When you consider how loooong WK has been active, I think its fair to say there are four versions of WK 1. the fit, aggressive guy who was all action. {debut to Sanders} 2. the fit, gunshy version who was very unsure of himself and needed adjusting. {post Sanders to Peter} 3. The matured, composed guy who went 11 years unbeaten. {Byrd II to Pulev} 4. The older, somewhat less capable guy who fought a bad fight against a guy who wanted to run and showboat. {Jennings and Fury} He is 39 now, and has been actively training and boxing since 1996.
Yeah but I don't and never have bought all this 'got old overnight bollocks' Fact is, everyone here, based on their shitty 'FightBeat Knowledge' and Assumptions' picked Wlad to crush Fury. And like Fury said and proved: "I won this fight before Wlad got in the ring" Please, everyone, stop pontificating over this. It's fucking annoying and makes you all look like the amateur boxing bum-nerds that you are....
I said a long time ago that Fury was better than what people said he was. Wlad has not gotten old but he's not gotten any younger either. He struggled with Thompson for stretches but made adjustments and in the rematch was far far better.
I gave Fury a chance. I just didn't trust his chin to hold up, and it did. Never once did Wlad seriously hurt him, even in the 12th round.
I agree Wlad is one of the most static fighters I've ever seen, his style hardly changed at all over the years he just added more awkward clinching to his game as time progressed. That said the fight was pretty close (fight not round scoring), so no reason to think the younger Wlad wouldn't have been able to out front-runner Fury. But it doesnt mean he used to be better or any different. He's the same guy that got KO'd by Sanders and Brewster and won boring fights for a decade afterwards.
Good. So that's you, me, Jesus, maybe UTBK, Sly was sitting on the fence I think....all the rest gave Fury little to no chance.....at all. Shame on them.
He wants to feel smart. I was amazed how Fury shut down Wlad in his prime, but Fury's that good. Dark Magus is the only one who saw it.
I think a couple of others did. What sold me on Fury against Klitschko only was a) his total self-belief b) his physical attributes and KO % and c) he's not as dumb/shit as everyone makes out. Fury is well-versed in all other heavyweight fighters and I think he used Wlad's last fight against Bryant Jennings as his benchmark: Wlad threw next to nothing in the fight too. That first fight postponement by Wlad - I was like "yeah - he's beaten him already - Wlad is so predictable and expects his opponents to be predictable: Fury's psyched him out 100%" I never predicted a unanimous points win in Germany though...
The matured, composed guy who was boring at times was the best heavyweight in the world for over a decade except for his brother. He had one of the all time great knockout ratios in heavyweight history, and he fought everyone who mattered except for Vitali. He was a much better fighter than Tyson Fury in his prime. The aggressive young Wladimir was vulnerable to strong punchers, but he would have walked through Tyson Fury. The more mature Wlad who learned how to avoid danger would have walked through Tyson Fury. "Old" Wlad wasn't good enough, but I could see him beating Fury in a rematch if he dedicates his life to this and goes all out instead of being overly cautious. I could see him losing again too. Maybe it would have been better to go the Lennox Lewis route. Retire and go out as champion when your skills start declining.
Who cares if you didn't pick Fury to win or gave him little chance of doing so. Everyone's entitled to their opinion and surely every person on this board has made a bad call at least once in their life.
I don't remember voyzing a ping on this. I thought wlad would win but I didn't consider it foregone. Fury is still horrid btw and I agree with irish that wlad has slowed. 39 year olds are slower on the trigger than they were a few years hence
