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I personally think ********* is vary accurate.
http://www.*********.com/rankings2.htm
Originally posted by Geno McGahee
The New Heavyweight Top 12
By Geno McGahee - April 19, 2006
Over the course of the past couple of months, the heavyweight division has been rattled. The first defense of Hasim Rahman's WBC Heavyweight Championship against the very talented and very out of shape, James Toney ended in a draw, leaving the division as muddled as ever. Lamon Brewster, the now former WBO Heavyweight Champion lost unexpectedly against Serguei Lyakhovich, an opponent that showed much more grit and endurance than many gave him credit for. Brewster was considered the best American heavyweight, but he was sent back to the drawing board. An upcoming IBF heavyweight championship bout between Chris Byrd and Wladimir Klitschko is supposed to improve the status of the division, but as we've learned, nothing is set in stone and anything can happen. So, I have altered my top twelve to reflect the changes in the division.
1. Chris "Rapid Fire" Byrd, 39-2-1, 20 KO's.
The IBF Heavyweight Champion, Chris Byrd has been undefeated for the past six years and has won the title and defended it four times, but has yet to capture the public's imagination and often gets their harsh criticism. With wins over Evander Holyfield, DaVarryl Williamson, Fres Oquendo, Jameel McCline, and David Tua, Byrd has a proven track record and may win the respect of the boxing fans should he defeat the most dangerous challenger to his title, Wladimir Klitschko in their rematch fight on HBO this April 22nd..
2. Hasim "The Rock" Rahman, 41-5-2, 33 KO's.
The WBC Heavyweight Champion has had a run of bad luck in his career. In important bouts, he has gotten the short end of the stick and wrongfully so. Against David Tua, Rahman should have won both fights, but when the dust settled, his record against "Tuaman" was, 0-1-1. Against Evander Holyfield, he was intentionally head butted and stopped on a foul, and his recent bout with James Toney seemed to be another win that ended up as a draw. He is on his way to avenge a loss to Oleg Maskaev in an intriguing bout, especially when you consider the fact that Rahman was launched out of the ring by a right hand in a spectacular knockout.
3. James "Lights Out" Toney, 69-4-3, 43 KO's.
The former Middleweight, Super Middleweight, Cruiserweight, and Heavyweight Champion has become an out of shape, but highly skilled super heavyweight. He easily defeated the former WBA Heavyweight Champion, John Ruiz, until a steroid test stripped him of the title, and is one of only two men to hold knockout victories over Evander Holyfield. James Toney could be the best in the division if he would only get himself into shape. His weight of 217 pounds when he destroyed "The Real Deal" was ideal. He was quick, elusive, and landed great combinations, but when he faced Rahman, he was too heavy at 237 pounds and his greatness was gone. In a bout that he could have easily won, he was lucky to walk away with a draw. He is still a big player in the division, especially if he gets himself into fighting shape.
4. Wladimir "Dr. Steel Hammer" Klitschko, 45-3, 40 KO's.
Wlad is a huge fighter, standing six feet, six inches, and usually weighs in around 245 pounds. He is highly skilled, and very talented, with legendary trainer, Emanuel Steward leading him to the IBF Heavyweight Title. He is an incredible offensive machine, but has been exposed in certain categories. He doesn't take the best punch in the world and his stamina could be better. He did seem to rectify some of the problems as evident by his unanimous decision win over Samuel Peter. He is very marketable and should he defeat Chris Byrd, he may bring some much needed life to the division.
5. Serguei "White Wolf" Lyakhovich, 23-1, 14 KO's.
Where did this guy come from? The "White Wolf" was knocked out by Maurice Harris and had a dismal performance against Dominick Guinn before fighting the fight of his life against Lamon Brewster to capture the WBO Title. Much is still unknown about Lyakhovich, but if his last performance is any indication, he can be very impressive and would be a good bout for any of the notable contenders. A rematch with Brewster is likely and we will see if the "White Wolf" can maintain his newfound status as a big player in the heavyweight division.
6. Lamon "Relentless" Brewster, 33-3, 29 KO's.
Even though he came into his recent WBO Heavyweight Title loss against Lyakhovich in worse shape than usual, he didn't lose badly. He stood up to horrible punishment and never quit and that sort of ambition and endurance will take you a long way in the division. He also put on one of the greatest heavyweight wars in recent history and has won impressively against tough opposition, such as Andrew Golota, Wladimir Klitschko, and Luan Krasniqi. He still has to be considered one of the best in the game and I'm sure that his recent loss hasn't made Wladimir Klitschko any more eager to seek revenge.
