Bowe was shot for their second fight and showed mad heart by battling like a warrior. Golota had the skills and I would say his chin is comparable to Wlads. If Golota can establish his jab and not be a headcase he has a shot. I believe Wlad stops him in 3, Golota would get stunned with the first right hand and get finished with a left hook. Would Wlad be more agressive cause he knew Golota was a nutpunching headcase? I always felt Lewis came out super agressive because he knew how dangerous and unbalanced Golota was. I mean Lenny Liked to bomb out big guys early but Golota was "special".
All that needed to be said on the matter has been said I believe. Most fighters agree to say the mental part of boxing is way more decisive than the physical part. Well, despite having decent skills, size, strength and conditioning, Golota couldn't keep the mental part together, which is why he bit, low blowed while ahead, froze, lost all his meaningful fights. Golota quit VS Bowe twice, quit VS Tyson, quit VS Austin, froze VS Lewis and Brewster (KO1). And this guy is supposed to beat Wlad atsch
The Klitschko brothers where trying to get the guy to sign a contract for a bout in 98/99. Back around the time of the Shulz fight and that fight would have sold very very well. I don't see the Golata defense dealing with the size and reflexes of either Klitschko and he gets backed up and starched early. And because the bout would sell and generate interest, add in the pressure of a big bout on Andrew's shoulders. And when the ref is giving instructions, it would be the Klitschko stare and Golata will reach into his back of tricks and pull out his deer in a headlight routine.
Exactly. Golota WAS a headcase. Saying "If he wasn't crazy" is stupid. He was crazy. And he didn't have any heart. I totally agree with you. Golota of Bowe II, with Lennox Lewis' brain and heart, has all the shot in the world. I'd actually probably pick him to win the fight. He doesn't. He's the dumbest good fighter of his era, and he was as weak-willed a stud heavyweight as I have EVER seen. He doesn't beat a true champion. No way. He was unlucky against Ruiz, but fact is, he found a way to lose that fight; He stopped fighting late, got horribly negative, and started getting hit hard and hit often. Against Byrd, he struggled to keep his punches up, was easy to hit, and got frustrated enough to whiff a whole lot of air, probably the reason Byrd hung on to a draw. Wlad is more formidable, powerful, and frustrating then either combined. If Andrew can't handle business, and he has a long, storied history of not handling business, against the best fighters he's fought, he wouldn't beat a guy who would be the second best fighter he'd have EVER fought(Behind Lewis, just ahead of a faded Tyson).
I don't know about everything, but he does the things right to win fights: Stay strong, execute, and do so doggedly. Boxing is easily 90% mental. So many good fighters out there you haven't heard of. So many. Why haven't they made it? It ain't always chin, folks. I know a journeyman, 15-6, whose a world class fighter. He just thinks too hard, he doesn't punch, and he is easily cowed by aggression. He loses close decisions because he doesn't punch, because he fouls when frustrated and loses key points, and because he takes foes lightly. He'll remain forever anonymous.
I agree and the same goes for life, the attitude and mental focus are important and maturity of the mind is one strong key
No. The only version of Golota who would have had a chance against Wlad was the 1996 version, and as a big Golota fan, I say his chances are rather slim at best. Golota had a great jab and a good right hand. It's possible he could land something big on Wlad in the first round or 2. If he didn't, he'd have more and more problems as the rounds progressed, and probably find some new and innovative way to lose. 1996 Golota vs pre-Steward Wlad could be interesting. Any version of Wlad thereafter beats Golota, and any version besides the '96 Golota gets stopped by Wlad, probably early.
In fairness though, 1996 Golota would have easily beaten 2004 versions of Byrd and Ruiz. Golota's left hand was shot after the accident he had following the Grant fight, and his jab (his #1 weapon) was never the same. So a past-prime permanently injured Golota was competitive against Byrd and Ruiz. I personally had him beating Byrd 116-112, and beating Ruiz 114-112. I have no doubts, none whatsoever, that '96 Golota dominates Byrd and stops Ruiz early.
8-4 over Byrd seems REALLY generous. I had it a draw. Your scorecard for Ruiz seems about right, the KD's should have absolutely been the difference. I'd agree with you the 1996 Golota has what he needs to beat them easily, but I'm not convinced he would. He was even more immature, and CRAZY. He'd either get so pissed off at John Ruiz he'd thrash him, or get so dirty he'd foul out. Ruiz would was a subtle, dirty *******.