Emanuel Steward: I Could Not Train A Man to Beat Wladimir Klitschko

**Bushbaby** · 07-13-2010, 12:57 PM

Please,Vitali would starch his a$$!!Without Stewart training him!!

**Shabba Rank$** · 07-13-2010, 12:58 PM

You can't but I can.

**FIBONACCI** · 07-13-2010, 01:00 PM

I gotta agree with Steward.

If you can't land a lucky punch (which is very possible), you won't be able to beat Wlad.

...Especially via decision.

He hits your lead hand down, jabs alls day and throws a very hard right hand that opponents rarely ever see coming because he jabs them blind.

His hook is also very good.

The biggest problem these guys have when fighting him is that he fights tall, uses his height very well, and once you get close... HE CLINCHES!

Impossible to get in range.

**T.Horton** · 07-13-2010, 01:01 PM

Lennox would have - sorry Manny.

**qwerty07** · 07-13-2010, 01:06 PM

Originally posted by Tim Horton

Lennox would have - sorry Manny.

You sound like you know more than Manny. I mean, Manny only trained both of them while you've seen them on TV, so I guess you did have a chance to find out more about them than Manny...

**Heru** · 07-13-2010, 01:14 PM

Until Wladimir proves it against a Hall of Fame caliber opponent, it's an invalid point. Hall of Famers overcome size with talent, skills, conditioning, and determination.

Steward is right about Wlad's speed though, he's very fast for his size. People talk about power this, jab that, but it's because they don't know what they're looking at, they know what they're told (usually observations from announcers). Never heard any announcer mention his speed.

**Rick Grimes** · 07-13-2010, 01:32 PM

This is from an interview done after the one from which the the TS quote was taken from.

Q: Now Manny, I don’t mean to put you on the spot with this last question, but I have to ask: Prime for prime, how do you think a match-up between Wladimir Klitschko and Lennox Lewis would have gone down?

(laughs)To me, that’s the most talked about match out there. That, and a match between Wladimir Klitschko and Vitali Klitschko, are the most talked about. A lot of people don’t want to say it, but those are the two biggest questions in heavyweight boxing for probably the last ten years. It’s true, and I will give you the honest truth.

To me, having been involved throughout my career with three signature fighters—which I’m very fortunate, because not too many people have that—and those were Tommy Hearns, and Lennox and Wladimir. And I would say, knowing both of those guys, I could tell you the strong points of each and you’ll have to decide who will win, because I really don’t know.

Lennox was the type of a guy that, he was considerably a much stronger man then people realized. I did have the privilege of training guys who had fought him. I trained Shannon Briggs, and the first thing he told me was, “I was just amazed at how physically strong Lennox was. I mean, when you punch him he blocks punches like he’s a big tree trunk.” He’s physically strong, and people don’t realize that. I also trained Henry Akinwande, and he told me the same thing. He said, “Lennox’s strength is what you don’t see or realize until you’re in the ring with him and he’s an extremely strong man.” Lennox, I thought, had a pretty good jab and a right hand, but his biggest advantage was that Lennox was a very physical guy, and when he had to, he could resort to being extremely physical and do what he had to do win. If he had to, he would rough you up.

I remember in the fight with Rid**** Bowe in the Olympics. He realized that he had lost in the 1984 Olympics and he waited four years, and he was losing again. He actually lost the first round, and he just came storming out in that second round and just crushed Bowe. He just overpowered him. That’s one of the things about Lennox is that he could find a way to win when he had to. Then he also had the fight with Vitali. After he came back after the third or fourth round, I said, “We’re losing the fight. You’re used to being the tall guy, backing up and being out of range, but this guy is so awkward he’s hitting you with punches that you don’t see coming.” I said, “We got to go to the streets. When you jab, don’t just snap the jab—push all the way through so you can push him off balance. Throw the left hook, and if you miss with the hook, **** him to the shoulders. Just start doggin’ him now.” And Lennox was the type of guy who would look at you and say, “Okay.” We also had to do that in the (Ray) Mercer fight. Going into the last two rounds, I said the same type of thing, and Lennox was able to do a variety of things. He could become very physical when he had to and he had a variety of punches, too. He developed a good uppercut, which we used a lot, especially with guys like Vitali and Michael Grant.

Wladimir didn’t possess all those things. Some guys, they just have one or two things that they can do so well. Like Ali, for example, would just basically move and throw a one-two. He didn’t throw punches to the body, and he didn’t throw the left hook to the body, but he did things so well that just those one or two things could offset everything else. Wladimir has balance that is unlike anybody I have ever seen. His balance and positioning is great. The man is six foot six, but he has the ability to move in-and-out, in-and-out, keep his balance, and he throws straight simple punches very effectively.

