Mirko Cro Cop talking about sparring Wladimir Klitschko back in 1998

[RedZmaja]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqr2DmW69zg

Turn on the subtitles.

Basically the story goes that Wlad Klitschko needed a southpaw sparring partner and brought in Cro Cop. They were set to spar for 4 rounds. Wladimir was beating the crap out of Cro Cop (in Cro Cop's own words) but then when Cro Cop landed a flurry of his own punches Wlad slipped and fell down. Cro Cop says that it wasn't a legit knockdown that Wlad simply slip when he was trying to dodge the punches. Even though Cro Cop hit him Wlad didn't fall because of a punch. Wlad's trainer however didn't see this carefully enough and thought it was a legit knockdown so he stopped the sparring because Klitschko had a match coming up.

Cro Cop says that there was some sneaky "manager" with him however who called the press and told them that "Cro Cop knocked out Wladimir Klitschko" and that some woman journalist picked it up and made a story out of it.

Cro Cop was pretty pissed at the journalist because it made him look like he was making up things and it made him look like an idiot in Wlad's eyes. Cro Cop says that Wlad was a great guy that's why he didn't like what the female journalist did.

Pretty classy from Cro Cop, some guys would probably go along with the media story and lie and brag about it, especially these days. Hell look at the drama between Paulie and Conor. Cro Cop is clearly way above that.

[Willy Wanker]

Cool story. Klitschko and Cro Cop are real men. They're two of my favorite fighters from their respective sports.

Conor and Paulie are childish boys in comparison.

[RedZmaja]

Cool story. Klitschko and Cro Cop are real men. They're two of my favorite fighters from their respective sports.

Cro Cop was always very honest. Like I said most fighters would probably run with the media-fabricated story in his place. Imagine if the media started rumors that some boxer knocked out Joshua in sparring. That boxer would likely go along with it even if it wasn't true just for the publicity and hype. Hell, fighters like Conor even try to fabricate things themselves.

Cro Cop however wanted no part of it. Years ago Cro Cop also defended his rival Nogueira because journalists wrote bad about him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyph84GvWwY

Cro Cop and Wlad are big secure men, strong heavyweights. They don't need to talk trash to look tough.

[Willy Wanker]

Cro Cop was always very honest. Like I said most fighters would probably run with the media-fabricated story in his place. Imagine if the media started rumors that some boxer knocked out Joshua in sparring. That boxer would likely go along with it even if it wasn't true just for the publicity and hype. Hell, fighters like Conor even try to fabricate things themselves.

Cro Cop however wanted no part of it. Years ago Cro Cop also defended his rival Nogueira because journalists wrote bad about him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyph84GvWwY

Cro Cop and Wlad are big secure men, strong heavyweights. They don't need to talk trash to look tough.

Yeah, shows a lot of character. That's why I've always been a fan of Cro Cop. Reminds me of how Golovkin downplays the success he had against Canelo when they sparred years ago saying Canelo was a lot younger back then and how sparring is sparring, but fighting is different.

Morales also downplayed the success he had against Floyd as well, it was other people who keep bringing that up. But Morales never says much about it.

Nowadays, especially in the MMA scene, so many fighters brag about what they did in sparring. Recently Cody Garbardnt was bragging about knocking out TJ Dillashaw in sparring. He did release the footage and it was only a flash knockdown. When did they fight, Dillashaw ended up knocking him out which was sweet justice.

I've always thought it was some kind of unwritten code to keep whatever happens in sparring or training private.

[RedZmaja]

Nowadays, especially in the MMA scene, so many fighters brag about what they did in sparring. Recently Cody Garbardnt was bragging about knocking out TJ Dillashaw in sparring. He did release the footage and it was only a flash knockdown. When did they fight, Dillashaw ended up knocking him out which was sweet justice.

I've always thought it was some kind of unwritten code to keep whatever happens in sparring or training private.

Sparring doesn't mean much. You never know what kind of shape the fighters are in or if they're trying their best. Anyone can get caught in sparring.

[McNulty]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqr2DmW69zg

Turn on the subtitles.

Basically the story goes that Wlad Klitschko needed a southpaw sparring partner and brought in Cro Cop. They were set to spar for 4 rounds. Wladimir was beating the crap out of Cro Cop (in Cro Cop's own words) but then when Cro Cop landed a flurry of his own punches Wlad slipped and fell down. Cro Cop says that it wasn't a legit knockdown that Wlad simply slip when he was trying to dodge the punches. Even though Cro Cop hit him Wlad didn't fall because of a punch. Wlad's trainer however didn't see this carefully enough and thought it was a legit knockdown so he stopped the sparring because Klitschko had a match coming up.

Cro Cop says that there was some sneaky "manager" with him however who called the press and told them that "Cro Cop knocked out Wladimir Klitschko" and that some woman journalist picked it up and made a story out of it.

Cro Cop was pretty pissed at the journalist because it made him look like he was making up things and it made him look like an idiot in Wlad's eyes. Cro Cop says that Wlad was a great guy that's why he didn't like what the female journalist did.

Pretty classy from Cro Cop, some guys would probably go along with the media story and lie and brag about it, especially these days. Hell look at the drama between Paulie and Conor. Cro Cop is clearly way above that.

Great story and thanks for sharing!

CroCop is a real man UNLIKE McWelfare.

[RedZmaja]

Great story and thanks for sharing!

Cro Cop is a real man UNLIKE McWelfare.

In the same interview Cro Cop openly admitted that he is not impressed by Conman:

https://www.boxingscene.com/forums/showthread.php?t=766922

Cro Cop knows that this guy is a fraud.

[strykr619]

CroCop is his prime was a monster.... (Legit killer). That and his special forces background also was part of the mystique.

[RedZmaja]

[McNulty]

In the same interview Cro Cop openly admitted that he is not impressed by Conman:

https://www.boxingscene.com/forums/showthread.php?t=766922

Cro Cop knows that this guy is a fraud.

Always been a fan of CroCop. MMA got stale for me after the first 10 or so and I quit. Seeing CroCop in PRIDE got me back into the sport for a spell which was the pinnacle for MMA imho.

CroCop and Fedor are the two best MMA fighters in history. When they talk, I listen.