When has Wlad taken a flush shot and survived? (Post video clips)

[TitoFan]

All boxers take punches in a fight but Wlad has perfected his style so that he does not get hit cleanly which is the name of the game. It is for the opponent to test Wlad’s chin and if they can not get to it and expose it then that is their fault and not Walds.

"Style" being the operative word here.
In Wlad's case, "style" is synonymous with "petrified avoidance of meaningful exchanges."

Isn't it a bit of a double standard to describe Wlad's defense as "petrified avoidance of meaningful exchanges," yet describe other defensive fighters as having great defense?

The point of boxing is to hit and not be hit. If Wlad hasn't been hit flush in 8 years, doesn't that just mean he is very effective at his craft? He's not ever in grand ole' toss ups, like Golovkin, but he works with his strengths and minimizes his weaknesses, as good as anyone in the ring today.

@Rantcatrat , there's a fine line between being a defensive genius, and being downright scared of getting your chin touched. Defensive geniuses evade or block punches, and many times come right back with a counterpunch. There's a purpose behind the defense. You can see it in the boxer's body language. Let's go down a few weight divisions. Whitaker and Benitez were defensive wizards (much as Floyd is also). They artfully dodged the opponents' shots, but never looked scared or out of control. Their opponents weren't scared of them either, so most of the time they were on the offensive.

Wlad, maybe because he's been KO'ed several times, fights like he's deathly afraid of getting that chin tagged. He makes fights boring, because he's unwilling to pull the trigger when the opponent is there to be had. Exhibit A: the Sultan fight. That was possibly the worst HW fight in the history of boxing. Sultan unwilling to throw meaningful shots at Wlad... and Wlad pawing at Sultan, wary of the left hand. All frigging 12 rounds long. The very few times Wlad does get tagged, he seems out of control. His eyes widen as if to say: "Oh no... here we go again."

So no... I don't think it's a double standard at all. IMO, of course.

There is a difference in the method of defense. I agree there is more skill involved with Locche's, Benvenuti's, or Floyd's defense. But, at its most elemental, defense means avoiding attack. The motivation behind both is to avoid punches. Both have the same result. Do you think Floyd's defense is for a different purpose? Wlad uses his natural advantages, length and reach, as his defense.

The point is that it is EFFECTIVE. Few have been able to penetrate it in 8 years.

As you saw in my other post, my friend, Wlad isn't going to win any "chin" contests. He also can't fight on the inside if you want to criticize him. But, he's developed a style that is damn effective, albeit boring at times.

There is no argument against it being effective. It's been 17 fights and almost 9 years since his last knockout loss to Lamon Brewster. And you're right... the basic purpose of defense is to not get hit. No argument there either.

I think Wlad catches so much flak from fans because, let's face it... boxing is generally a fan-friendly sport. Most of us tune in not only to see good defense, but good offense as well. Personally, I'd rather watch a good chess match than to watch a fight where both combatants are reluctant to engage for fear of bodily harm. At least in a chess match I know what I'm going to get.

Don't get me wrong. I love good defensive fighters. Wilfred Benitez was the pride of Puerto Rico during his time, and I still love to watch his fights. Whitaker was a master at defense... yet he never looked scared. Floyd, regardless of his personality, is a joy to watch in the ring (in most, if not all, of his fights).

Point is... if you're employing your defense with a strategy to (at some point) engage and defeat your opponent, via knockout or just sheer domination... that's fine and admirable. But when you're just plain scared to death of getting tagged, while at the same time your opponent is (comically) just as scared of you... well... it just doesn't get any uglier than some of Wlad's fights in recent years.

Effective? Yes. Does he get his "W"? Yes. Is he amassing great "W-L" numbers? Absolutely. Is he giving fans what they expect out of a heavyweight fight? That, Rant, depends on which fans you ask.

Oh... I almost forgot to mention one very important point. Some Wlad fans claim he's not all that popular in the States because he's not American. That's a copout answer, IMO. In my opinion, Wlad isn't all that popular in the States because of his boring, defense-at-all-costs fighting style.