B. J. Flores' comments on Wlad yesterday

[JT Rock]

Wlad did have a dominant showing and vs the #3 ranked heavyweight in most people's opinions. Ruslan had never had much trouble vs anyone, sure he had a little ring rust vs Drummond but he was undefeated and had beaten some pretty decent competition in his own right and Wlad never let him in the fight....total domination.

The sad thing is had that been David Haye in there the tone of these posts would still be the same, apparently for some people Wlad just hasn't done enough they don't care about the 53 wins they only look at the losses, they don't care about the 47 KO's they only care about the way he gets them....one day when Wlad is old and retired people will look back and come to grips with how much he accomplished and how dominant a fighter he was.

Nope, Never

Holyfield
Prime Bowe
Lewis
Prime Tyson
Michael Moorer

Would all beat Wlad, he is a very mediocre fighter in a lackluster division. I agree no one can outbox him currently, because there all stiffs.

Ruslan#3 yea ok 10 or so years ago he wouldnt even be a top 20.

Wlad is the best now, fine but its the weakest heavyweight era I can ever remember.

Congrats Wlad your king of the garbage dump

[El Kabong]

Nope, Never

Holyfield
Prime Bowe
Lewis
Prime Tyson
Michael Moorer

Would all beat Wlad, he is a very mediocre fighter in a lackluster division. I agree no one can outbox him currently, because there all stiffs.

Ruslan#3 yea ok 10 or so years ago he wouldnt even be a top 20.

Wlad is the best now, fine but its the weakest heavyweight era I can ever remember.

Congrats Wlad your king of the garbage dump

Are those guys fighting right now? Is it 100% certain that those guys could hang with Wladimir No, so all you have is a fucking opinion and I do believe that everyone has an opinion.

"Wlad wouldn't stand a chance vs a Prime ____" ...you can fuck off that's what you can do because a Prime ____ ain't walking through that door. Mike Tyson got beat by Buster Douglas, Kevin McBride and Danny Williams and was getting worked over by Frans Botha before Tyson tried to break his arms....so don't give me this shit.

[Kev]

Nope, Never

Holyfield
Prime Bowe
Lewis
Prime Tyson
Michael Moorer

Would all beat Wlad, he is a very mediocre fighter in a lackluster division. I agree no one can outbox him currently, because there all stiffs.

Ruslan#3 yea ok 10 or so years ago he wouldnt even be a top 20.

Wlad is the best now, fine but its the weakest heavyweight era I can ever remember.

Congrats Wlad your king of the garbage dump

Are those guys fighting right now? Is it 100% certain that those guys could hang with Wladimir No, so all you have is a fucking opinion and I do believe that everyone has an opinion.

"Wlad wouldn't stand a chance vs a Prime ____" ...you can fuck off that's what you can do because a Prime ____ ain't walking through that door. Mike Tyson got beat by Buster Douglas, Kevin McBride and Danny Williams and was getting worked over by Frans Botha before Tyson tried to break his arms....so don't give me this shit.

I agree completely Lyle. People always say this fighter couldn't hang with that one, he'd destroy him in 4 rounds or whatever but its very very very rarely the case when you are talking about the elite of the sport.

The margin of talent and ability is so small that just a slight advantage, even to how a fighter is feeling on the day can make all the difference.

I really doubt Michael Moorer could beat Wladimir, a great fighter but too small and not enough power to hurt a cautious, jabbing Wlad. I think he'd have an excellent chance of beating even a prime Holyfield too for the same reasons.

Tyson, who really knows. Sure he could land immediately and end it in the first couple of rounds or he could have got frustrated, full of self doubt and just imploded. Tyson was never invincible, he always had a weak mindset and he'd have been every bit as intimidated of Wlad as Wlad would of him.

Certainly if Tyson landed it would be lights out but he wasn't very effective against Bonecrusher Smith in his prime and I think Wlad is several levels above that.

