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

[Someone88]

This news is sad in a way, it's the end of an era but the timing is right. I've been a fan of Wladimir for a while, he's a legend of Boxing and he is a class act. I'm happy he's getting the respect he deserves after a great career. Wladimir has been and continues to be a role model to many including myself. Wladimir will surely continue to be successful, good luck to him and his family.

[The Time]

now you can watch substandard, obese men such as Ruiz and Miller avoid each other lol

No on the contrary. I am watching the resurgence of the Heavyweight division with guys like Joshua, Wilder, Ortiz, etc......that make it exciting to watch again. There's competition back in the division.

During the Klitschko era, the division was void of competition, talent and depth.

It's not like that anymore. The Heavyweight division is back. It's not as good as the 90's but it's better than that dreaded Klitschko era and is on the way back and on the right track.

[1hourRun]

Nope, it was all proven Wilder got schooled and KO'd by Wlad in Sparring sessions... James Ali Bashir doesn't lie.

Nope? thats your rebuttal? I think we know who won this one - 1hour wins again! still undefeated.

[BillyBoxing]

True that Wilder has power, enough to stretch pretty much anyone if he can land it properly. Teddy Atlas, as annoying as he can be, compared power to a missile, you need to have to proper targeting system to make sure you can effectively launch your payload.

Wilder can be outboxed and made to look ordinary by guys like Washington and Spzilka; his power didn't stop a lethargic Stiverne. Can Wilder beat Joshua if he lands one of those bombs on Joshua's chin? Absolutely; however Wilder has enough deficiencies in his game where I wouldn't place him as the favorite. For me, it's about 60/40 in favor of AJ.

But can Wilder take a bomb from Joshua?

Even an old Klit would floor him with a left hook.

[The Big Dunn]

Thank you wlad for retiring.

[dibzvincent143]

Good bye dr steelhammer!

[BoxingFan85]

Thanks for contributing to the sport Champ!
one of the ATG HW & HOF..

[Squ□redCircle34]

Good luck champ, you have earned your status as a Future HOF and will be in ATG heavyweight talks!

Joshua vs Klitschko is a classic heavyweight fight that won't ever be forgotten!

[Banderivets]

I'm curious to see how Wladimir is remembered historically. He was arguably the most dominant heavyweight champion of all time. But he dominated arguably the weakest era of heavyweight boxing ever. And he didn't even come through that unbeaten. KO loses in his prime to the likes of Ross Purrity, Corrie Saunders, and Lamon Brewster are really bad loses.

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.

[The Time]

I understand tbh. He probably put everything he had into that last camp and still came up short. He knows that was his best chance to win and if he didn't do it then its pointless now which has destroyed his motivation.

True that. And his performance in the fight against Joshua showed that he put everything he had in his training and preparation. Yeah, you're right, that probably destroyed his motivation, his "obsession"