WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO: EASILY THE WORST EVER?

[keithmoonhangover]

You think Wlad would accept a fight in such a tiny ring? I can't see him lying back on the ropes either.

It would need to be a phone box to beat Wlad. When faced with a hard snapping jab, Mercer just couldn't function.

Which is why it's unfortunate for Wlad that he doesn't snap out his jab any more, but paws with it. The more active version of Wlad that did have the confidence to snap out his jab would have had no weapons against the iron-chinned Mercer, who would have feasted on Wlad's lack of defence. Ray was a hell of a lot better than Sanders in every way.

It doesn't matter if he's a lot better than Sanders in every way. Fights are about styles. Surely if Wlad was so easy to beat back then, Mercer would have shown a flash of how he would have faired in his prime..... wait a minute, no, he didn't. Not once. Wlad dominated him for every second and took all the shots Mercer landed.

[Cap]

Maybe Wlad has finally reached the end of the line. If the best strategy he could come up with was throwing himself on Povetkin's back, maybe he just had nothing else. Even 2 or 3 years ago, he would've used his jab more, hooked to the body. He looked terrible against Povetkin and Manny Steward would have told him off between rounds instead of encouraging him to continue like Banks did.

[keithmoonhangover]

Maybe Wlad has finally reached the end of the line. If the best strategy he could come up with was throwing himself on Povetkin's back, maybe he just had nothing else. Even 2 or 3 years ago, he would've used his jab more, hooked to the body. He looked terrible against Povetkin and Manny Steward would have told him off between rounds instead of encouraging him to continue like Banks did.

I agree Cap. Manny would have been screaming at him.

[Bard of Boxrec]

Fights are about styles. Surely if Wlad was so easy to beat back then, Mercer would have shown a flash of how he would have faired in his prime..... wait a minute, no, he didn't. Not once. Wlad dominated him for every second and took all the shots Mercer landed.

Can I ask what you saw in Povetkin's style that made you think he could beat Wlad? I'm not being facetious here, just interested. Might it have been that Povetkin being a favourite fighter of yours clouded your judgment?

[loaded_gloves]

So we've actually reached the point when the failure of a 42 year old Ray Mercer, recovering from hepatitis, a broken neck, alcoholism and inactivity, to compete with Wlad K is actually used as evidence to prove he could never compete with him. Wow. I remember Trevor Berbick making easy work of Muhammad Ali, I suppose Berbick must of had a style even a young Ali could never solve.

The talent pool was so deep in the 90s no one could manage a long unbeaten run, and yet that fact seems to be used by the Klitists as a stick to beat them with. Meanwhile the total draught of talent in the modern heavyweight scene has allowed Wlad to be raised to demigod status. I don't see how any boxing fan can 'admire' Wlad's cheating to protect his glass chin without also admiring Phainting Phil Scott's rolling around holding his balls every time he took a body shot and getting a string of wins by DQ. Like Wlad, he employed cheating to protect a glass chin.

Ah well. This thread has become too surreal even for me. I'm off for a whiskey. Don't you chaps say anything bad about me while I'm gone. Good evening x

[keithmoonhangover]

Fights are about styles. Surely if Wlad was so easy to beat back then, Mercer would have shown a flash of how he would have faired in his prime..... wait a minute, no, he didn't. Not once. Wlad dominated him for every second and took all the shots Mercer landed.

Can I ask what you saw in Povetkin's style that made you think he could beat Wlad? I'm not being facetious here, just interested. Might it have been that Povetkin being a favourite fighter of yours clouded your judgment?

I didn't forsee Wlad doing so much cheating really. I thought Povetkin would land a few solid shots and then build on that. I certainly wouldn't have had so much money on if I wasn't convinced he'd win. Povetkin being one of my favourite fighters had nothing to do with it and didn't effect my judgement, I just genuinely thought he'd win. I quite often bet against my preferred fighter and wouldn't put a penny on Fury against Haye.

[keithmoonhangover]

So we've actually reached the point when the failure of a 42 year old Ray Mercer, recovering from hepatitis, a broken neck, alcoholism and inactivity, to compete with Wlad K is actually used as evidence to prove he could never compete with him. Wow. I remember Trevor Berbick making easy work of Muhammad Ali, I suppose Berbick must of had a style even a young Ali could never solve.

Ali had far less left than Mercer.

[Bard of Boxrec]

So we've actually reached the point when the failure of a 42 year old Ray Mercer, recovering from hepatitis, a broken neck, alcoholism and inactivity, to compete with Wlad K is actually used as evidence to prove he could never compete with him. Wow. I remember Trevor Berbick making easy work of Muhammad Ali, I suppose Berbick must of had a style even a young Ali could never solve.

Ali had far less left than Mercer.

Wow. Mercer was an absolute shell.

[Final round]

[quote="Dead Mouse]
Mercer also had to wait for his shot a bit longer than expected as he got badly cut against Ray Scott in that warm up bout in Demark on Tyson-Nielsen. Mercer wobbled a bit in the first. The cut delayed a December date, the Weida fight hardly gave him any action so he went into it in bad shape in 2002. Although, judging from the Scott fight, he'd have still struggled in 2001 even if he didn't sustain that cut.[/quote]

I didn't know that

[Ezzard]

No, I picked it on purpose. Devon was applauded for clinching every time Maidana got close. It was, according to some, a masterclass. Then I watched Kirkland-Molina and heard the commentary team complain about Molina’s continual clinching. Now I’m hearing all about Wlad’s clinching…

It’s obvious that Alexander looked a little more artful when he did it…I presumed we all watch enough boxing to see that.

Does looking good doing it make it okay?

I don’t know the answer…I think it should make no difference whatsoever…but my suspicion is that it does matter…I’m interested in what others think.

I was rooting for Maidana against Alexander but was surprised at how well Alexander neutralised him and outboxed him and yes clinching up close was part of his tactics as it is most boxers but the style of clinching didn't stand out to me as blatant fouling from memory which Wlad seemed to be doing imo.
From memory Molina was handling Kirkland but he was spoiling with the holding, stinking the joint out and was warned by the ref before DQ? I seem to remember it was poo.

Look Wlad's tactics worked for him but they didn't work for a large amount of the viewers. He turned in a poo performance in terms of entertainment, eff the fans who want to see a fight involving punches, a wins a win, money in the bank and his boxrecord wont show what a bore he was .

Wlad neutralises everyone. Not much fun I agree... But I don't see why some clinches are okay and others aren't, artful, artless, or otherwise...

[keithmoonhangover]

Wlad neutralises everyone. Not much fun I agree... But I don't see why some clinches are okay and others aren't, artful, artless, or otherwise...

I agree.