Ali
Frazier
Foreman
Norton
Holmes
Shavers
Quarry
This is a tough one. The answers might surprise some.
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The fighter with the best chance to beat Wladimir Klitschko would be Larry Holmes, followed by George Foreman. Muhammad ALI could pull it off. Frazier had a slight chance and Norton had no chance at all.
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Here's why.
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Holmes: I'll have to cheat a little and take Holmes in 1980 when he was at his absolute best. Give me the Holmes who faced ALI. Although the fight wasn't competitive, Holmes came ready because that's what ALI brought out of every opponent.
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That version of Holmes was physically and mentally sharp. He would have drawn Klitschko out of his defensive shell, caused him to extend himself and pot-shotted him into submission in the later rounds.
Holmes by TKO in 13
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Foreman: Give me the Foreman who went life and death against Ron Lyle. Klitschko would box George's ears off. However, he's just not busy enough and George would weather the storm, survive an early knockdown and come back and catch Klitschko in round 7, knocking him senseless.
Foreman by KO in 7
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ALI: Ali is known for speed. However, his foot speed was all but gone by the time he returned from exile. He could dance in spurts and that might be enough to draw Klitschko out of his game. Also, Ali was deadly accurate and would have landed enough quick rights, especially after Klitschko's guard drops during the middle rounds.
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The size would have been no factor at all. Klitschko beat Chris Byrd, who is smaller than Ali, but he should have stopped him. It's likely that Ali would draw Wladimir out of his shell and land at will after exposing him.
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Now this fight could go an entire different direction. Ali had the terrible habit of not training, especially after the Foreman win in 74. If he is to beat Klitschko, he must be in the shape he was in against Foreman.............or better. Klitschko would learn that Ali can't seriously hurt him and he might just step it up a bit earlier, instead of waiting for Ali to gain a sizable lead. Depending on which Ali shows up, this fight could go either way. Slight edge to ALI.
ALI W15
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Frazier: For all his bravery and toughness, Frazier might simply be at too great a disadvantage to go against Klitschko. Sure, he could out gut him and Joe has a clear edge in stamina, despite the fact that Klitschko looks more like a human machine of perfection, compared to Frazier, who looks more like a linebacker than a boxer.
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The problem is that Frazier is simply too small and would be open for Klitschko's accurate punches. If he could get inside, and stay there, Joe would wear Klitschko down. There is the chance that Klitschko catches Joe early and scores a couple of knockdowns. In fact, that's very likely. The problem is keeping Joe from surviving until the later rounds. That's nearly impossible.
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Klitschko punches hard and accurate enough to give Frazier fits. However, Frazier would stay low, suffer a few knockdowns and make it to the middle rounds where he would find a home................in Wladimir's chest. From this point on, another knockdown could end the fight with Klitschko the victor...........or Joe could hear the final bell, having swept the last four rounds........and the decision.
50/50 with a slight edge to Frazier.
Frazier W 15 split
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Norton: would be wiped out by Klitschko. Wladimir would figure out early on that Norton is nervous against big punchers, long before Kenny would figure out that Wladimir tends to be over cautious. Norton could be talked into winning. But it's not likely that that would happen before he becomes convinced that he would lose.
Klitschko KO 4.
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Klitschko has every advantage over Quarry, who would prove to be no threat. Wladimir would land almost at will with the only thing keeping Jerry up is Wladimir's lack of a killer instinct.
Klitschko KO 6
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Shavers: For all his power, Shavers is awfully slow. Wladimir would be mindful to keep a safe distance and land the jab/right. Shavers would swing for the fences, hoping to do a "Brewster" on Wladimir. The problem is that he would run out of gas before that happens.
Klitschko by TKO in 9.
I am hard put to name a fighter the Klitschkos have faced and beaten that come near the likes of Ali, Foreman, Holmes ( yes, he emerged in the 70s) and Frazier, never mind Norton and the rest who were there just confirm their all-time greatness. We are talking of ATGs speaking of those top heavyweights of the 70s!
Okay, to give you an idea of what Iam talking about, let's talk of Holmes who lingered on till the 90s and Foreman who came back to boxing in the late 80s and stayed on till the late 90s, the very time when the Klitschkos also emerged. What have those old foggies done? Except for prime Tyson, Holyfield and Lewis, those two grandpops beat nearly everybody else who mattered in the division who the K Brothers evaded fighting in their rise. They were already there but they chose to fight mostly in Europe against the usual suspects.
The Ks are big and strong but they don't have the heart, the stamina and the courage of the best heavyweights of the 70s and arguably of all time!
I doubt it if the Ks can sustain fighting beyond 12 rounds. Cory Sanders and Lamont Brewster took everything Wladdy dished out against them and eventually kayoed the big Ukrainian. Chris Byrd virtually did not have to throw a punch as he saw Vitali punching himself to a self-inflicetd shoulder injury in vain attempt to catch the wily and elusive small American heavyweight. Lewis stopped Vitali after inflicting a gaping wound above his eye ( sounds familiar?).
Sanders and Brewster and even Byrd and Lewis could not be better than Ali and company prime for prime!
Whladimir has a glass jaw, and as ducked many opponents of late. Lately for him to fight you, you can't be ranked in the Top 30, or 40, in the world.
A glass Jaw, and fear of tough fights, would of got you exposed, in the 70's. Whladimir would of def. lost more then he won, on the list you have.
Ali, and Holmes would of put on a clinic.
Foreman, and Frazier would of shattered his jaw.
Norton, and Shavers would of probably broke his jaw too, and left him shaking unconscious, as well.
Wladimir Klitschko vs Joe Frazier?
Joe was a one dimensional slugger with no jab. Klitschko has vastly superior boxing skills, height, reach and strength advantage. Joe had a lot of heart and stamina but relied on eating punches up, and Wladimir would jab his head off.
Nostalgia will dictate that Joe would beat him all over the place, but unbiased boxing fans like myself accept the reality.
If Wladimir was fighting back in the 70s some dudes would say that competition back then was weak simply because Wladdy would still beat them all and dominate easily.
Each and every heavyweight from the 1970s would beat him. They all had what he does not heart. The competition was superior during that decade. He would be a big ambling club fighter if he fought in the 1970s.The heavyweight division throughout history has not been great. However the 1970s was an exception. That was the best era for the division.
He would not even be a top contender
He would beat all these small folks even easier than the big ones he beats nowadays!
Where would Wladimir Klitschko fit in among the heavyweights of the 70s
Ali
Frazier
Foreman
Norton
Holmes
Shavers
Quarry
