Originally Posted by
TitoFan
Master defensive fighters are to be admired. Pernell Whitaker, Wilfredo Benitez, Floyd Mayweather. But they are/were there to fight and defeat their opponent. They don't/didn't cringe from engaging for fear of getting tagged.
You see, Wlad knows his chin ain't shit. He knows one good shot and he'll be laid out. What did Ali used to do? He would lean back, let the punch sail by, and throw a counter of his own. Same with Floyd and his shoulder roll. Something's coming back at you.
A few issues with your post:
1) I find it odd that we're saying a guy with 50 KO's in 59 wins doesn't come to fight and defeat his opponents, but guys like Pernell Whitaker (37% KO ratio), Benitez (50% KO ratio) and Mayweather (60% KO ratio) do.
Odd yes... impossible no. You got to look at the big picture here. Knockout ratios alone don't tell the story. Many of those 50 Wlad KO victims came into the ring like scared sacrificial lambs. If he fought aggresive, he would have a higher ratio. The other three guys fought opposition LIGHT-YEARS ahead of anything Wlad has ever faced.
2) I think it's unfair to compare the defensive behaviours of Wladimir, a 6'7'' 250lb guy fighting in the Heavyweight division, with the defensive behaviours of smaller guys like Whitaker, Benitez and Mayweather.
a) Heavyweights obviously hit with a lot more force than a welterweight, so standing in front of a heavyweight and utilizing risky infighting defense is often not conducive with success, especially when we're talking about a guy who is often 5-7 inches taller than his opponent.
"Standing in front of a heavyweight" is your key phrase here, and I don't anyone here is claiming you have to stand in front of anybody in order to be exciting to the fans. And the only choices are not a) standing in front of a heavyweight, or b) risky infighting. There are defensive moves that can be employed from a distance convenient to the fighter. The key is to look for openings while you're employing your defense.
b) Smaller guys are obviously a lot more agile than 6'7'' giants, so using quick head movement/slick countering/ect is more commonplace in those weight divisions.
Small guys will be quicker, yes. Matter of physics. But there's been plenty of big guys who have been adept at defensive styles that suit their size. Defense with the purpose of positioning yourself for offense.
c) Pernell, Mayweather and Benitez were (and are) very much "safety first" guys. Like Wlad, they chose their punches wisely and rarely ever got out of their comfort zones.
"Safety first" or not, these all-time greats used a variety of defensive moves. They ducked under punches and went to the body... they knew how to use the shoulder to deflect punches... they had quick reflexes, which enabled them to move out of the way of punches without losing their balance and remaining in the position to strike back.
3. I think it's hypocritical to slam Wlad's defense and praise Ali. When it comes to Ali, people seem to remember his career in convenient HL reels: him KOing Foreman, beating down Liston, duking it out with Frazier in Manilla. Truth is, Ali stunk out plenty of arenas with his dancing, "jab and run" style. People remember the first and third Frazier fight, but no one seems to recall the 2nd fight where Ali pioneered the "jab and grab" style (later perfected by John Ruiz) and put everyone to sleep. Ali had a great beard, but hated to get hit (like any rational human being) and largely fought a "safety first" style. Same as Wlad.
Ali could be TOTALLY maddening at times, with his grabbing and holding behind the head. Some of his fights could be rather frustrating for fans. But once again, he never looked scared or out of control in there. And when faced with flurries from the opponent, he also had a variety of defensive maneuvers he performed very well.
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