Pac Men is 100% right. The first fight sucked,and there is no reason to believe that anything will change in the second fight. No question Taylor won the fight but he looked lost,confused and a bit scarred in doing so. Maybe he will do beter this time around but I didnt see anything that would suggest he can. Hopkins only chance for a decision win will need a rule change to award points for not throwing any punches. As for the next fight being boring ,well what Hopkins fight isn't boring.
I think mostly because in the wlad/Brewster fight everyone in the room I was in could see that Wlad was punching himself out and Stewart just seemed oblivious to the fact. When Wlad came back to the corner after (I think it was the third)round Wlad was clearely gassed and needed some sage advise. Stewart instucted him in more attacking. The worst advise from a corner at the absolute worse time I have ever seen. BUT,give the man credit tonights fight plan was almost perfect so lets hope the future will be bright. Thats why I have been very leary of the Stewart Wlad combo. Stewart is an offensive specialit and Klitscko needed some defence. Tonight he had it all. Great fight by both and a great card for HBO. And even more important, we got to see it in Canada.
Randy Newman is the worse ref working big fights today. He was a dirty fighter in his day and does not enforce the rules when he refs. Remember he was to one who took a chunk out of Chuck Wepners ear before Mike Tyson knew how good they tasted.
Shane Mosley is a SHOT fighter and has been for a long time. I went into the Mosely/Delahoya fight cheering for Mosely and found it hard to watch the last couple rounds. The only people more shocked at the crazy decision than me was his corner and Shane himself. But gift decision or not he was not the same fighter then that he was just a year earlier and he has only looked worse each fight since. Its not the weight its not the style of his opposition it is him. He will never beat a top teir skilled fighter again and it is a sad thing to watch when he was soooo good just a few years ago and somehow lost "it" without ever taking a beating. Maybe it was the roids, but I hope not.
I get so pissed at sports tv in this country. Canadian reporting and tv coverage of boxing is beyond poor. Almost every fight card is a day or more late if we get to see it at all. Ive got to get an american sat. TSN is a joke. The worst sports channel in the world. Except for hockey,baseball and the CFL everything seems to be on tape. Programmed by people who dont know the differnce between a good sport and a card game. AAAAAAAA
Kimmy you talk as if boreing is bad and in the same breath talk about looking forward to a BH fight. Klitscho/anyone has more potential of being an exciting fight than anything the old man will do. How often can people forget what a fan unfriendly fighter Hopkins is. If thats the one you are really looking forward to then good luck to you. Action is overrated anyway.
Rogers, who should Wlad fight to get yor respect? As far as the courts go he was just trying to defend himself from a good Don King screwing. Whats not to like about that. If he didn't lose his ranking he most likely be champion in his first fight.He beat Byrd easily the first time and no dought that is why Byrd has done everything in his power to avoid it again but... Im not ready to slam Byrd quite yet. I just hope it was King not wanting to lose control of the belt that made Byrd run like a little girl. I sure have never seen anything in the Byrd has fought or handled himself in the past to make me think he is anything but full of balls and hard as nails. After getting up from the Ibeabuchi massacre was al I needed to see but he has always been willing to fight bigger stronger opponents. Wlad is a terrible match-up for him,probably the worst out there (much bigger and just as fast)but I still dont believe he is afraid.
And lastly I hope you dont think Vitali was avoiding The Rock for any reason other than legit injuries.. That fight should never have even been made. Its a one sided slaughter. Its time for new blood in the heavies not more DK retreads. Byrd-Toney with Wlad back in with the new impoved Brewster and Vitali well I want to see him fight Toney too.
I don't get most of you Peter bandwaggoners. What has he done who has he beat and most importantly how is he going to beat Wlad? I havent seen one post where Peter is described as being a better fighter. Just the thin hope that Wlad has a glass jaw or eventually gasses himself by pounding on poor slow Perers. Either way not very high praise for the next great heavyweight. I see an easy fight for Klitscho but the chance is always there that Wlads confidence is so shattered that he folds up easily (I highly dought it but anything can happen)or that Peters actually is a better fighter as is able to manhandle Wlad and wins impessively over a long brutal fight. I say there is almost no chance of this and it sounds like even Peters boosters dont even think he is capable of this. Most likely scenario: Peters comes out agessively is tagged big time from outside and quickly falls into a defencive funk that looks very similar to the beating Brewster took. The only difference will be Peter won't be able to take the inhumane thrashing(one of the worst I have ever seen) and will either go out cold or just stay down. Probably round three or four but it could be quicker. If Peter survives the first onslaught it will end with an easy decision for Wlad with Peter throwing fewer and fewer punches as he realizes he just can not get inside without takeing a lot more than he is willing to take. I hope this dosent spoil it for most of you.
