Can you be considered an ATG when these are your 10 best wins?

[beez721]

at HW, he definitely is
where exactly is open for interpretation
but Wlad makes the cut somewhere, he's been running HW for yrs
not his fault nobody is there to challenge him

I agree. wlad belongs in the top 10 somewhere between 8-10 imo. vitali isn't nowhere near it tho. too weak a resume

[LacedUp]

I agree. wlad belongs in the top 10 somewhere between 8-10 imo. vitali isn't nowhere near it tho. too weak a resume

ATG doesn't necessarily mean top 10 of all times. Wlad is an ATG in his own right, and it's a shame for him that his best years were in very bad era. To his credit he did managed to clean it up, I mean look at how it was in 2008 with four different belt holders. Disgrace.

He just lacks a dance partner. Many thought Haye was the one, and maybe he was. I would have liked for Wlad to finish his biggest wins in emphatic style as opposed to finish with a dull decision. The all time greats, and we're talking top 10 here were not only dominant in multiple eras (most), undisputed champs (all) but they also fought in much deeper divisions that had talents beating other talents, not just once, twice but three and four times before getting that shot.

Audley Harrison's first pro fight was against a guy called Mike Middleton. He knocked him out in one round back in 2001. That same Mike Middleton was good enough to fight Francesco Pianeta a full ten years after being destroyed by Audley. Pianetas road to a shot at the title came at the expense of Francis Botha who in his prime 15 years earlier, was nothing special, and McCall who was in his prime 20 years earlier. That's the sad story of the division today. And this is what Wlad has to put up with. There's nobody special or even decent for him to fight.

He'll be a victim of that in th history books, but will deservedly so take a place n the top 15. And that's no shame. I don't understand why people take it as an insult to rank someone just outside of the top 10 of a sport that's been running professionally for more than a hundred years.

[JAB5239]

you're so ****ing cluesless, and you're from the Ukraine. Embarrassing.

No, he's being objective. Its only the nuthuggers who are clueless or they would back up why his resume makes him a great.

[Weebler I]

Audley Harrison's first pro fight was against a guy called Mike Middleton. He knocked him out in one round back in 2001. That same Mike Middleton was good enough to fight Francesco Pianeta a full ten years after being destroyed by Audley. Pianetas road to a shot at the title came at the expense of Francis Botha who in his prime 15 years earlier, was nothing special, and McCall who was in his prime 20 years earlier. That's the sad story of the division today. And this is what Wlad has to put up with. There's nobody special or even decent for him to fight.

Umm no? Nobody forced Wlad to fight Pianeta, there were many superior fighters he could have opted to face. He was actually supposed to fight Povetkin at that point as mandated but he (Wlad) requested the extension.

I don't like to hear moaning about the division when those at the top aren't fighting the best of what's left (as opposed to cans like Pianeta).

[beez721]

ATG doesn't necessarily mean top 10 of all times. Wlad is an ATG in his own right, and it's a shame for him that his best years were in very bad era. To his credit he did managed to clean it up, I mean look at how it was in 2008 with four different belt holders. Disgrace.

He just lacks a dance partner. Many thought Haye was the one, and maybe he was. I would have liked for Wlad to finish his biggest wins in emphatic style as opposed to finish with a dull decision. The all time greats, and we're talking top 10 here were not only dominant in multiple eras (most), undisputed champs (all) but they also fought in much deeper divisions that had talents beating other talents, not just once, twice but three and four times before getting that shot.

Audley Harrison's first pro fight was against a guy called Mike Middleton. He knocked him out in one round back in 2001. That same Mike Middleton was good enough to fight Francesco Pianeta a full ten years after being destroyed by Audley. Pianetas road to a shot at the title came at the expense of Francis Botha who in his prime 15 years earlier, was nothing special, and McCall who was in his prime 20 years earlier. That's the sad story of the division today. And this is what Wlad has to put up with. There's nobody special or even decent for him to fight.

