How would Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko's respective careers have looked if...

[PainfromUkraine]

...Vitali was not retired between 2005-08? Would Vitali have continued taking on the tough challengers instead of Wlad as had been the case pre-2005? Would Wlad's resume look much worse now and would Vitali's have looked much better? Which brother do you think would have taken over the majority of the belts if both were active in that period?

Discuss

[KnockoutNed]

He would have remained the #1 fighter after Lewis' retirement. There really isn't anybody on Wlad's unremarkable resume that would have given Vitali any trouble. He probably beats them all much easier than his softer brother did, just like how he outperformed him against common opponents. Wlad would have remained what most already consider him to be, the inferior one. H2H any fit,healthy version of Vitali easily sparks any version of Wlad.

[juggernaut666]

Wlads resume would still be better as it was before Vitali fought Lewis,Wlad overall with the exception of Lewis fought the better fighters.

[PainfromUkraine]

He would have remained the #1 fighter after Lewis' retirement. There really isn't anybody on Wlad's unremarkable resume that would have given Vitali any trouble. He probably beats them all much easier than his softer brother did, just like how he outperformed him against common opponents. Wlad would have remained what most already consider him to be, the inferior one. H2H any fit,healthy version of Vitali easily sparks any version of Wlad.

Maybe, but give me your opinion also on how different Vit's resume would look if you took some or all of Wlad's best wins since 05' and added them onto Vitali's ledger. I mean, in reality they probably would have split the challenges, but I think Vitali might have fought some guys instead.

One thing I'll say about Vitali and what makes his resume look quite poor is that he kind of ruined all the fighters he beat - at the time they were undefeated prospects or guys near the top, and fast forward to now they are nearing bum status (Charr, Johnson, Sosnowski, Solis etc)...

[PainfromUkraine]

Wlads resume would still be better as it was before Vitali fought Lewis,Wlad overall with the exception of Lewis fought the better fighters.

It's a shame we didn't see Haye v Vitali - might have been a better spectacle than the Wlad fight. Also, Povetkin v Vitali would have been interesting as it would likely have had no clinching and would have been a much better fight to watch.

[Mitchell Kane]

Of course.

If any fighter misses four years during what should have been part of their prime, it changes their resume.

Vitali was certainly held in much higher regard than his brother at the time he retired.

If Vitali had been able to actually make it to the ring against Hasim Rahman, beaten him and continued his career, maybe his career and resume look better than it does now.

But that didn't happen.

[PainfromUkraine]

Of course.

If any fighter misses four years during what should have been part of their prime, it changes their resume.

Vitali was certainly held in much higher regard than his brother at the time he retired.

If Vitali had been able to actually make it to the ring against Hasim Rahman, beaten him and continued his career, maybe his career and resume look better than it does now.

But that didn't happen.

That's for sure I think - in fact it's not even debatable - had he continued his reign from 2004-2013 or 2014 whenever he officially retired and his reign ended - that would have been 10 years holding the lineal title I believe (as that WBC title he first won was the one vacated by Lennox), and add in at least a few good wins...he would be right up there in the top 5-10 ATG.

[juggernaut666]

That's for sure I think - in fact it's not even debatable - had he continued his reign from 2004-2013 or 2014 whenever he officially retired and his reign ended - that would have been 10 years holding the lineal title I believe (as that WBC title he first won was the one vacated by Lennox), and add in at least a few good wins...he would be right up there in the top 5-10 ATG.

He wouldn't need a 10 year reighn,what Vitali did in his time makes him certainly an all time great...if I had to rank an all time best fighter ,the hardest guy to beat hes certainly in the top 3 how could he not be.