Like it or not, the Ukrainian brothers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko reign supreme over the heavyweight division. Between them, they hold all four of the major title-sanctioning organizations? belts. And no threat looms on the horizon for either of the NBA-sized siblings, who have perfected the techniques involved in ?fighting tall.?
Whenever a champion (or in this case champions) dominates his era, comparisons with renowned title-holders of the past are inevitable. Rather than go through the entire list of heavyweight greats, I will focus on how the Klitschkos might have done against the one who called himself ?The Greatest? ? Muhammad Ali.
Whether or not Ali really was better than the likes of Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Jack Dempsey or Jack Johnson is a matter of endless debate. Even so, most rankings of the all-time heavyweight greats place Ali at or near the top. As for the Klitschkos, the jury is still out, and will be until after their reigns end and their careers can be placed in historical perspective.
Size is the factor that matters most in matchups between Ali and the Klitschkos. At 6?3? and 215 lb in his prime, Ali was a big man for the 1960s and ?70s. However, Wladimir Klitschko stands 6?6 1/2?, and Vitali measures 6?7 1/2?. They both generally weigh in between 240 and 250 lb. They are by far the best fighters of their size in history. But would their considerable height and weight advantages have helped them against Ali?
Another question is: which Ali? Muhammad was a nearly unhittable speed demon in his early years, before he was stripped of his title for refusing to be drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. When he came back after nearly four years? exile from the ring, his quickness and reflexes weren?t the same, and he had to rely on his chin and courage to absorb punches that would never have touched him before his layoff.
During his pre-exile career, from 1960 to 1967, Ali faced only two opponents similar in size to the Klitschkos. In his seventh professional bout, Ali (then still known as Cassius Clay) scored a 10-round decision over a 6?7? Hawaiian named Duke Sabedong. And in 1967, he tortured 6?6? Ernie Terrell over 15 brutal rounds.
But Sabedong was, at best, a journeyman, nowhere near the level of the Klitschkos. And at 215 lb, Terrell was a stringbean next to Vitali or Wladimir. Yet even though the Klitschkos are miles ahead of the giants the young Ali fought, Muhammad would still have to be favored. Neither of the Ukrainians would be fast enough to catch him. And, unlike David Haye, who is about the same size as Ali, Muhammad would have thrown and landed punches ? lots of punches.
Pre-exile Ali would have won on points against the Klitschko brothers. Given the shakiness of Wladimir?s chin, Ali might have found the sweet spot and knocked out the younger brother. And he could have stopped the stronger-chinned Vitali on cuts.
The Ukrainians would have stood a better chance against the post-exile Ali, who would not have been so difficult to hit. And both brothers can hit. Their KO percentages rank near the top of the list. Joe Frazier, who was smaller than Ali, and George Foreman and Ken Norton, who were about the same size as Ali, were able to blast him with damaging shots. Ali absorbed that punishment, and won two out of three against Frazier and Norton while stopping Foreman in the ?Rumble in the Jungle.? But could a less-mobile Ali have withstood the blows of larger, stronger sluggers like the Klitschkos?
He just might have done so. The guts and stamina that enabled Ali to beat the count after Frazier floored him in their first fight, and carried him through Foreman?s lethal barrages while lying on the ropes, could have worn the Klitschkos down to defeat. But Ali would have paid a high price for such victories, just as he did fighting Frazier, Foreman and Norton.
By the way, the tallest opponent Ali fought in his post-exile years was the 6?5? Chuck Wepner ? who was, like Sabedong and Terrell, no Klitschko.
So, Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko are the biggest. But that wouldn?t have done them much good against ?The Greatest.?
Charles R. Saunders is the author of several books including Sweat and Soul: The Saga of Black Boxers in the Maritimes from the Halifax Forum to Caesars Palace, as well as the Imaro series of fantasy/adventure novels. Considered by many to be one of the leading authorities on boxing in Canada, he is the current Vice-President of Boxing for the Society of North American Sports Historians and Researchers. His latest novel, Damballa, which centers around a fictional heavyweight title bout, is available at www.gopulp.info.
