Wlad vs actual "old" heavies

[Cutthroat]

Well, because he was old. If he was 38, he'd still be considered long in the tooth, but then you'd have a point. 40+ is old in boxing. You can't compare Wlad and Foreman. Wlad had more mileage on the clock. Foreman was practically in cryongenics for 20 years.

Age becomes a BIG factor in boxing after you've been in wars, after you've gained pounds of pure fat.

Wlad did neither, Wlad maintained his physique and has always been a very safe fighter. There isn't much of a difference between that heavily experienced version that fought AJ/Fury and the prime version a few years earlier because of that.

Foreman was 30lbs+ of pure fat removed from his prime when he was considered "old" vs Morrison.

Prime Tyson was around 220, the slower older version was 230+

Prime Lewis was 18lbs of fat removed from his prime vs Vitali.

Prime Holmes was 16lbs of fat removed from his prime vs Tyson.

You can do this for practically any heavyweight throughout history, a fighter's weight almost always plays a factor in a fighter's skills diminishing.

ALL these fighters looked and fought significantly different than they did in their primes. Wlad fought the same timid way he always had, timid, no body punches, holding, etc.

Wlad was around 9lbs lighter than when he fought Fury, the ONLY "old" heavy that lost weight.

[Cutthroat]

Perhaps not totally shot! However, it's a huge ask for a boxer at age 41 to beat somebody that is 10+ years younger than themselves + someone who is also one of the best boxers in the division at the time. I can't recall any past boxer achieving this feat and I doubt anybody in the foreseeable future, including Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury themselves achieving this feat either when they themselves are also around 40 years of age.

Wladimir Klitschko had already shown his signs of decline in his fight against Bryant Jennings. He was past his absolute peak after 2012 anyway.

Boxer A has 21 years of pro boxing experience.
vs
Boxer B has 3.5 years of pro boxing experience.

Which is the greater achievement? Who took on the harder task? Boxer A or B?

[Sadiqkingofko]

I think the last time Wlad was 100% was in the Haye fight, ever since than I saw a decline

[////]

We don't need to compare generations here — most of his modern peers were also piles of fat by their 30s. His conditioning has always stood out.

He just didn't execute those fights well, though. He was very passive against a taller cautious Fury who he should have been chasing down and had a reckless "fun" fight with Joshua who he should have schooled with experience. He did it backwards.

[Mr Objecitivity]

Boxer A has 21 years of pro boxing experience.
vs
Boxer B has 3.5 years of pro boxing experience.

Which is the greater achievement? Who took on the harder task? Boxer A or B?

It depends on various factors but I'm not sure what your point is.

Fact is, history has proven that the younger elite boxer (especially when younger by over a decade) more frequently wins over the older boxer than vice versa.

Again, as I've already stated, we will see how Anthony Joshua does against the best opponents in the division who are over 10 years younger than himself when he himself is also around 40 years of age (assuming that he wouldn't be retired by then).

[Mr Objecitivity]

Yup totally fair points.

But the thing is I dont see any joshua fans claiming that joshua beat a prime wladamir klitschko.

It was an inexperienced pro vs a past prime ATG.

Klitschko was nowhere near "holmes vs tyson shot" or "ali vs berbick shot". No he was still very very capable at the top of the division and still an elite athlete.

It was a very very good win to have on your resume but not an ATG win, no.

I agree! I am a Wladimir Klitschko fan and I think it was a great win for Anthony Joshua. In fact, I would go as far as to state that Anthony Joshua's win over Wladimir Klitschko (even the old 41 year old version) would still be a more impressive and greater victory than his potential win over Deontay Wilder. This's because even a past his best, old Wladimir Klitschko is a significantly better boxer and riskier opponent than the current Deontay Wilder as far as I'm concerned.

Wladimir Klitschko was definitely past his best compared to his prime period. However, that was still the best possible version of Wladimir Klitschko for his old age. He was a lot better than the version which Tyson Fury defeated. Hence, he gets more credit from me than Fury did for beating Wladimir Klitshcko. Against Fury, he could've certainly performed a lot better despite his old age (hence he accepted a rematch). However, he couldn't have performed any better against Anthony Joshua given his circumstances (hence he declined a rematch).

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

This thread is ******ed. B-Hop was still in great physical condition all throughout his 40's still weren't in his prime though. Coming in at a lighter weight has nothing to do with being in your prime.

[Cutthroat]

Fact is, history has proven that the younger elite boxer (especially when younger by over a decade) more frequently wins over the older boxer than vice versa.

Not true at all, history has shown fighters are at their most vulnerable their first few years they turn pro. Ward was down against Boone, Stevenson got KO'd by Boone, Kovalev got dropped by Boone, Toney went life and death with Tiberi, Calzaghe down, Wlad out by journeymen, Ali down by Cooper, etc.

History has also shown that a lot of these old fighters you're referring to came in out of shape, Wlad did not.

This thread is ******ed. B-Hop was still in great physical condition all throughout his 40's still weren't in his prime though. Coming in at a lighter weight has nothing to do with being in your prime.

Using age to gauge how good a fighter is, is ******ed itself.

A fighter's actual physique, their weight, is a reflection of how close they are to their physical primes and if they're actually in shape! Age can't tell you any of that.

Hopkins was able to win a title at 49 because he was in incredible shape and had a wealth of experience.

You forget PRIME Hopkins went life and death with Segundo Mercado, the older version would school him.

[Cutthroat]

We don't need to compare generations here — most of his modern peers were also piles of fat by their 30s. His conditioning has always stood out.

He just didn't execute those fights well, though. He was very passive against a taller cautious Fury who he should have been chasing down and had a reckless "fun" fight with Joshua who he should have schooled with experience. He did it backwards.

He's always been a passive fighter ever since he reached his prime, his work rate against Haye was abysmal as well. This is the same Wlad we saw years before time and time again.

First 4 rounds he threw 21 power punches total, AJ was toying with him and had him in survival mode. Exploded in the 5th when AJ gassed with 45, then 22, 12, 10, 14, 9.

Wlad had 3 rounds where he was actually aggressive, the 5th when AJ gassed, 6th, and 9th.

[juggernaut666]

There never has been a HW close in his 40's that looked like Wlad . Had he fought again he would have been a bit sharper with keeping active . So if you take an active Wlad of 40/42 he would clearly still hold the advantages over anyone mentioned .

He would have defeated the Lewis who Vitali fought at 37 years .


People can create any reality as they wish ,Klitchko of that April night would have created fits for any fighter not on point . He was even disguising lead right hands that he never did and he used superior footwork morso that fight because he HAD too against a monster puncher .