If he fought smart the Wlad of today would have a chance of beating even a prime Tyson if he fought a perfect fight, far far lesser men than Wlad have knocked him out so he was in no way unbeatable.

I can't think of a single heavyweight who has ever lived who you could say would certainly have an easy night against Wlad. It's one thing to just say he's chinny and he'll get destroyed but if his jabe stops them from landing and he can keep himself safe then as we've seen he's tremendously difficult to beat.

Sure he could lose to any of the best guys but this idea that all they have to do is turn up is absurd.

And Tyson never beat a heavyweight as good as Wladimir either.

[Spicoli]

He would not defeat a prime Holyfield umm Imo.......Larger & nicely skilled but flawed by regiment.Holyfield would find a way under and come up on the inside.Wlads comfort zone would evaporate and I think Holyfield the better hooker ()

Have to throw in...Moorer was solid boxer-puncher.Fluid hitter with a mental block.If he stood on the outside jabbing to get it,I think Wlad takes him out off range.Some of the better quicker hands at Hvy....but feet not so much.

[Kev]

He would not defeat a prime Holyfield umm Imo.......Larger & nicely skilled but flawed by regiment.Holyfield would find a way under and come up on the inside.Wlads comfort zone would evaporate and I think Holyfield the better hooker ()

Have to throw in...Moorer was solid boxer-puncher.Fluid hitter with a mental block.If he stood on the outside jabbing to get it,I think Wlad takes him out off range.Some of the better quicker hands at Hvy....but feet not so much.

You have no way of proving that Evander would have beaten Wlad. I'm not arguing that Wlad is anywhere near as exciting as Evander or has his chin and toughness, but his size and jab would cause Evander problems, just like it would cause anybody problems.

Evander never beat a prime fighter as good as Wlad with those height and reach advantages. It would have been a very tough fight and could easily have gone either way.

[The Fightfan]

Wlad did have a dominant showing and vs the #3 ranked heavyweight in most people's opinions. Ruslan had never had much trouble vs anyone, sure he had a little ring rust vs Drummond but he was undefeated and had beaten some pretty decent competition in his own right and Wlad never let him in the fight....total domination.

The sad thing is had that been David Haye in there the tone of these posts would still be the same, apparently for some people Wlad just hasn't done enough they don't care about the 53 wins they only look at the losses, they don't care about the 47 KO's they only care about the way he gets them....one day when Wlad is old and retired people will look back and come to grips with how much he accomplished and how dominant a fighter he was.

Nope, Never

Holyfield
Prime Bowe
Lewis
Prime Tyson
Michael Moorer

Would all beat Wlad, he is a very mediocre fighter in a lackluster division. I agree no one can outbox him currently, because there all stiffs.

Ruslan#3 yea ok 10 or so years ago he wouldnt even be a top 20.

Wlad is the best now, fine but its the weakest heavyweight era I can ever remember.

Congrats Wlad your king of the garbage dump

I am sorry Michael Moorer? Are you serious?

[El Kabong]

I just get tired of reading all the hate people have for Wladimir...it's ridiculous

[LEGION]

I don't think it's so much hate as it is reticence about putting his accomplishments on a high pedestal against limited opposition. Most of us miss the old days of heavyweights andWlad unfortunately gets and will continue to get put in a light next to them.

I like Wlad, always have, but I have become disenchanted with the repetitive performances he puts on. He wins, and credit to him, and also he comes in shape every time{which is saying alot these days}, but I feel like he doesn't show any variety or evolution to his game. With so many of his opponents being dire at best he could show more of those tools I think he has, instead of the same ole' thing fight after fight. I've heard broken records that had more variety in the tunes they played.

Alot of these guys he fights he could be getting out sooner than he does; but that seemingly lack of killer instinct or fear of risk holds him back imo. It's just frustrating at times. On the other hand, if he was more dominant and finished these fights with more pazazz' he might take more criticism for lack of worthy opponents in the division. But still he could show more dynamics than what he does imo Lyle. But still; a win is a win and he can only fight who's put in front of him, not past legends.

