Wladimir Klitschko’s Legacy, Daniel Jacobs vs Peter Quillin, RSR Forum Topic of the Week: Gerry Cooney vs Mike Weaver and the New England Patriots Dynasty
By Dave “Mythical” Siderski
Where Does Klitschko Belong Among the All-Time Heavyweight Greats?
Now that the Wladimir Klitschko’s reign has ended perhaps it’s time to start evaluating his place in Heavyweight history. He is, inarguably, the best Heavyweight we’ve seen since the retirement of Lennox Lewis and deserves credit for one of the most dominant statistical runs in the division’s history. So what is his place among the legends?
I believe any top Heavyweight list must start with Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis as the indisputable top two. My second tier would include (in chronological order): Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Larry Holmes and Lennox Lewis. Sorry, victories over the likes of Jean-Marc Mormeck, Chris Byrd, Samuel Peter, David Haye, and Alexander Povetkin just don’t compare with accomplishments of these men.
Now we come to the 3rd tier which is where I think we can start talking about Klitschko. This group includes: James J. Jeffries, Gene Tunney, Rocky Marciano, Sonny Liston, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Wladimir’s brother Vitali. I’ll put Tunney (two wins over Jack Dempsey) and Marciano (two wins each over Jersey Joe Walcott and Ezzard Charles) ahead of Wladimir. However, I’ll give Klitschko the edge over the remaining guys. Liston and Tyson were intimidating but had much shorter reigns and, ultimately, who did they really beat? Pound for Pound Holyfield was a far superior fighter but not a better Heavyweight. And I believe Wladimir is more accomplished than either Jeffries or Vitali. Thus, I come up with a ranking of #11 on my Heavyweight list, which is about where I think he belongs.
Jacobs Vs Quillin:
Congratulations to Daniel Jacobs who destroyed Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin in 85 seconds this past Saturday night, retaining the WBA Regular Middleweight Championship. As a cancer survivor, Jacobs is one of the true feel good stories in boxing. Some have criticized the stoppage but I think it was a good call. Quillin didn’t have a leg under him and was seconds away from being knocked cold. Next on the docket for Jacobs is likely to be a match with Andy Lee and a shot at Canelo Alvarez or GGG may be in his future as well.
RSR Forum Topic of the Week: Cooney Vs Weaver
My colleague, Roy “Sharpshooter” Bennett, posted a great topic for discussion on the forum this week. What if Gerry Cooney had challenged Mike Weaver for the WBA version of the Heavyweight championship? This matchup was talked about and easily could have occurred. Both of these guys were big punchers and neither was a defensive wizard. Thus one thing is certain, it would not have gone the distance.
In the end, styles make fights and, like George Foreman was a bad matchup for Joe Frazier, Cooney would be a bad matchup for Weaver. Weaver was a slow starter and vulnerable early. At the same time, Cooney blew out numerous opponents in the early rounds. Gerry’s height, reach and size advantage would just be too much. Cooney would overwhelm Weaver and Mike simply wouldn’t be able to get close enough to land his big shots. Cooney wins by knockout within 3 rounds!
NFL Thought of the Week: The Patriots Dynasty
I’m amazed that my television survived the Patriots debacle against the lowly Philadelphia Eagles this past Sunday. Injuries or not, this was an abominable performance and leaves me questioning their prospects come playoff time. Yes, the return of Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman will help. However, their offensive line woes are something I’m not sure they can overcome against the NFL’s elite. Ok, so maybe we won’t get Super Bowl win #5 but as a Pats fan I really can’t complain. Over the past 15 years, they’ve been arguably the most accomplished dynasty of the Super Bowl Era.
The 2001-15 Patriots have the highest winning percentage (75.8%), most playoff wins (21) and most Super Bowl appearances (6) of any team over a 15 year span. With 4 Super Bowl victories, they are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers and trail only the San Francisco 49ers (5) for most Super Bowl wins over a 15 year span. Only the Dallas Cowboys (20) and San Francisco 49ers (16) have more consecutive winning seasons than the Patriots, who currently have a streak of 15. As someone who’s followed them over years and decades of ineptitude, this Patriots team has accomplished far more than I could have expected or hoped as a fan.
Ok, those are my thoughts for the week. Peace out!
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