I don't get most of you Peter bandwaggoners. What has he done who has he beat and most importantly how is he going to beat Wlad? I havent seen one post where Peter is described as being a better fighter. Just the thin hope that Wlad has a glass jaw or eventually gasses himself by pounding on poor slow Perers. Either way not very high praise for the next great heavyweight. I see an easy fight for Klitscho but the chance is always there that Wlads confidence is so shattered that he folds up easily (I highly dought it but anything can happen)or that Peters actually is a better fighter as is able to manhandle Wlad and wins impessively over a long brutal fight. I say there is almost no chance of this and it sounds like even Peters boosters dont even think he is capable of this. Most likely scenario: Peters comes out agessively is tagged big time from outside and quickly falls into a defensive funk that looks very similar to the beating Brewster took. The only difference will be Peter won't be able to take the inhumane thrashing(one of the worst I have ever seen) and will either go out cold or just stay down. Probably round three or four but it could be quicker. If Peter survives the first onslaught it will end with an easy decision for Wlad with Peter throwing fewer and fewer punches as he realizes he just can not get inside without takeing a lot more than he is willing to take. I hope this dosent spoil it for most of you.
Wow the Peters bandwagon sure has filled fast on this forum. What has he done that would make him the favorite in this fight. And as far as little Klits having a glass jaw, well if being tagged by perfect straight lefts by a huge punching Sanders or falling from exhastion after giving Brewster one of the worst beatings I have ever seen is having a glass jaw then maybe he does. But dont count on the slow, short, Peters getting one lucky punch in and the fight being over. If anyones chin will be checked it will be Peters and you can count on it being checked often. If he eats half of what Brewster did he will be out cold and he will geta chance to taste it over and over and over. Hope you Peter pumpers give Wlad all the credit when he destroys your man. Wlad has better offence than any heavy in the last 10 maybe 20 years and if he is not again let down by Manny Stewart this will be a cake walk. Bet the house.
If you were Ruis would you fight Toney again? Toney had his number big time and there would be no change the next time. Maybe if he lost twenty pounds he might never get hit at all. Two excellent fights to be had with both Brewster and Byrd. These should happen. He probably is to slick for Brewster but if Brewster can keep the preasure on and Tney s fat fat fat again anything can happen in the middle/late rounds. Byrd would be a great fight maybe comeing down to heart and despite Byrds shameful ducking of Wlad Klitsco he has still shown unbeleivable heart when he fights. I thought Ibeabuchi killed him and he still got up. Its a pickem fight. He has no chance against Vitali who because of Toneys lack of power would just wade in (well not in but just out of Toneys range) and finish it quickly.One thing for sure we need him back in the ring and fast and not against stepping stones.
This couldnt be much easier. Lewis. Evander then Tyson at a distance. Lewis beat everyone he ever fought. Period That includes the other two. Evander was great but just didnt have to size to legitimately beat Lewis. Tyson? He never one a fight that he was behind in. If that doesnt disqualify any talk of greatness I dont know what does. If he was an Englishman or Swede and was an intelligent frontrunner he would be hated. He was an american thug and he was great. Crazy.
Beez721, your right sort of anyway. I should never have said it was an easy pick. Holyfield was a great fighter and won many tough fights that I didn't believe he could win and he had a true warriors spirit. I dont think Holyfield was that far past his prime in 1999 but he had had a couple rough fights around then. But I also dont agree that the fights with Lewis were very close. Lewis seemed to just coast to an easy victory. Not very exciting but it was his way. And lastly Holyfield did fight Bowe in his prime and had a lot of trouble with a big skilled fighter. Add that to the fact that Lewis was clearly better than Bowe and I come up with a convoluted reason why Lewis was the best of the two. I do admit it should be a close call though. A pick-um fight. Tyson still doesn't belong on the same list though and for him to be winning this poll says a lot about the voters.