Comments Thread For: George Foreman: Klischko Was Afraid To Engage Haye

[JAB5239]

I have to be honest I thought Wlad was going to go into the fight and try to rip Haye's head off. But, after he realized that Haye himself was playing safety first he did what he always has done and won the fight easy. And when has Wlad ever turned someone into a pizza face? In all his knockouts I have never even seen one of his opponents cut much less made into anything close to resembling a pizza that I can think of. And I believe Wlad was and still is happy and content and he has the WBA belt and is mega rich. And despite what his detractors say or do five or so years after he retires he will have a place right next to Big George himself when he is inducted into both the World Boxing and the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

He's a sure fire hall of famer and at least a top 20 ATG, but I just don't think he'll ever crack the top 10 ATG's because of his comp, which is of course out of his hands. As far as how he performed against Haye, you very well may be right.Than I again I may be, who knows for sure? But the criticism is warranted just as it is when Mayweather hypes a fight just to go in and play it safe. As fans of the SPORT we all want to see the best fighters use all their tools, especially over an obviously inferior opponent with no chance to win. This is why I believe Wlad is afraid to be hit. Vitaly would have never been content to jab his way to a W, especially against a foe only willing to throw one punch at a time. I just find it very disappointing.

[Ravens Fan]

He's a sure fire hall of famer and at least a top 20 ATG, but I just don't think he'll ever crack the top 10 ATG's because of his comp, which is of course out of his hands. As far as how he performed against Haye, you very well may be right.Than I again I may be, who knows for sure? But the criticism is warranted just as it is when Mayweather hypes a fight just to go in and play it safe. As fans of the SPORT we all want to see the best fighters use all their tools, especially over an obviously inferior opponent with no chance to win. This is why I believe Wlad is afraid to be hit. Vitaly would have never been content to jab his way to a W, especially against a foe only willing to throw one punch at a time. I just find it very disappointing.

I have really never thought about Wlad as far top 10 ATG but I will agree with your assessment. And he is still fighting so who knows he may still crack your top ten. However, I really don't know how anyone can really blame him for not delivering on the pre-fight hype since he never really did any smack talking. Simply because it is not his style and he is not very good at it. I'd bet you would get more out of him if you asked him about golf or playing chess then you would on what he was going to do to Haye. What I am saying is that some seem to write off Haye's hype as him selling the fight and then claim Wlad did not deliver. When in reality this fight was almost identical with the Ibragimov fight as far as the numbers are concerned. And I am way down the food chain, and as much as hoped it would happen, in reality I knew that Wlad was going to stand back and flick his jab and only take the knock out if it really opened up to him. I knew so I am sure most of the so called experts had a pretty good idea on what was going to happen. So, to me the real intangible was what was Haye going to do. And unfortunately he fell flat, literally a few times, and failed to deliver on any of his hype, while Wlad was just Wlad.

[JAB5239]

I have really never thought about Wlad as far top 10 ATG but I will agree with your assessment. And he is still fighting so who knows he may still crack your top ten.

It isn't something I would rule completely out, just something I think unlikely. Crazier things have happened.

However, I really don't know how anyone can really blame him for not delivering on the pre-fight hype since he never really did any smack talking. Simply because it is not his style and he is not very good at it. I'd bet you would get more out of him if you asked him about golf or playing chess then you would on what he was going to do to Haye. What I am saying is that some seem to write off Haye's hype as him selling the fight and then claim Wlad did not deliver. When in reality this fight was almost identical with the Ibragimov fight as far as the numbers are concerned. And I am way down the food chain, and as much as hoped it would happen, in reality I knew that Wlad was going to stand back and flick his jab and only take the knock out if it really opened up to him. I knew so I am sure most of the so called experts had a pretty good idea on what was going to happen. So, to me the real intangible was what was Haye going to do. And unfortunately he fell flat, literally a few times, and failed to deliver on any of his hype, while Wlad was just Wlad.

If I come off harsher on Wlad than I do Haye its because I expect more from him. But that comes down to a style of fighting I prefer. I know Wlad has the tools to blow out fighters like Haye and Ibragimov. Steward knows it to. But of course Haye is as much to blame (maybe even more) for the fight being a stinker.

[LeadUppercut]

Very good post. The only thing I would change is the word "positively". He won decisively, so that is a positive. I would say more effectively. Wlad said he couldn't get to Haye because he kept moving. This is true, but he never imposed himself or broke down the body to prevent Haye from moving so much. He was instead content to jab and hold on. Thats fine, but after you boast punishment people are going to expect it. The excuse he kept moving doesn't fly with me because he did nothing to prevent that. He COULD have been more effective if he was willing to work for it instead of being content, and he than would have given himself a better chance to punish Haye.

Fair call, I would accept that.

[LeadUppercut]

He's a sure fire hall of famer and at least a top 20 ATG, but I just don't think he'll ever crack the top 10 ATG's because of his comp, which is of course out of his hands. As far as how he performed against Haye, you very well may be right.Than I again I may be, who knows for sure? But the criticism is warranted just as it is when Mayweather hypes a fight just to go in and play it safe. As fans of the SPORT we all want to see the best fighters use all their tools, especially over an obviously inferior opponent with no chance to win. This is why I believe Wlad is afraid to be hit. Vitaly would have never been content to jab his way to a W, especially against a foe only willing to throw one punch at a time. I just find it very disappointing.