Even guys who have fought him, like Chris Byrd. He said, “After the first time I lost to Wladimir I thought it was because he was bigger than me. He was bigger physically and just threw me around. After the second time we fought, I think he could have weighed 210 pounds and he would have beaten me because I could not see his punches, particularly his right hand.” He said, “He was hitting me with the jab, and his jab was so accurate that every time I tried to get set, he moved back and broke my rhythm and even though I was watching his right hand, ya know, when I got knocked down the first time, I asked my dad what he hit me with and he said ‘the right hand’. And I said but I was watching the right hand, and he never threw it.” That’s how accurate he is with his punches. Byrd couldn’t see the punches. Even though he was watching, he still never saw them when they came.

Just based on his physical size, he’s about 240 pounds, six foot six and the ability to move in and out, punch accurately, and develop good stamina and the ability to think—against Lennox? Honestly, myself, I don’t know. I really don’t know. That’s a fight that as a fan, I would have loved to have seen. It would have been a very interesting fight.

http://www.********boxing.com/news.php?p=20737&more=1

He says he don't know who would win in a fight with Wlad and Lewis, but you've got to take into consideration that he is currently employed by Wlad and it would be in his interest to keep him sweet.

**Chuckguy** · 07-13-2010, 01:53 PM

I think a prime Holy, Tyson, Bowe all beat Vlad. He isnt that difficult to figure out. People are just obsessed with getting to that suspect chin. If you try and box and keep a busy Jab you will beat Vlad
but I guess until someone does it this all means nothing

**TheMagicMan** · 07-13-2010, 02:35 PM

Originally posted by Chuckguy

I think a prime Holy, Tyson, Bowe all beat Vlad. He isnt that difficult to figure out. People are just obsessed with getting to that suspect chin. If you try and box and keep a busy Jab you will beat Vlad
but I guess until someone does it this all means nothing

Prime bowe is an enigma. I will give you that. Like Tyson, his prime was so short that its become that of legend. I mean when was Bowe's prime. Ive hard some say it was around the first tillery fight. Ive heard first Holyfield fight as well although to me he was looking fat around 1992..The only truly good fighter he took on was Holyfield. To me the next best was Golota who was beating him pretty badly in both fights but just likes to hit people in the junk. Hide was alright, and a champ, but the man got killed by all big heavies. I mean a pretty green Vitali mercilessly beat him and it only took 2 rounds. So as for Bowe, I cant say I know, but Bowe's prime consisted of about 6 months in my opinion. Same with Tyson, who knows, fighting a wheeled out Holmes and blown up light heavies isnt necessarily class fighter. Both Tyson and Bowe ducked eachother and the best guy either of them beat around either Klitschko's size (not counting Golota cause Klitschko's arent morons and wont hit people in the junk over and over again) was Michael Dokes. So I cant say, prime bowe would lose anymore than you can say prime bowe would win, what I can say is I think Wlad and Vitali both have had better careers than Bowe or Tyson.

Also heres my problem with the way people view Wlad, Vitali and even RJJ...they talk about their entire careers. Its oh, but remember Ross Purrity, or remember the Byrd fight, or remember what Tarver did etc...Whenever people talk about past icons they always talk about their prime. Ali's prime according to experts on here consisted of a time when he wasnt even boxing, or Tysons prime ended when he turned 21, etc...Also with Bowe, Lewis and Tyson, they ducked eachother, all of them, the only man of that era was Holyfield, Holyfield would get in the ring against anyone. wlad and vitali, love em or hate em, theyll go into a war with anyone. 6 years ago, VItali's training for some undercard match, 12 days before it Lewis calls him up, Vitali takes the fight. When Bowe had to fight Lewis, he threw the belt in the trash.

As for Holyfield, I just think theres enough evidence otu there to show that Wlad would hurt Holyfield at any point in his career. Holyfield wasnt afraid of anything, and thats why hed get hurt by Wlad. It made him Tyson's kryptonite, but he struggled against big guys, beaten up twice by Bowe (borderline 3x imo), lost once and drew once to Lewis, really struggled with fat old big George. Im sorry, you wont ever beat Wlad on points, he throws too many punches and hits you too much and if you still think his chin is weak, that doesnt help Holyfield who never had the power to down the big guys. Sorry, but Wlad would be a nightmare for even the prime Holy. I like HOly a lot, he was a fearless guy, but against Wlad or Vitali today he'd stand no chance in my mind.

Emanuel Steward: I Could Not Train A Man to Beat Wladimir Klitschko