He'll be a victim of that in th history books, but will deservedly so take a place n the top 15. And that's no shame. I don't understand why people take it as an insult to rank someone just outside of the top 10 of a sport that's been running professionally for more than a hundred years.

yea,,,you can make a case for him being a bit outside of the top 10. I have no problem with that. I just feel hes racked up enough title defenses and kayos to be closer to 10. I know his opponents weren't great but the way he dominated them should also be taken into consideration. a few of them were boring decisions like you said but larry holmes also had some pretty lackluster decisions and I also have him top 10 ahead of wlad by a few spots. just my opinion

[LacedUp]

Umm no? Nobody forced Wlad to fight Pianeta, there were many superior fighters he could have opted to face. He was actually supposed to fight Povetkin at that point as mandated but he (Wlad) requested the extension.

I don't like to hear moaning about the division when those at the top aren't fighting the best of what's left (as opposed to cans like Pianeta).

I'm not disagreeing with one thing you said.

My point is that let's be honest, Wlad has fought most guys in the division whether they stink or semi stink. I have been the biggest critic of Wlad's for taking the Pianeta fight. The point I was trying to make is that if you can get a shot at the most prestigious prize in all of sports by beating Botha and Mccall, then something is seriously wrong.

[LacedUp]

Umm no? Nobody forced Wlad to fight Pianeta, there were many superior fighters he could have opted to face. He was actually supposed to fight Povetkin at that point as mandated but he (Wlad) requested the extension.

I don't like to hear moaning about the division when those at the top aren't fighting the best of what's left (as opposed to cans like Pianeta).

I'm not disagreeing with one thing you said.

My point is that let's be honest, Wlad has fought most guys in the division whether they stink or semi stink. I have been the biggest critic of Wlad's for taking the Pianeta fight. The point I was trying to make is that if you can get a shot at the most prestigious prize in all of sports by beating Botha and Mccall, then something is seriously wrong.

[LacedUp]

yea,,,you can make a case for him being a bit outside of the top 10. I have no problem with that. I just feel hes racked up enough title defenses and kayos to be closer to 10. I know his opponents weren't great but the way he dominated them should also be taken into consideration. a few of them were boring decisions like you said but larry holmes also had some pretty lackluster decisions and I also have him top 10 ahead of wlad by a few spots. just my opinion

Sure he gets closer to ten, but he doesn't have the tools to get in there. With regards to Larry Holmes, he was the undisputed best fighter in the division for 7 years (if not more, lets be honest, Ali didn't want to fight him earlier). We can't even decide here who the best of this era is. And the two haven't fought. Plus, even as lackluster as Holmes era was, there were some great fights in there. Wlad has never been in a great fight, I'm sorry, but he hasn't.

[cupocity303]

Peter - Crude slugger who went tooth and nail with a former [great] middleweight

Albeit, a Great Middleweight whose style is conducive to moving up and fighting bigger guys.

Adamek - Former lightheavyweight [Champion] who's best win at heavy was Arreola

The Heavyweight division must be the only place where having had Championship success at a lower weight gets looked down upon.

Arreola - Has never beaten another top 10 heavyweight

But I'm sure if he had beaten a top 10 heavyweight or two, you would've been the first to point it out (minus the negative connotations and all) and give him high praise for it.

Sanders - Never beat a top ten fighter before or after Wlad. Was stopped by Nate Tubbs

Funny, I didn't know one had to do anything more than be one of the few people to beat Wlad for the WBO Title and position yourself into a fight against the other Bro, who was the REAL and better Champion of the two, at that time. You know the whole 'what have you done for me lately' thing and all.

Gomez - Former cruiserweight [champion who made 10 title defenses] who beat a few guys thought to be decent but were either past it or went on to accomplish nothing

Fair point I suppose, except I added a few more details that were left out

Solis - Talented but still a novice by professional standards. Ridiculed for never being in shape

I know. If he at least had the level of career accomplishments as his fellow countryman Gomez. Or at very least had knocked out Wlad prior to facing Vitali, like Sanders. Or at best had won a WBC strap like Peter did - I'm sure he would've fared better and avoided this Doomsday list.

[daggum]

pianetta's road to a title shot lol! fighting nothing but bums until wlad cherry picks you for an easy knockout in front of thousands of polite clapping germans.