Thats how I see it.

A good win, fine, but highly forgettable nonetheless.

I think that was George's main point also.

Put it this way, before the fight, Steward claimed that fight would be "career-defining" for Wlad.... hopefully Steward is wrong.

[JAB5239]

Thats how I see it.

A good win, fine, but highly forgettable nonetheless.

I think that was George's main point also.

Put it this way, before the fight, Steward claimed that fight would be "career-defining" for Wlad.... hopefully Steward is wrong.

Agreed. If that fine defines his career it won't bode well for him.

[joseph5620]

Foreman was about the same age Vitali is now? But I guess Vitali will never get a pass like your heroes?

George Foreman was awesome back in the 70s when he was destroying top heavyweights like Frazier and Norton, but the 90s version of Foreman was slow and flabby.



It's reveals your ridiculous Klitschko hatred when you bringing up Wlad's fight with Purrity 13 years ago.

Morrison was just an overhyped clubfighter. Lewis, Mercer and even Bentt easily destroyed him. His only decent win was over an old Foreman.

Yes, Wlad's had a few losses too. But be fair and compare Wlad's career accomplishments to Morrison's (he never had the IBF, Ring or WBA titles, just the WBO, which wasn't recognized by many people at the time).

It's interesting how you can bring up a Foreman loss from eighteen years ago at age 43. Then complain about " hatred" for Wladimir Klitschko after his loss from 13 years ago was mentioned. And nobody compared Morrison to Wlad. So why are you? Morrison was compared to Puritty and Morrison is the more accomplished fighter of the two. Nothing you come up with will change that. Stay on topic. If you want to play games with your agenda don't cry when it's used against you.

[klitschkobrofan]

There are no triange theories. Foreman DID become the best heavyweight in the world 20 years after his prime. Moorer was the best HW in the world after beating Holyfield. and that was a Holyfield that had just beaten Bowe and would immediately go on to beat up Ray Mercer as well, worse than Lewis did. And surely you at least respect Lewis, right?

and if 1993 was a weak era, what does that make this? Holyfield deserved to beat beat a top 5 heavyweight in Valuev, and beat him more convincingly than David Haye did...and Haye is considered by most as the 3rd best HW in the world(or he was prior to this last loss). I mean geez.

Hell, what about Foreman beating Briggs at 48? Briggs is somehow going the distance with Vitali years and years after HIS prime. not to mention he beat Liakhovich with terrible asthma and stamina.

You people keep saying the 70s were weak, but in reality 2 fighters from the 70s had success 2 decades later, in their 40s. That is not the sign of a weak era.

Mayweather tends to win.

And doesnt lunge in with sloppy looping right hands, and is wide open for counters.


Wlad should have thrown more, imposed himself. He only really attacked 3 or 4 times through 12 rounds.

... Not to play devils advocate or anything, but if Mayweather fought a guy about 5 inches taller than him, several lbs bigger , with a longer reach, and quick on their feet he might just do that.

[klitschkobrofan]

True Story, In the 1960's the Base Salery, in the NFL, and NBA, was about $10,000 per year; so The GREAT Big Atletes gravatated to the SweetScience, but with the BREAD to be made in these sports TODAY in America, Why would they choose BOXING???

I totally disagree with that reasoning. Go look at the list of current champions by weight division and country they represent http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...xing_champions and you will see in just about all the lighter weights there are not many champions from the United States. For example, I don't think there would be too many Featherweights at any point in history playing football and basketball....

[klitschkobrofan]

at that current time, yes, Moorer was undoubtedly the best HW in the world. Lewis had jsut gotten knocked out by McCall just a few months before. Frankly I dont see how its a guarentee that that version of Lewis would have beaten Moorer either, since this was pre-Steward Lewis.

and Holyfield obviously doesnt/didnt stand a chance against most top heavyweights. but the fact of the matter is that he did deserve a win over a top ten fighter in the world at the time, and that he preformed better against him than the current #3 best HW in the world. thats pretty impressive at 45/46, even if Valuev was a perfect style matchup for Holyfield. Holyfield was WAAAAAY past prime when he fought Valuev.

You seem to pick and choose what you reply to. Ya Holyfield did a good job against Valuev. Actually a really cruiserweight or light weight with movement could have beaten him too with the same game plan. That's the perfect game plan to fight with against Valuev. And ya Holyfield is shot but for a guy like Valuev who his getting close to 40 (actually could be older for all we know-- i read somewhere that he might be older than they say he is) and is a giant, he is way over the hill. A guy that size has a very short career. And you ignored what I said about Byrd. That shows hot over the hill Holyfield is as far as reflexes and being able to deal with a counter puncher which Valuev is not and could never test his reflexes.

As far as your take on Lennox. I undoubtedly believe Lewis could beat Moore and easily beat Foreman at anytime in their career. Mccall got lucky. Simple as that. Just like Rahman. It happens. You give me 10 fights with either one of those guys with Lewis and Lewis beats them 9 times out of 10. The Moore fight was a fluke and Foreman got lucky he was losing that fight.