7. Calvin "The Boxing Banker" Brock, 28-0, 22 KO's.
An undefeated, American heavyweight with a punch is a valuable commodity and has the potential to bring fans back to the division. Calvin Brock has not faced an A level opponent, but he has scored impressive wins over B-C level opposition. His biggest victory was over former title challenger, Jameel "Big Time" McCline, where he got off the canvas to pound out a clear decision win. He has knocked out Clifford Etienne and in his last bout, scored a memorable KO win over Zuri Lawrence. He is scheduled to face another undefeated prospect on June 24th, when he meets Timor Ibragimov, 21-0-1, 13 KO's. This will be the first brick in the road to a championship bout for Brock, or a reality check.
8. Nikolay "The Beast from the East" Valuev, 43-0, 31 KO's.
The seven-foot WBA Heavyweight Champion did what many boxers could not: defeated John "The Quiet Man" Ruiz. Since then, he has roughed up an elderly security guard and has signed to defend against Owen Beck on June 3rd. He is gigantic, but is still a relative unknown and many of his wins, particularly against Larry Donald and Gerald Nobles may not have been completely honest decisions. Is Valuev an overprotected, over-hyped giant that will be quickly exposed when he faces a heavyweight with a pulse? We probably will not find out until they lure him to the states, which is inevitable. He is number eight on my list because of the title that he won and the fact that he did what many couldn't and defeated "The Quiet Man."
9. Samuel "Nigerian Nightmare" Peter, 25-1, 21 KO's.
To many, he was the savior of the heavyweight division and still may just be. He has an enormous punch and in his only loss, came close to knocking out Wladimir Klitschko on several occasions. He has a huge punch and a great chin and is still only twenty-five years old. There is a lot of room for improvement, but you cannot ignore the potential. To date, his biggest wins are over limited opposition in Jeremy Williams, Yanqui Diaz, and Taurus Sykes, and the level has not been raised when he faces Julius Long on April 28th, but he is still a big player and people will pay to see him, which is what boxing is all about.
10. John "The Quiet Man" Ruiz, 41-6-1, 28 KO's.
The two-time WBA Heavyweight Champion is not the most pleasant to watch, but you cannot argue with success. He holds wins over Fres Oquendo, Hasim Rahman, Andrew Golota, Kirk Johnson, and Evander Holyfield. His "jab and grab" style has annoyed most of the boxing fans and his former trainer: Norman Stone is a complete idiot. Thankfully, Ruiz has parted ways with "Stoney" and is refocused on boxing. Perhaps with a new trainer, we will see more of the boxer/puncher that we saw prior to his knockout loss to David Tua. He is still a factor in the division and would be a handful for anyone, as he has proven in the past.
11. Danny "Brixton Bomber" Williams, 35-4, 28 KO's.
He emerged on the scene with a surprise, knockout win of an ancient Mike Tyson. He would be thrown in against Vitali Klitschko for the WBC Heavyweight Title and dominated, but showed a lot of grit as he continually forged ahead. His corner's work that night was atrocious as they continued to say: "don't quit" instead of giving helpful advice. He has rebounded with three straight wins and two were over previously undefeated prospects: Audley Harrison and Matt Skelton. Those two wins certainly push him up in the rankings and in a position to challenge of the bigger names should he get beyond Matt Skelton in a rematch on July 15th.
12. Sultan Ibragimov, 19-0, 16 KO's.
Moving up the ranks relatively unnoticed is a Russian fighter that is currently undefeated and is coming off an impressive knockout win over former contender, Lance "Mount" Whitaker. He has wins over Zuri Lawrence, Al Cole, and Friday Ahunanya, and is one of the best prospects in the game right now. He has no scheduled bout as we speak, but he is definitely a boxer to watch.
Well, boxing fans, there is my revised top twelve that will surely be rattled on April 22nd, when HBO World Championship Boxing presents an IBF Heavyweight Title bout between defending champion, Chris Byrd and challenger Wladimir Klitschko. The heavyweight division is alive and kicking, but there is not one clear-cut champion. It will be interesting to see if anyone emerges out of this bunch as the dominant force in the years to come…
By Geno McGahee - April 19, 2006
Over the course of the past couple of months, the heavyweight division has been rattled. The first defense of Hasim Rahman's WBC Heavyweight Championship against the very talented and very out of shape, James Toney ended in a draw, leaving the division as muddled as ever. Lamon Brewster, the now former WBO Heavyweight Champion lost unexpectedly against Serguei Lyakhovich, an opponent that showed much more grit and endurance than many gave him credit for. Brewster was considered the best American heavyweight, but he was sent back to the drawing board. An upcoming IBF heavyweight championship bout between Chris Byrd and Wladimir Klitschko is supposed to improve the status of the division, but as we've learned, nothing is set in stone and anything can happen. So, I have altered my top twelve to reflect the changes in the division.