[El Kabong]

OK, I understand your frustration Legion, and I understand that watching not only the way Wlad fights but the way his opponents seem to forget all they have learned about boxing after eating a couple jabs from him can be a bit repetitive and frustrating but given what he does to what is currently top competition IS meaningful and it is remarkable. So Wladimir isn't exciting, he IS dominant...so he doesn't mix it up, but he DOES get the KO's. We can spend all day comparing and contrasting Wladimir to all the other champions this division has seen, but he's not in a position to prove himself against those All-Time greats and I know a ton of people would think that Wlad would lose to all of them all of the time, but I think that is not relevant to the situation and it's not a worthwhile argument to have.

People sooner or later will have to respect or at least accept what Wladimir has accomplished in the division. People can hate on Tyson's division, Louis' division, Marciano's division, just as easily as they can hate on Wladimir's division but it doesn't diminish what it means to be THE Heavyweight Champion of the World...Wlad has not backed away from fighting anyone, he's learned from his mistakes, he's avenged defeat, he's gotten up off the canvas to win, he's worked through being cut to win, and he continues to dominate. I'm not saying he's the greatest of All-Time or anything, but he has put together a very good record and has dominated his era and he's only 32 so if he had 8-10 more fights (fighting 2 times a year) and won them all at his current KO% he'd have a record of something like 63 wins and like 55 KO's vs just 3 losses and I don't care what era you're fighting in that would be considered GREAT in my book. Wlad is already a Hall of Famer IMO

[holmcall]

Don't get me wrong, either. I am a big Wlad fan, but a "tout de force" it was not. Bottom line: Flores and the other guy need to find new work.

[Nameless]

Wlad is definitely better than most of the hate that has been stated above; Sure, the division is not as exciting as it once was but that doesn't mean that neither Vitali or Wlad are just on the top of a garbage bin. I think that the biggest problem peoples have with Wlad is that he doesn't fight excitingly but there again, he's a Kronk type of boxer, was Lewis anymore exciting? Nope, it was even worst in some way as he was allwayyss grabbing when peoples were getting closer. Worst modern champion? 2 words: John Ruiz. End of the story. Mchael Moorer? definitely not, he would get killed by Wlad.
The Real Deal at its peak? If Lewis did beat him, Wlad definitely can, especially as their size and fighting style are more or less the same with the same kind of chin. Prime Tyson? Tyson lost his soul against Douglas and got totally humiliated by LEwis with the jab jab powerhand strategy, it could be the same against Wlad, I am not saying that Wlad automatically wins but he would definitely has all his chances.
I would go as far as saying that if Wlad would head from North America or England, he would have much more respect and a lot more fan over the pond.

I can understand and accept why peoples don't like Wlad or the state of the actual division but a bit more moderation would be welcome in the "acid" remarks made toward him.

[BoomBoom]

OK, I understand your frustration Legion, and I understand that watching not only the way Wlad fights but the way his opponents seem to forget all they have learned about boxing after eating a couple jabs from him can be a bit repetitive and frustrating but given what he does to what is currently top competition IS meaningful and it is remarkable. So Wladimir isn't exciting, he IS dominant...so he doesn't mix it up, but he DOES get the KO's. We can spend all day comparing and contrasting Wladimir to all the other champions this division has seen, but he's not in a position to prove himself against those All-Time greats and I know a ton of people would think that Wlad would lose to all of them all of the time, but I think that is not relevant to the situation and it's not a worthwhile argument to have.

