Comments Thread For: Wladimir Klitschko Retires From Boxing, Joshua Rematch Off

[Sp0rty Cr@ig]

Good decision. Too old, too inactive to not get stopped by Joshua again in a rematch.

[OmarRueben]

During his tenure as champ who could he have fought that he didn't that you don't classify as a bum?

Lennox was one but there was only mostly bums for Wlad to fight.

[The Time]

Here's my top 10 Heavyweights of All Time list:

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Rocky Marciano
4. Jack Dempsey
5. George Foreman
6. Joe Frazier
7. Larry Holmes
8. Lennox Lewis
9. Evander Holyfield
10. Mike Tyson

[Fabes88]

Lennox was one but there was only mostly bums for Wlad to fight.

The same can be said for mike Tyson in that case but he doesn't get half the backlash for it that wlad does.

[Deletrious]

Sigh, here comes AJ versus Pulev.

[Zoroasterr]

The era is only considered weak because Wlad and Vitaliy made it so. You take those two out the picture and it is no longer weak too.

Look at what you have now...Outside of maybe 3 fighters they are absolute bums.

Wlad took on anyone and everyone and reduced them to nothing with his often sleep inducing style, not his fault though.

It was on his opponents to have the strength to brake the clinches and work him inside but no one could ever do it.

Now back to my first point...

Wlad made the division weak because he reduced his opponents to nothing.

Was Sam Peter a bad fighter? Sam Peter was the next Ike, the next Tyson when he was around, people weren't giving Wlad a chance against him.

Bring that Peter into today's division and he starches all of these guys. I as a Wlad fan was very skeptical of Wlad taking Peter out at the time.

Was Lamon Brewster a bad fighter? He would take out most of today's guys as well.

Sanders would take out Wilder in 1.

Take the Klitschko's out of the picture and the 2000s would have been full of 90s style slugfests and no one would be complaining.

The division had plenty of skilled, Olympian caliber fighters rendered zeros against Wlad.

How was the era weak? How were previous eras so great? Who are all these outstanding guys Tyson fought?

The sport used to be more popular back in the day, it was 95% American fighters so everyone talks about the old days like it was filled with these mega fighters........it's just not so.

The sport has changed, there are more and more guys with extensive amateur careers and Olympic pedigree. More and more guys are in boxing are full blown pros, not part timers who work the docs by day and fight Ali by night.

The only people that talk about the era being weak or mostly Americans for whom it must be weak because of the influx of all these to them foreigners.

Totally agree with you. The klitschkos were simply too good for the division.

[OmarRueben]

The same can be said for mike Tyson in that case but he doesn't get half the backlash for it that wlad does.

Tyson took on Holmes and Berbick and Bone Crusher and Biggs all the big names who were much better than Wlad's opponents. Wonder if Wlad would have beaten little Mike?

[New England]

didn't expect to be saying this about klitschko in the 2000's, but his longevity and ability to protect a relatively weak chin makes his resume at HW a hall of fame and honestly an all time great one. no, he's not as accomplished as fighters from better eras, and never fought his best potential foe [his brother in his prime,] but the guy beat almost everybody they put in front of him and who was anybody in HW boxing for a stretch of damn near 20 years at the top.

he's going to finish his career winning the fight of the year. i mean really, did anybody see that coming?

he's a great fighter and he's going to be remembered as such. he was also a heck of a classy guy and a gentleman, and he'll be remembered for that, too. see you canastota, big guy. they'll need a gigantic stack of bronze to make that fist of his

[bluzi]

Great champ , devastating right hand , showed tons of heart in his last fight @41 which sealed an amazing career !

[Zoroasterr]

Lennox was one but there was only mostly bums for Wlad to fight.

Lennox retired after the vitali fight to avoid the rematch everyone wanted to see.