The Ibeabuchi that stood toe-to-toe with Tua and/or flattened Chris Byrd vs the Wald Pussy that clinched and ran against fat no hopers and/or got knocked out by journeymen. Who wins?
Stylistically a tough fight for Ibeabuchi on first thought, but he's a very dangerous opponent for wlad.
Ike would have fucked him up. That skilless bum Peter nearly had Wald Pussy out. Ike is overrated as all Hell, but he would have smoked Wladimira.
Ike is overrated to those who think he could have beaten Lewis, and prime versions of Tyson and Foreman. But beating Wlad was well within his capability.
Yeah, Ike would've knocked him out for sure. And I agree with X, Ibeabuchi is overrated. I thought the Tua fight could have gone either way.
With our standard shit, modern ref, latter career Wlad should probably be favoured. On account of being quite allot better (in a stinky 'crimogenic' boxing environment where blatant escapology isn't punished).
At the fight time Chagaev and Haye were ranked higher than Byrd. My problem here is that people jump to pick Ike based on the fact that they LIKE his style much more than Wlad's (understandably so) even though nothing in his record suggests that he was a different level of fighter from Wlad, who hasn't even been down in seven years.
To be fair, he also showed a very good chin and very good punch which would stand him in good stead. To beat my dead horse - allot comes down to the ref here. If Wlad's allowed to grab and neck pull and push I think he frustrates Ike and possibly knocks him out. He's really got it all down to a tee in the last 5 years or so, it's a tough formula to crack. And since 95% of refs allow it all, I provisionally pick Wlad.
I do agree with pretty much everything. Ike has qualities to make Wlad's life difficult and his victory is not out of question at all. Just that since he had pretty good punch and he looked like a bad guy his victory is not given. I also agree about if Wlad was forced to change his style (clinching would not be allowed at all) he would be in trouble, just like Lennox, late Ali, Holmes and other guys who liked to use distance to their advantage would (Wlad does take it to new level). If the fight is reffed the way fights are these days, I'd make Wlad a solid favorite just like you
It's probably not a coincidence that Joseph Cooper has the same initials as Jesus Christ. Only he can save us, now.
Hmm, I used to be pretty high on Ike, and the way he demolished Byrd was VERY impressive. But yeah I do think he has become overrated. To be honest I think Tua edged their fight. Though it was impressive the way he basically went toe to toe with a little tank like Tua. Anyway I would tentatively favour the current wald pussy to win a stinkathon of a decision.
two overrated assclowns Vitali whups both of them If Ike tries hard and throws a lot of punches, he could stop wald pussy... If Joseph "Fight Him!" Cooper is the ref and wald has to actually partake in boxing, he gets knocked out by dozens of guys, including Ibeabuchi. With most modern refs, it's a 50/50 fight Again, Vitali pounds both of these guys
There are several intangibles which most people either forget or just plain refuse to take on board. Going on about how the guy struggled with Peter.......Peter was brand new fresh that night, full of confidence, hadn't got a scratch on him. Wlad was what....two fights into a new relationship with Manny Steward, in a classic fuck-or-walk fight.Peter was reduced to rabbit punching and was nearly taken out in the final round, and wasn't even close in the rematch. Why do people go on about this holding BS? Look at Lewis vs Tyson.....Lewis held and held until what was left of Tysons diminished skills had evaporated. Lewis held behind the head. Ali held behind the head. Get over it. Sauce for the Goose is the sauce for the gander. Third......there is a simple matter of psychology. People love to go on about how Lewis "avenged" the rematch with McCall. Yeah. How? By waiting for a guy who came to the ring crying to cry some more and get it called off. This is Ike Ibeabuchi. Give him three, four rounds of being smacked in the head by somebody who can hit him from range. Who knows..maybe he just folds. Gives up. Wants out. Sees Jimmy Garcia and shits his pants. If you want to take Ibeabuchi going the distance with Tua as the high-water-mark of his career, then you must also take the HWM of Wlad's career too, and that HWM is 7 years worth of learning how to lock guys down and win. David Haye didn't lack explosiveness or power. In fact he just stopped {albeit a damaged} Chisora, who, limitations aside, had negotiated the distance no fewer than three times with noted punchers. How often did he get near Wlad? Eventually, when they have their thinking-cap on, people are going to have to acknowledge that a keyed-up, fore-warned and settled Wlad is going to have big chances in just about any fight to do his thing. Two of his three losses came where he had battered guys in the preceding rounds. And his last loss was 8 years ago. Head over heart, I would say Ibeabuchi, just but it wouldn't surprise me if Wlad broke the guys jaw and then the chronic career bully started looking for a way out.
Agreed on the Vitali thing, both ways. As for "Fight Him" Cooper, I reckon that might work against a lot of guys when it comes to Wlad. Most of the time, guys won't leap in because the are afraid of getting leaned on or strangled. Yet Hayes best round of the fight was a round he lost {I feel}- the 12th, he leapt in, did some damage, then decided to stay in, and started to get picked off. Wlad's best work has always been done where he eschewed the grab and just let his hands move. 2nd round vs Thompson, first fight, is a good example. Wlad tried a clinch, got it wrong, got tagged, then just seemed to say "fuck this" and let his hands go, and battered Thompson into a corner. With the grab, Wlad wins by doing very little work to the opponents zero work. Without the grab, opponents work rate goes up, and so does Wlad's This means he may tire out, but what if Ibeabuchi gets smacked in the face and gets a bloody nose, puffy eye, bit of a headache......guy was a loon at the best of times.
Lewis got loadsa shit for holding and being negative. And if Ali got less it's because he was physically past it when he started to rely on it. But Wlad holds so much more than either it's a qualitative shift into something different. There's garden variety stink & there's Wlad. Master escapologist.
He didn't do any holding in the Haye fight and he won damn near every round. Walked forward all night against a guy who was supposedly faster and just as explosive as he was. I know he would have liked to do a lot of holding, but he didn't do any, no matter what the reasons for that were. He's won fights clean before, it should be noted.
:bears: Thank you. And, it is a not inconsiderable part of boxing. Its possible...Wlad smacks the guy in the head, Ibeabuchi floors him, Wlad gets back up, Ibeabuchi becomes apoplectic, takes a few more in the face, gets upset, gets mad...walks into something big.....:dunno: How a man responds psychologically to big punches is almost as important as how he responds neurologically. Part of how Lewis beat Tua was basically by letting him know the power was there, and then letting David do the rest. Namely shy away, lose rounds.
It pertains to Ramonza, who by the way, has Big Joe Buck from Midnight Cowboy a 10-1 favourite over both of these guys.