view is totally busted. You've exposed yourself as a fool!

Wlad fans always trying to put him alongside Lewis, keep dreaming Lewis is a level above him. Just a level?