Two guys who get criticized for not punching enough: Floyd and Wlad

[TitoFan]

Let's compare these two champions, shall we?

Let's dispense with the preamble, first. Floyd is not a good role model as a human being, and is generally disliked by the general public. He gets booed even in his own home country. Wlad is a decent enough guy, very educated, and generally liked outside the boxing ring.

Ok, now let's talk about their boxing styles.

Floyd is getting tons of criticism over the Pacquiao fight.... whereas Wlad is getting criticized over his effort in the Jennings fight.
What's the difference?

Let's enumerate them:

1. Floyd is a master at defensive boxing. He's got the shoulder roll..... he's got cobra-like reflexes as he leans away from punches and then hits you with counter rights..... he uses his feet and the ring with excellent ring generalship. He'll clinch when he has to, but what boxer doesn't clinch once in awhile? It's not excessive by boxing standards. He fights defensively, but doesn't look like a scared deer in the process. He rarely fouls or wrestles his opponent.

2. Wlad has obviously retained a vivid memory of his three atrocious KO losses earlier in his career. Knowing his chin is made of fine china, he protects it in any way he can muster, legal or illegal...... pretty or ugly..... whatever the hell it takes. If it takes making a stinker of a fight, so be it. His defense against a true and aggressive puncher many times takes the form of grappling, leaning, mauling, and other awkward and annoying habits, which turn the fight from boxing into some sort of WWE bullshit.

3. Floyd has fought some very good fighters who have come to try and defeat Floyd. Look at the lineup of opponents. Even Canelo, who embarrassed himself and his fans with his complete shutout at the hands of Floyd, was actually trying to beat Floyd.

4. Most of Wlad's opponents walk into the ring as if they were death row inmates being led toward the electric chair. With a stinky bulge in the back of their trunks, and waiting for the axe to fall. When the rare opponent shows up who's not afraid to fight Wlad (like Povetkin or Jennings), Wlad proceeds to smother them, grapple with them, hold them..... etc, etc, blah, blah, ad nauseaum.



Floyd is undefeated, and Wlad hasn't been defeated in many years. Both are undisputedly the best in their divisions, and among the top p4p of current fighters. But this is where the similarities end. I'm not the biggest fan of Floyd's style, as I like a little more offense. But I'd rather watch Floyd fight ANY TIME rather than having to suffer through one of Wlad's borefests.

[Freedom]

I didn't like the holding against Povetkin and several other opponents of the past few years, but still I prefer to watch Klitschko.

Klitschko tries to KO all his opponents. He went for the KO in the later rounds against Jennings. He stops about 80% of his opponents, many of whom are undefeated, and he has the most KO wins in title fights of any HW champion in history.

Mayweather didn't even try to stop over-matched smaller men like Guerrero, Marquez nor even an injured and faded Pacquiao.

[TitoFan]

I didn't like the holding against Povetkin and several other opponents of the past few years, but still I prefer to watch Klitschko.

Klitschko tries to KO all his opponents. He went for the KO in the later rounds against Jennings. He stops about 80% of his opponents, many of whom are undefeated, and he has the most KO wins in title fights of any HW champion in history.

Mayweather didn't even try to stop over-matched smaller men like Guerrero, Marquez nor even an injured and faded Pacquiao.

Wrong. Did he try to KO Haye? Did he try to KO Sultan? Did he try to KO Povetkin? Haye talked insurmountable amounts of shit ahead of their fight. That alone should've been enough motivation for Wlad to shut that loud mouth convincingly. Sultan was meekly lying in wait to see if he could catch Wlad with a big counter left hand. Wlad on the other hand was aware of the left hand, and happily pawed his way to an excruciatingly nasty 12-round decision. Povetkin was there to fight.... but Wlad had other plans.

The difference is this: Wlad has the power, reach, and build to KO opponents. But he's afraid of getting his chin looked at sternly. Floyd has never been a puncher. He's a master boxer, like him or not. That's his style. Yes.... he probably should've taken out Pacquiao, to put that exclamation mark in there. But he won the way he always does. It was on Pacquiao to make the fight entertaining, the way Maidana and Cotto had done before him. But he didn't.... he failed.

[Freedom]

Wrong. Did he try to KO Haye? Did he try to KO Sultan? Did he try to KO Povetkin?

Yes. Klitschko DID try to knock out those three opponents.

Haye was much more cautious than Wladimir - he seemed terrified after Wlad hurt him in the 5th round.

Sultan was being urged by Jeff Mayweather to be cautious and not get stopped. He was badly hurt at the end of the 11th round. Keep in mind, no one else ever stopped Sultan either.

Povetkin was down several times, but he has a good chin and tremendous heart.

Klitschko always tries for the KO, but it isn't easy when your opponents go into survival mode.

[El Kabong]

When the rare opponent shows up who's not afraid to fight Wlad (like Povetkin or Jennings)

Bryant Jennings threw 376 total punches vs Wlad, just over 31 punches a round and Alexander Povetkin threw 283 total punches vs Wlad, 23.5 per round....but those guys "came to win" ....ok TitoFan


Here's the difference for you....1 fighter you EXPECT a KO with (giving or receiving), the other fighter is Floyd Mayweather Jr.. You watch who you want to watch, that's fine, you don't like Wlad then don't watch his fights, I don't like Floyd, but I respect what he does in the ring, it's not easy to do that's why he is a great fighter that's why they are both great fighters.

