Video: Wlad final week of camp

Do people go claiming Miguel Vazquez is a top 10 ATG?

 

from that video, I see Wlad finally learned to throw the uppercut against smaller guys in sparring, even at 37 it's never too late to learn anything new :deal

 

Leapai is his WBO mandatory for the 100th time. :good

 

the greatest of ALL TIME

The champion of the WORLD

 

yah should have started throwing the uppercut when he started with Manny Steward maybe then he wouldn't clinch so much.

 

This won't happen, unfortunately the Klitschkos have that mindset that spectators have payed a ticket and wants to see a fight, not a first round ko.
Hence the fight won't last less than 6 rounds, unless Leapai goes unexpectedly down earlier.
That's part due to the fact that the main income for the fight comes from living audience, and not ppv.

Also not having a meaningful undercard doesn't helps.
Do you remember Vitali's face seeing Solis's chin shatter in the first round?
Never seen anyone more disappointed in a first round ko. :roll:

Consider that those spectators had substantially nothing else to see in the entire night :think

 

For the amount of time K2 Promotions has been around now, and the money they pull in, they really should be investing more on their undercards.

 

hhmm, i don't think this is the case. It is known that Wlad practices and uses the uppercut a lot in training camp and sparring sessions, but he doesn't effectively use it at fight night.

I don't know what's the reasoning behind that, but it so is. Maybe it's because clinching is preferred for the double function to stop the action and to sap enemy's energies, i don't know. Anyway this is a thing coming from Steward's planning, so there surely is a reasoning behind, for inconsistent it may be.

 

Undoubtedly. And surely a lot of fighters from smaller weight categoreis would like to be put in.

I mean, if he can sell out entire stadiums alone, it wouldn't be difficult at all to find some name to add.

But i suspect that this may be the reason, they don't want to divide the moneys too much, since they can still sell out and don't rely on ppv buys.

With a ppv distribution, it would surely make more sense to have a stacked undercard. But ppv is almost nonexistant in european countries, it is a concept that have never worked and spread.

 

That's exactly what Wlad's been doing and will continue to do. In between the mandatories, there hasn't been a top contender he should've fought that he missed, and when he fights them, they don't win a round. I could see your argument if the pursuit of the belts stopped him from fighting the other top guys, but it hasn't. Pulev's the only fighter who's had to wait, and he's on deck next.

Keep in mind that Hopkins said that after he accomplished what Wlad is after, and that's unification of the 4 major belts. He's only got one belt left. It's senseless to drop the WBO now. He'll be the only heavyweight of the past 25 years that's done it belt by belt.


In fact, I'd argue that by holding on to the belts, Wlad's been able to increase his level of competition because he's left no alternative but the WBC path for any fighter who wants to pick up a belt. With the logjam built up over there, there is simply no path to a belt that doesn't go through Wlad.

Maybe, by the time he's taken out Pulev, another contender will emerge as being "qualified" enough. Until then, Wlad's just taking care of business and his current game plan is better than the alternatives.