Can anyone think of a time this has happened later into a boxer's career? I'm not talking like Klitchko-Brewster where one fighter (Brewster) regressed. I'm thinking of a time where the fighter got brutally KO'd and came back and won close to their original form. I can't off the top of my head so I don't think it bodes well for Mr. Kovalev tomorrow night.
I never saw it but I'll take your word for it. I know you are picking Kovalev and I picked him in the first fight but I think he is going to lose tomorrow night. I wasn't impressed with Alvarez prior to the fight but he fought smart against Kovalev and seized his opportunity. I think Alvarez is going to win although it might go 12 rounds this time. Kovalev might be mentally shot at this point; I do like Kovalev and have watched most of his fights but his time is up IMO.
brewster didn't regress. he got lucky klitschko gassed the first fight. he lost every round until the ko.
Generally after a brutal KTFO, there isn't a need for a rematch so that would partially explain why it doesn't happen more often
wlad also improved but he wasn't brutally kod by Brewster, he gassed, and he had Brewster down early unlike Rahman Lewis which was a failed to beat the count ko loss.
Brewster was able to withstand Klitschko's barrage in the first fight and was shot by the second fight. I think you are downplaying Brewster's determination in the first fight to beat Klitschko. He clearly didn't have it in the rematch. I don't think Kovalev is shot like Brewster was, at least not physically.
How so? I knew Brewster was going to lose the rematch. Maybe Klitschko wasn't KTFO in the first fight but he was clearly still himself when he fought Brewster in the rematch.
you're trying to make out that brewster was better than klitschko, but was shot the second time. brewster himself has said he was never nearly as good as klitschko.
Brewster won the first fight so he was better than him on that night. He was clearly past it by the rematch, his knee was crap and he barely had any mobility. Now if they fought 10 times would I take Brewster the majority of the time? No I wouldn't, I think Klitschko was better.