[IamInuit]

Wlad clenched 96 times vs. Jennings
That's avg 8 clinches per round.

Clinch avg 10 seconds..
That's 80 seconds per round just clinching
That's 1.3 min per round clinching..
41% of each round was clinching.

Some clinches were longer than 10 seconds


Wlad fights nothing like Floyd

[TitoFan]

When the rare opponent shows up who's not afraid to fight Wlad (like Povetkin or Jennings)

Bryant Jennings threw 376 total punches vs Wlad, just over 31 punches a round and Alexander Povetkin threw 283 total punches vs Wlad, 23.5 per round....but those guys "came to win" ....ok TitoFan

"Came to win" as in not being scared to engage, Lyle. Number of punches for Jennings and Povetkin is a useless stat in this case. How many punches are you going to be able to throw in a round when you're being grappled by a giant octopus who's bent on avoiding a stiff breeze to the chin?

The point remains. Wlad is a very big, tall, powerful heavyweight with long reach and huge power in both hands. Ready made to KO opponents. Floyd is a graceful, extremely skilled, athletic, defensive master who puts on the same boxing show every time out. I don't expect KO's from Floyd, but I certainly expect them from Wlad. To see the circus act of both Wlad and his opponent scared shitless of each other (see: Wlad-Sultan) and pawing through 12 nauseating rounds is torture.

You're right. We watch who we want to watch. That's why I'm dying to have Wilder step up and challenge Wlad. He may or may not be ready at this point, but I want him to get to Wlad before Wlad says..... "Oh gee... look at the time. Time for me to retire." And conveniently avoids Wilder. We'll see how much clinching Wlad will get away with then.

[corvette]

I didn't like the holding against Povetkin and several other opponents of the past few years, but still I prefer to watch Klitschko.

Klitschko tries to KO all his opponents. He went for the KO in the later rounds against Jennings. He stops about 80% of his opponents, many of whom are undefeated, and he has the most KO wins in title fights of any HW champion in history.

Mayweather didn't even try to stop over-matched smaller men like Guerrero, Marquez nor even an injured and faded Pacquiao.

Wrong. Did he try to KO Haye? Did he try to KO Sultan? Did he try to KO Povetkin? Haye talked insurmountable amounts of shit ahead of their fight. That alone should've been enough motivation for Wlad to shut that loud mouth convincingly. Sultan was meekly lying in wait to see if he could catch Wlad with a big counter left hand. Wlad on the other hand was aware of the left hand, and happily pawed his way to an excruciatingly nasty 12-round decision. Povetkin was there to fight.... but Wlad had other plans.

The difference is this: Wlad has the power, reach, and build to KO opponents. But he's afraid of getting his chin looked at sternly. Floyd has never been a puncher. He's a master boxer, like him or not. That's his style. Yes.... he probably should've taken out Pacquiao, to put that exclamation mark in there. But he won the way he always does. It was on Pacquiao to make the fight entertaining, the way Maidana and Cotto had done before him. But he didn't.... he failed.

Excellent points.

[imp]

Floyd has bad hands and can still pot shot his way to victory.

Imagine if his hands were still the same in the earlier part of his career.

[Master]

Floyd does not have power and will knock out anyone ever. His boxing skills are sublime, his performance against Shane was flawless after round 2.

Wlad has power and can stop his opponents if he wants but is overly cautious.

I prefer to watch Wlad because he can be more exciting.

[Beanflicker]

Floyd's usually fight guys who outweigh him too, he's really not a natural WW (neither is Pac though). Brittle hands + mediocre power + much larger opponents = not many KOs.

[corvette]

Floyd does not have power and will knock out anyone ever. His boxing skills are sublime, his performance against Shane was flawless after round 2.

Wlad has power and can stop his opponents if he wants but is overly cautious.

I prefer to watch Wlad because he can be more exciting.

hahahahahaha

Somebody get this scab some new bifocles.

[Mr140]

I am no fan of Wald but he has had some fucking great kos and has been the champ for fucking 10 years and for his holding well if Ali the greatest did it win i am ok with it. Some of Alis fights he would fucking head lock his opponent the whole time and could even more boring then Wald is.

[brocktonblockbust]

96 clinches I believe it. Point is: the refs are sissies. After 10 warnings, a point should be taken. No more warnings. Another point should be taken. Another point should be taken. Another point should be taken. Another and another and another and guess fucking what?!?!?!?!

that 118-111 score now becomes 111-109 VICTORY FOR JENNINGS.

THAT'S HOW TO REF AND SCORE A FIGHT.

[mikeeod]

Wlad has a much higher KO percentage and I would rather watch his fights. I won't watch anymore of Floyds fights at this point. I admire his work ethic and defensive ability, I don't think he is as bad as he seems out of the ring (trying to sell tickets), but the guy just doesn't excite me at all in the ring. I haven't been impressed or excited by his in ring performance since the Hatton fight. Against Maidana and Pac he clearly won but he did so by making sure both he and his opponent were outside of punching range for the majority of the fight. No more Floyd PPVs for me.