Quote Originally Posted by Bilbo View Post
Quote Originally Posted by Memphis View Post
Quote Originally Posted by Bilbo View Post

Excessive size is no advantage on its own in heavyweight boxing and anyone who has watched the sport for as long as you have knows that.
Spot on, which is why Haye managed to smash and grab Valuev. He couldnt do that to Wlad because Wlad is perfectly sized, any bigger he'd start to lose mobility, any shorter it makes him and easier target to get to.
If he was perfectly sized then Jameel Mcline and Tye Fields would be naturals too.

I think its more a case of both he and his brother use their natural genetics to their best advantage. He fights in the perfect way to utilise his height and reach. Its too simplistic to say Wlad is 6ft 6 and 240 lbs therefore he is good. You could just as easily (in fact far more likely) see a 6ft 6 240lb fighter who was mediocre, slow and cumbersome.

Wlad wins because he is a great fighter. Sure his frame helps, just as Roy Jones was helped by his natural athleticism. But he should be given full credit for it, just like Jones Jr.
Absolutely spot on.

If it was just a case of Wlad being too big for Haye then Valuev would have beaten him as well. Wlad is undoubtedly very limited, but he manages to get the very best out of what he has got and makes sure he uses his physically advantage well.

Tyson used the fact that he was a small heavyweight to his advantage. He gave a height, reach and weight advantage away to almost everyone he ever fought yet he still managed to demolish everything put in front of him in his prime.

Haye just ran and stunk the place out. When things didn't go for him he tried to cheat and get Wlad disqualified or points deductions. I don't think I have ever seen a fighter throw himself to the canvas in every round like Haye did.

I'm not surprised Wlad couldn't get the knockout because Haye was constantly moving backwards. Even the couple of decent right hands that got through caught Haye as he was moving away from the punch so he didn't take the full impact of them at all.