Comments Thread For: Inside the Top Ten: The Heavyweight Division

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Jake Donovan/Cliff Rold - It might not be the worst of times, but it surely isn’t the best. Boxing’s flagship division, Heavyweight, is in the sort of funk not seen since the early 1980s if not the early 1930s. Both comparisons are apt.

In the early 1930s, a merry-go-round of men like Max Schmeling, Max Baer, Primo Carnera, and Jack Sharkey traded the Heavyweight title in fights that only occasionally inspired, and sometimes embarrassed, the game. They weren’t bad fighters; three of them wound up in the Hall of Fame. But to say it is not remembered as a high point in Heavyweight history would be an understatement. Disqualifications in title fights, questions of legitimacy in some outcomes, pratfalls, and inconsistency (or parity depending on how one looks at it) didn’t help. [Click Here To Read More]

[Dave Rado]

Good article. However, when it comes to this section:

Rold: Britain’s David Haye talked a big game and bigger smack about the Klitschkos. He emblazoned decapitation t-shirts to promote the feeling of nasty rivalry. In November, he’s fighting national rival Audley Harrison, now three contests removed from withdrawing from a showdown with Wlad in 2009 and withdrawing from negotiations with Vitali later in the year to face and defeat Nicolay Valuev. He followed with a stoppage of the steady John Ruiz. It’s sound business one supposes but it’s also taken the wind out of the division’s sales. For the first time since the world buzzed for (and didn’t get) a Lennox Lewis-Vitali Klitschko rematch some six years ago, Haye versus a Klitschko stands as a Heavyweight fight that can also be THE fight. With speed, athleticism, and real one-punch power, Haye is the only man at Heavyweight seemingly with a chance to beat either of the division leaders right now. Does he really think he can? That remains to be seen and might be all that matters. [Click Here To Read More]

You don't mention the fact that this year Haye turned down a 50/50 offer to fight Wlad, with no rematch clauses. I think that makes the answer to your question at the end very clear, at least when it comes to Wlad. (No, Haye doesn't think he can win.) I suspect his strategy is to spin it out with meaningless but money-spinning fights for a long as possible, and then fight Vitali, whom he hopes will have aged and slowed down enough by then for him to be able to beat him. I seriously doubt that he'll ever fight Wlad.

[Lacrimosa]

Good article. However, when it comes to this section:

You don't mention the fact that this year Haye turned down a 50/50 offer to fight Wlad, with no rematch clauses. I think that makes the answer to your question at the end very clear, at least when it comes to Wlad. (No, Haye doesn't think he can win.) I suspect his strategy is to spin it out with meaningless but money-spinning fights for a long as possible, and then fight Vitali, whom he hopes will have aged and slowed down enough by then for him to be able to beat him. I seriously doubt that he'll ever fight Wlad.

Damn, just wanted to say the same. I really believe Haye will go after Vitali first (if Vitali doesn`t lose or retire by that time)...

As for the article - very good one! Thank you very much, Jake Donovan and Cliff Rold.

[Alex_Ex]

World Light Heavyweight Champion: Wladimir Klitschko

(a nasty typo)

[Alex_Ex]

I would replace Dimitrenko, Boytsov and maybe even Povetkin by the guys who've faced more competition. Like Chris Arreola and Samuel Peter.

[Lacrimosa]

I would replace Dimitrenko, Boytsov and maybe even Povetkin by the guys who've faced more competition. Like Chris Arreola and Samuel Peter.

I agree on Dmitrenko... This guy should be out of the rankings... Povetkin should be dropped soon. His level of opposition was great but after the Chambers fight it started to decline... Arreola needs to heal, give away some weight and (most important) have some quality wins to get back to the rankings imo.

[ChopperRead]

Don't agree with the denigration of Vitali in favor of Wlad. Vitali is the toughest mofo in the HW division, bar none. If Haye chooses Vitali over Wlad as an opponent, he is making a big mistake.

[Dave Rado]

Don't agree with the denigration of Vitali in favor of Wlad. Vitali is the toughest mofo in the HW division, bar none. If Haye chooses Vitali over Wlad as an opponent, he is making a big mistake.

Being the toughest doesn't make you the best. Even Peter is extremely tough.

[crold1]

Don't agree with the denigration of Vitali in favor of Wlad. Vitali is the toughest mofo in the HW division, bar none. If Haye chooses Vitali over Wlad as an opponent, he is making a big mistake.

He proved he could take a Sanders shot better years ago but I don't think the 39-year old Vit could take this version of Wlad and I don't think Vitali can really sniff his brother's accomplishments or overall body of work. Wlad has fought and beat better guys over the course of their careers and it's enough, given current runs, to outweigh some bad losses. Would Vitali have done xy&z if...maybe. Probably. But I don't think we can grade what if's that highly. Not to knock what Vit has done; I just think it gets dramatically overstated.