BoxRec

Maybe it's Banks training helping out? He seemed less muscled, still ripped but he was more fluid and certainly more aggressive than I've seen him since he was knocked out. Pulev was a legitimate threat, although Wlad made him look especially slow and clumsy. Tough man though and a great punch to take him out of the fight.

Good call by HBO to pick up this fight.
I can't remember a more entertaining Wlad win from the last 10 years. Tony Weekes did a good job at breaking the clinches quickly as there were a lot of them another them and it could have turned into another Povetkin fight with a weak ref.

Wlad wa in 5-6 gear here
In his past fights he barely got out of 2nd gear, if he ws in 2nd gear this fight would have gone 12 rounds.

We all know wlad could finish alot og guys off in round 1.

The fact that he KO'd someone like pulev in 5 is amazing as i doubt any current top heavyweight could

next for Wlad in Jennings in march or Fury/chisora in May

I don't think it was a great fight.

Wlad was getting into a hugging match far too often and although the final punch was a great shot I don't think pushing Pulev to the floor was necessary. It might even have helped get the stoppage as instead of Pulev's legs going from under him his head bounced of the floor. Far too much fouling by the champ and he didn't need to do it.

dempseyfire wrote:Definitely Wlad's most entertaining fight that he didn't lose in over a decade, but he still leaped into clinches WAY too much; refs allow him to do that way too much (and then warn his opponents when they rabbit punch him in the clinches)

Agreed, Wlad does do that. It seems to be part of his defence but it isn't pretty on the eye.

Pulev certainly ranks amongst Wlad's best careers wins.

His longevity at the absolute top is quite remarquable: at this rythm he certainly can go on until 40 or 41.

Well now that I finally saw the fight.I have to admit Wlad looked great.
His power was incredible and he was not as boring as normal.I do think there is too
much clinching still.But not nearly what it was with Povetkin.
Wlad is hands down a first ballot hall of famer.That is as high a compliment as you
can give any current fighter.

Great fight!!! Respect to Wladimir!!!

By the way could anyone please translate Wlads postfight speech. What were those boos for.

Shirow wrote:Good call by HBO to pick up this fight.
I can't remember a more entertaining Wlad win from the last 10 years. Tony Weekes did a good job at breaking the clinches quickly as there were a lot of them another them and it could have turned into another Povetkin fight with a weak ref.

Anybody thought they (HBO) were a little harsh on Wlad pre fight? Particularly Lampley who did a pretty terrible job calling Abe Alfred Abraham from Romania...

TheBeast wrote:

Shirow wrote:Good call by HBO to pick up this fight.
I can't remember a more entertaining Wlad win from the last 10 years. Tony Weekes did a good job at breaking the clinches quickly as there were a lot of them another them and it could have turned into another Povetkin fight with a weak ref.

Anybody thought they (HBO) were a little harsh on Wlad pre fight? Particularly Lampley who did a pretty terrible job calling Abe Alfred Abraham from Romania...

Funny, but I was about to say that they seemed more kind to Wlad than normal :)

Damn maybe after the fight but in the preambule, they were even trying to justify why the german public loved him...

to those who criticize wlad for hugging, pushing and other
things: in this fight these moves were all well within what is
normal. watch ali-foreman and you will see tons of little tricks,
including clinching.

you need to be a hater to not give wlad credit for this performance.
after all he kayoed the no2 in the world by knocking him down
in the first and taking him out in the fifth. plus he answered the
most significant punches he had to take not by clinching, but by
knocking the guy out.

so … please. credit were credit is due.