Ranking Wladimir Klitschko Above Max Schmeling. Can It Be Justified?

[Zizou3]

I want to know if you guys rank Wlad above Max or vice versa.

Who do you think has the better resume and accomplished more?

[Joey Giardello]

I want to know if you guys rank Wlad above Max or vice versa.

Who do you think has the better resume and accomplished more?

Am one of the few people on the histroy section who rates wlad very highly, but he is not in the same class as Max Schmeling.

[young_robbed]

Nope. Schmelling's win over Louis trumps anything of Wlads'. and I think he knocks wlad out. Too durable and hits too hard for wlad. Probably counters over wlad's long jab, midway in the fight.

[Wild Blue Yonda]

I think the case can be reasonably made. I would not have them far adrift of one another in an all-timers list for Heavies, & I can see either man beating the other.

[SBleeder]

Cannot be justified. And I don't think Wladimir is a big tomato can as many people seem to think, but Schmeling was just a far better fighter with a much better resume. Head to head a think Maxie knocks Wlad out in the late-middle rounds.

[Wild Blue Yonda]

You have piqued my curiosity, I have to say.

Could we see that top-10? Where would you rank Schmeling, incidentally?

[bklynboy]

I like the Klitschkos but I can't see either Wlad or Vitali as anywhere close to the TOP 10. They may be TOP 20 but how in the world is either anywhere near close to:

Jack Johnson
Jack Dempsey
Joe Louis
Muhammad Ali

They're not in the same league.

How about

Sonny Liston
Joe Frazier
George Foreman
Larry Holmes
Mike Tyson

No I don't think so.

How about

Tunney,
Baer,
Schmelling,
Jersey Joe,
Floyd Patterson,
Ken Norton,
Evander Holyfield,
Lennox Lewis

Yes. Now we can start talking about where to place the K brothers. This is not speaking ill of them. Being a TOP 20 is fantastic.

Now as far as the above list goes. There are problems. All lists have problems. Does Dempsey deserve to be included with Johnson, Louis and Ali?
Where do we fit light-heavy/heavy's like Tunney and Jersey Joe? Where do we place Marciano? Some would put Lewis and Holyfield as definite TOP 10. I don't.

Still, as far as the Wlad goes. I can see him cracking the TOP 20 but I don't see him in the TOP 10.

[NChristo]

When his career is over I'd gladly rate Wlad higher then Schmeling, Schmeling may have him with a few big names but Wlad's achievements speak for themselves really.

If he keeps this up he should be in the top 10 with most people, people rate Larry Holmes in the top 10 simply because of his title defences and reign so why shouldn't Wlad ?, both were / are in weak eras the difference is that Wlad is taking on the best out there and Holmes didn't.

As said "if" he keeps this up he should be in the top 10, I'll rate him when he's retired, he's still got a few good years in him and can't see anyone on the horizon that can beat him apart from "maybe" Haye.

[bklynboy]

If he keeps this up he should be in the top 10 with most people, people rate Larry Holmes in the top 10 simply because of his title defences and reign

Yeah - I have problem with placing Holmes so high for that reason alone.

[katsidis]

When his career is over I'd gladly rate Wlad higher then Schmeling, Schmeling may have him with a few big names but Wlad's achievements speak for themselves really.

If he keeps this up he should be in the top 10 with most people, people rate Larry Holmes in the top 10 simply because of his title defences and reign so why shouldn't Wlad ?, both were / are in weak eras the difference is that Wlad is taking on the best out there and Holmes didn't.

As said "if" he keeps this up he should be in the top 10, I'll rate him when he's retired, he's still got a few good years in him and can't see anyone on the horizon that can beat him apart from "maybe" Haye.

I agree with this ^