1. Chris "Rapid Fire" Byrd, 39-2-1, 20 KO's.
The IBF Heavyweight Champion, Chris Byrd has been undefeated for the past six years and has won the title and defended it four times, but has yet to capture the public's imagination and often gets their harsh criticism. With wins over Evander Holyfield, DaVarryl Williamson, Fres Oquendo, Jameel McCline, and David Tua, Byrd has a proven track record and may win the respect of the boxing fans should he defeat the most dangerous challenger to his title, Wladimir Klitschko in their rematch fight on HBO this April 22nd..
2. Hasim "The Rock" Rahman, 41-5-2, 33 KO's.
The WBC Heavyweight Champion has had a run of bad luck in his career. In important bouts, he has gotten the short end of the stick and wrongfully so. Against David Tua, Rahman should have won both fights, but when the dust settled, his record against "Tuaman" was, 0-1-1. Against Evander Holyfield, he was intentionally head butted and stopped on a foul, and his recent bout with James Toney seemed to be another win that ended up as a draw. He is on his way to avenge a loss to Oleg Maskaev in an intriguing bout, especially when you consider the fact that Rahman was launched out of the ring by a right hand in a spectacular knockout.
3. James "Lights Out" Toney, 69-4-3, 43 KO's.
The former Middleweight, Super Middleweight, Cruiserweight, and Heavyweight Champion has become an out of shape, but highly skilled super heavyweight. He easily defeated the former WBA Heavyweight Champion, John Ruiz, until a steroid test stripped him of the title, and is one of only two men to hold knockout victories over Evander Holyfield. James Toney could be the best in the division if he would only get himself into shape. His weight of 217 pounds when he destroyed "The Real Deal" was ideal. He was quick, elusive, and landed great combinations, but when he faced Rahman, he was too heavy at 237 pounds and his greatness was gone. In a bout that he could have easily won, he was lucky to walk away with a draw. He is still a big player in the division, especially if he gets himself into fighting shape.
4. Wladimir "Dr. Steel Hammer" Klitschko, 45-3, 40 KO's.
Wlad is a huge fighter, standing six feet, six inches, and usually weighs in around 245 pounds. He is highly skilled, and very talented, with legendary trainer, Emanuel Steward leading him to the IBF Heavyweight Title. He is an incredible offensive machine, but has been exposed in certain categories. He doesn't take the best punch in the world and his stamina could be better. He did seem to rectify some of the problems as evident by his unanimous decision win over Samuel Peter. He is very marketable and should he defeat Chris Byrd, he may bring some much needed life to the division.
5. Serguei "White Wolf" Lyakhovich, 23-1, 14 KO's.
Where did this guy come from? The "White Wolf" was knocked out by Maurice Harris and had a dismal performance against Dominick Guinn before fighting the fight of his life against Lamon Brewster to capture the WBO Title. Much is still unknown about Lyakhovich, but if his last performance is any indication, he can be very impressive and would be a good bout for any of the notable contenders. A rematch with Brewster is likely and we will see if the "White Wolf" can maintain his newfound status as a big player in the heavyweight division.
6. Lamon "Relentless" Brewster, 33-3, 29 KO's.
Even though he came into his recent WBO Heavyweight Title loss against Lyakhovich in worse shape than usual, he didn't lose badly. He stood up to horrible punishment and never quit and that sort of ambition and endurance will take you a long way in the division. He also put on one of the greatest heavyweight wars in recent history and has won impressively against tough opposition, such as Andrew Golota, Wladimir Klitschko, and Luan Krasniqi. He still has to be considered one of the best in the game and I'm sure that his recent loss hasn't made Wladimir Klitschko any more eager to seek revenge.
7. Calvin "The Boxing Banker" Brock, 28-0, 22 KO's.
An undefeated, American heavyweight with a punch is a valuable commodity and has the potential to bring fans back to the division. Calvin Brock has not faced an A level opponent, but he has scored impressive wins over B-C level opposition. His biggest victory was over former title challenger, Jameel "Big Time" McCline, where he got off the canvas to pound out a clear decision win. He has knocked out Clifford Etienne and in his last bout, scored a memorable KO win over Zuri Lawrence. He is scheduled to face another undefeated prospect on June 24th, when he meets Timor Ibragimov, 21-0-1, 13 KO's. This will be the first brick in the road to a championship bout for Brock, or a reality check.