People sooner or later will have to respect or at least accept what Wladimir has accomplished in the division. People can hate on Tyson's division, Louis' division, Marciano's division, just as easily as they can hate on Wladimir's division but it doesn't diminish what it means to be THE Heavyweight Champion of the World...Wlad has not backed away from fighting anyone, he's learned from his mistakes, he's avenged defeat, he's gotten up off the canvas to win, he's worked through being cut to win, and he continues to dominate. I'm not saying he's the greatest of All-Time or anything, but he has put together a very good record and has dominated his era and he's only 32 so if he had 8-10 more fights (fighting 2 times a year) and won them all at his current KO% he'd have a record of something like 63 wins and like 55 KO's vs just 3 losses and I don't care what era you're fighting in that would be considered GREAT in my book. Wlad is already a Hall of Famer IMO

I think your first paragraph here is fair. But, you have to understand that it isnt hating on him, its just saying what ive seen, I even like Wlad. But he is a two punch fighter right now and he is overly cautious. He doesnt need to be either of those things, but he is. In the past he has shown a greater instinct and threw more punches than a jab and straight right. I also think it is fair to say that he doesnt have a career defining win either. Most HOFers have beat future hall of famers to become one, or at least a some of great/very good fighters. Wlad hasnt done that. Thats not his fault imo, because they are all garbage, but I cant call him great cause hes never been in a position to show if he is. I dont think he is, but thats not even an issue. Wlad will probably get in the hall when his career is over based on his accomplishments on paper and possible records that he could set. But I dont agree with your criteria for him being great because he could have 55kos in 63 fights or whatever.

[JT Rock]

Moorer was a good boxer,WHO CAME TO FIGHT PERIOD!

Im not saying Moorer is a worldbeater, I'm advocating in this era of Heavies Moorer would be damn good

So tell me Pea, Fightfan and Lyle who on Wlads record is better than Prime Michael Moorer?

Would you rate Ruslan Chagaev who is #3 Heavy higher than a Prime Moorer if he was in this era? I doubt it

Plus I have no doubt any version of George Foreman even the 45 year old version would beat Wlad. You geniuses forget Moorer was beating george and busting him up until he ran into Georges right hand. How many guys you know that could take a Foreman flush power shot?

Lyle! I loke how you ignored the other fighters on my list and went right to dispariging Tyson, you honestly think Wlad would beat Tyson. The guys you mentioned took the fight to tyson and werent scared, Wlad wouldnt take the fight to a grocery bagger let alone MIKE TYSON.

Fighting tentatively and scared against Tyson would get Wlad KTFO
Tyson would easily slip the jab and rip Wlads body and jaw it would be funny to watch Wlad flop around the ring like a fish out of water while Tyson took him to the woodshed

[SweetPea]

Wlad did have a dominant showing and vs the #3 ranked heavyweight in most people's opinions. Ruslan had never had much trouble vs anyone, sure he had a little ring rust vs Drummond but he was undefeated and had beaten some pretty decent competition in his own right and Wlad never let him in the fight....total domination.

The sad thing is had that been David Haye in there the tone of these posts would still be the same, apparently for some people Wlad just hasn't done enough they don't care about the 53 wins they only look at the losses, they don't care about the 47 KO's they only care about the way he gets them....one day when Wlad is old and retired people will look back and come to grips with how much he accomplished and how dominant a fighter he was.

Nope, Never

Holyfield
Prime Bowe
Lewis
Prime Tyson
Michael Moorer

Would all beat Wlad, he is a very mediocre fighter in a lackluster division. I agree no one can outbox him currently, because there all stiffs.

Ruslan#3 yea ok 10 or so years ago he wouldnt even be a top 20.

Wlad is the best now, fine but its the weakest heavyweight era I can ever remember.

Congrats Wlad your king of the garbage dump

I am sorry Michael Moorer? Are you serious?

You beat me to it. Michael Moorer? Wlad would annihilate Michael Moorer.

Moorer only won the title because Evander Holyfield practicially had a heart attack during the middle of their fight. And he lost the title in his first defense to a guy who was 45 years old.

[BoxingGorilla]

You beat me to it. Michael Moorer? Wlad would annihilate Michael Moorer.

Moorer only won the title because Evander Holyfield practicially had a heart attack during the middle of their fight. And he lost the title in his first defense to a guy who was 45 years old.

LOL heart attack. I agree, it's just funny to think of someone boxing through a heart attack.

I think JT Rocksteady meant Archie Moore