I think you are right. If the ko is bad enough a fighter shouldn't fight again. The brain is way too fragile. But most fighters won't accept it. Joe Mesi got a bad injury and it took him a long time to accept he shouldn't fight on. He did the right thing to retire. Hopefully he make the right decision to quit if its not safe going on.
I think moving to Cruiserweight's not going to happen purely because it's a no-man's land...the top US Cruiserweights fight for peanuts, get no exposure, and fight so infrequently that he'd wind up on the back of a milk carton instead of headlining cards. If he's going to keep fighting and keep getting hit, he may as well make the absolute most he can out of it. He just went against the worst possible matchup for him in the division, but I think he can still hold his own or win against a number of highly rated fighters. Had it been Haye that Eddie was fighting, there's a damn good chance he'd be champion right now.
Chambers will be back, true he was seriously hurt, but when you are constantly getting hit with jabs and right hands from Wladimir, yeah it's going to hurt. Also Chambers is a small heavyweight so his beard is not the best. But Chambers style is meant to be slick and be defensive minded, he still hasn't fought to his potential yet, needs to show more footwork, I'm glad his work-rate is higher. He should have used more footwork against Wladimir and he should have circled to Wladimir's left.
I've seen brutal KO's like that before where the fighter recovered well and went on to fight for years afterward. Quit over-reacting you noob.
But the point was made they are never as effective. Heavyweights don't bounce back from the brutal late ko's. Early blitzes sometimes. Not the bouts where they take a licking and get dusted late. They go to journeyman status but not elite status ever again. The case made for Ruiz is a terrible comparison. Tua starched the guy early. And just exactly how many of the divisions big hitters has Ruiz faced since?
Lennox Lewis suffered two knockouts. The McCall one wasn't that bad - he was up on his feet and conscious enough to immediately object the stoppage, but against Rahman he was out pretty bad. However, he came back VERY strong on both occasions. I guess Chambers should take some time off and decide for himself. He's fairly young. I think he could recover really well.
Lennox did not get ko'd late and he certainly didn't have to absorb much punishment before the big shot. John Tate got ko'd late. Roy Williams. The heavies just don't amount to much after suffering bad late round ko's. Early one's they can shake off, not those late ones.
I hope he recovers, I wouldn't want to see him in there much longer but I think he showed he can be competitive with the big guys...Wlad really had to work in that fight to win. Chambers even took a few rounds from him but it just wasn't enough. I think Chambers actually would have a much better chance against Vitali but he needs to learn a bit more movement and how to get inside...Vitali is a SUCKER for a right hand, which no one apparently ever wants to throw at him.
Before this fight, I reminded you guys that almost every fighter that has been in the ring with Wladimir has not been the same since. Everything from detached retinas to blown out eardrums to severe concussions seem to happen with people get hit by Wlad. The more I study his fights, the more evident to me why he doesn't ko people earlier. I think it's the way he punches. Early in his career, Wladimir threw more punches with his elbows bent and impacted more commonly on the side of his opponents face. Today, he throws much straighter and punches and typically hits opponents right on the forehead or high on the face. The force is still the same, but the point of impact is different. The damage he is doing is still there, but since the force of the blow is causing a rapid acceleration/deceleration snap back of the head, instead of the earlier twist of the head. Chambers got caught low and on the side of the head with a left hook thrown with what seemed very little power for Wladimir. You guys saw the results. Instant KO. However, think of all the micro whiplashes he suffered prior to that punch from the straight punches he ate.
If Chambers suffered some sort of major permanent damage then I'd be all for him retiring so he doesn't suffer even more damage. But I don't see that that is the case. It was a rough knock out but I've seen worse and fighters have come back. So, unless there was some real damage there, I'd like to see Chambers continue. There is no way Chambers should go to cruiserweight. He is already a top fighter at heavyweight where there is more money and prestige. Why go to cruiserweight to be a top guy there for less money and less prestige. If Chambers stays away from Wlad, where he had virtually no chance, he will be fine. He should take some time off and then get back in the ring. Take a fight or two where he can position himself for another title shot. This time it should be for Haye or Vitali though.