8. Nikolay "The Beast from the East" Valuev, 43-0, 31 KO's.
The seven-foot WBA Heavyweight Champion did what many boxers could not: defeated John "The Quiet Man" Ruiz. Since then, he has roughed up an elderly security guard and has signed to defend against Owen Beck on June 3rd. He is gigantic, but is still a relative unknown and many of his wins, particularly against Larry Donald and Gerald Nobles may not have been completely honest decisions. Is Valuev an overprotected, over-hyped giant that will be quickly exposed when he faces a heavyweight with a pulse? We probably will not find out until they lure him to the states, which is inevitable. He is number eight on my list because of the title that he won and the fact that he did what many couldn't and defeated "The Quiet Man."
9. Samuel "Nigerian Nightmare" Peter, 25-1, 21 KO's.
To many, he was the savior of the heavyweight division and still may just be. He has an enormous punch and in his only loss, came close to knocking out Wladimir Klitschko on several occasions. He has a huge punch and a great chin and is still only twenty-five years old. There is a lot of room for improvement, but you cannot ignore the potential. To date, his biggest wins are over limited opposition in Jeremy Williams, Yanqui Diaz, and Taurus Sykes, and the level has not been raised when he faces Julius Long on April 28th, but he is still a big player and people will pay to see him, which is what boxing is all about.
10. John "The Quiet Man" Ruiz, 41-6-1, 28 KO's.
The two-time WBA Heavyweight Champion is not the most pleasant to watch, but you cannot argue with success. He holds wins over Fres Oquendo, Hasim Rahman, Andrew Golota, Kirk Johnson, and Evander Holyfield. His "jab and grab" style has annoyed most of the boxing fans and his former trainer: Norman Stone is a complete idiot. Thankfully, Ruiz has parted ways with "Stoney" and is refocused on boxing. Perhaps with a new trainer, we will see more of the boxer/puncher that we saw prior to his knockout loss to David Tua. He is still a factor in the division and would be a handful for anyone, as he has proven in the past.
11. Danny "Brixton Bomber" Williams, 35-4, 28 KO's.
He emerged on the scene with a surprise, knockout win of an ancient Mike Tyson. He would be thrown in against Vitali Klitschko for the WBC Heavyweight Title and dominated, but showed a lot of grit as he continually forged ahead. His corner's work that night was atrocious as they continued to say: "don't quit" instead of giving helpful advice. He has rebounded with three straight wins and two were over previously undefeated prospects: Audley Harrison and Matt Skelton. Those two wins certainly push him up in the rankings and in a position to challenge of the bigger names should he get beyond Matt Skelton in a rematch on July 15th.
12. Sultan Ibragimov, 19-0, 16 KO's.
Moving up the ranks relatively unnoticed is a Russian fighter that is currently undefeated and is coming off an impressive knockout win over former contender, Lance "Mount" Whitaker. He has wins over Zuri Lawrence, Al Cole, and Friday Ahunanya, and is one of the best prospects in the game right now. He has no scheduled bout as we speak, but he is definitely a boxer to watch.
Well, boxing fans, there is my revised top twelve that will surely be rattled on April 22nd, when HBO World Championship Boxing presents an IBF Heavyweight Title bout between defending champion, Chris Byrd and challenger Wladimir Klitschko. The heavyweight division is alive and kicking, but there is not one clear-cut champion. It will be interesting to see if anyone emerges out of this bunch as the dominant force in the years to come…
I personally think ********* is vary accurate.
Originally posted by FightNews
1. Wladimir Klitschko
2. Sergei Liakhovich
3. Lamon Brewster
4. Hasim Rahman
5. Nicolay Valuev
6. James Toney
7. Samuel Peter
8. Chris Byrd
9. Calvin Brock
10. Sultan Ibragimov
11. Luan Krasniqi
12. Shannon Briggs
13. John Ruiz
14. Ruslan Chagaev
15. Oleg Maskaev
16. Paolo Vidoz
2. Sergei Liakhovich
3. Lamon Brewster
4. Hasim Rahman
5. Nicolay Valuev
6. James Toney
7. Samuel Peter
8. Chris Byrd
9. Calvin Brock
10. Sultan Ibragimov
11. Luan Krasniqi
12. Shannon Briggs
13. John Ruiz
14. Ruslan Chagaev
15. Oleg Maskaev
16. Paolo Vidoz