Wladimir Klitschko: Thanks For The Memories?

Wladimir Klitschko who last won a professional prize fight roughly two and a half ago against Bryant Jennings. Has officially called it a career and announced his retirement this week. The timing came as a bit of a surprise as Mr. Hayden Panettiere was close to signing a rematch with Anthony Joshua the man who stole his crown back in April.

The younger of the Klitschko brother’s is finally making exciting fights. Throughout his 21 year career, Klitschko was known for his many skills that included holding, grabbing and clinching. His infamous style of jab-and-grab actually got the heavyweight champ of the world dropped from HBO and American main stream television. Although, his last fight of his career, against AJ, will certainly challenge for Fight of the Year. Additionally, as was soon as Wlad announced his retirement The World Boxing Association Championships Committee ordered the teams behind Anthony Joshua, and Cuban puncher Luis Ortiz, is the WBA’s number 1 challenger, to start negotiations for a mandatory fight between the two. This will certainly be an interesting and entertaining fight. Both Parties have until August 3rd to come to an agreement. So they heavyweight division is back on course to put huge mega fights together again for the first time since precisely before Wladimir Klitschko was the dominant heavyweight Champion of the world.

Image result for Wladimir Klitschko holding

Waking up to the news that “DR. Steelhugger” I mean….. hammer DR”Steelhammer” was being considered a top 10 heavyweight of all time made me instantly spit my coffee out immediately….. and have an are you kidding me a moment, but boxing pundit after boxing pundit seemed to put him somewhere in that 10-15 range. The Klitschko era was so boring and bad for the heavyweight division it was devasting for the entire sport. Not only would he lost to the other great heavyweights from the other eras he would have been DQ’s and disgraced for holding. For reasons unknown, The Marquess of Queensberry rules didn’t apply to Wladimir Klitschko.

Queensberry rule #2:

No wrestling or hugging allowed.

If you run off Wlad’s best victories they just aren’t there, his best victories don’t exist. He has wins over Chris Byrd, and then who? Whats the best name on his resume Samuel Peter? David Haye, that’s a Cruiserweight? Rahman was already way past his prime, Calvin Brock? So after Chris Byrd. The best-primed fighters he has W’s over is Samuel Peter, David Have and Calvin Brock. He also has been knocked out by Corrie Saunders and Lamon Brewster.

Below in no particular order a list of heavyweights greater than Wladimir Klitchscko:

Muhammad Ali
Joe Louis
Larry Holmes
Lennox Lewis
Sonny Liston
Joe Frazier
George Foreman
Floyd Patterson
Rocky Marciano
Riddick Bowe
Mike Tyson
Jack Dempsey
Jack Johnson
Ingemar Johansson
Gene Tunney
Ken Norton
Jimmy Ellis
Max Schmeling
Jimmy Young
Ernie Shavers

My Oldest son is turning 3 years old, with Floyd Mayweather coming back for one last fight that will count as an official fight against McGregor. and Wladimir retiring, it stands to reason that the two will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame on the same day. When I take my son to Canastota to see them inducted on that day, and and my son who will be 8, at that time, getting to the age where he is starting to understand the sweet science to a degree ( I was 8 first feel in love with boxing and saw Bowe/Holyfield I) looks up at me and says “Dad, Mayweather was great but he was boring wasn’t he?” I’ll respond, ” If you think Mayweather was boring? Wait till you get a load of Wladimir Klitschko son.”

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