Just watchign Wlad's ringwalk made me tear up a little bit. I've seen him fight for more than a third of my life and you could see he hated coming in that ring as the challenger. He was trying to use it to drive him by the time he stepped up to the ropes.
Even though I was backing AJ to win seeing Wlad hit the canvas was kinda sad. Even though he bored me to tears at points he, like Floyd, was a consummate professional.
Dedicated to his work. Committed to doing it as best as he could. He's leaving a fantastic legacy in the sport.
And here he was on the way out.
A fantastic innings.
A more fitting end than that jke of a fight vs the defensive strategist from Manchester.
Wladimir should hold his head real high after that performance, he fought a very good fight and he showed why tactically and skillwise he's one of the best heavyweights that ever lived and I thought his skill level was better than Joshua's tonight, problem was Klitschko's (in)ability to take a punch and him being a bit relctant at times due to his age and chin, hadn't he been caught with the big punch in the 11th he would've probably won that round and the round after that -and won a 7-5 decision, but Joshua showed a lot of character and heart too despite his lack of technical ability and skill, he kept believing that if he lands the right one it's over and that's what happened.
There's a reason why Wladimir was a champion for so long and he just showed it tonight against probably the best of the young lot that's out there today. Best jab I've seen from a heavyweight since Larry Holmes, great strategist, a lot of respect for the man, and no I've never been a fan of him and I'm happy Joshua won because now it's time for something new.
Probably his last fight, i hope so.
I'm glad he went out like he did, not being stopped but in a hard fight where he had to show a lot and almost had the supposed future of the HW division out of there. Tonight showed just how great Wlad once was , but just doesn't have enough left at 41 to compete with the good young guys and it happens to the best of them. There's no shame in that.