No disrepect to Marciano fans, but let's be realistic. I've seen all the heavyweights since Joe Louis and studied all the great heavyweights. Rocky was 5'10", weighed 187 lbs and had a reach of 68". How was he going to get inside Vitali's reach? We can let our hearts over rule our head. The Rock nerver fought anyone over 217 lbs and that was a very over the hill Joe Louiis. The only fighter I've seen that would give Vitali a real tussle is a young Joe Louis. Louis accomplished more than any fighter in history. He held the heavyweight crown for and increidble 12 years, longer than any fighter in any weight division in the history of boxing. He defended his title 25 times, also a record for any champion. Bomber Joe was at his best against the big guys. He pulverized the 6'6", 250 lb Buddy Baer after being knocked out of the ring by one of Baer's lethal left hooks. He knocked out ^6"4" Max Baer. No fighter ever hit harder than Max Baer, who was responsible for the death of two of his opponents. Louis walked right through his best shots and knocked him out in 4 rounds. Who can ever forget the triple left hook that Louis used to nearly decapitate Max. Abe Simon, who was 6"5" and weighed in at 260 lbs and had a KO victory over a young Jersey Joe Walcott, was destroyed twice by Louis. Louis also KO'd 238 lb "Two Ton" Tony Galento in an exciting 4 round brawl, highlighted by a right left combination thrown by Louis that literally lifted Galento off the floor. Boxing historian Bert Sugar, who rates Louis as the all time greates heavyweight champion, jokingly said that the referee did not start his count until Galento came back down. Only a slight exaggeration. Stop underestimating Vitali Klitschko. He is a very good fighter even if he is light complected and keeps beating everyone he fights.

You've got to be kidding! The best ever heavyweight champion was Rocky Marciano. Maybe Muhammad Ali was second.