Frazier by savage execution. Pulev is is too limited to catch Frazier consistently, while Frazier grinds him down with monstrous left hooks. Frazier mid rounds KO.
Frazier by KO in about 5 rounds. It would be painful to watch. Joe would not fight as timidly as Wlad did. He would lay it on Pulev from start to finish. Ultimately getting him out of there around the same time as the harder punching Wlad did.
The closest guy Frazier fought is Bugner. The closest Pulev fought was Chisora. So Pulev probably wouldn’t get demolished but would either get tko’d late or outworked to a decision loss.
I reckon it would be a decision win tbh for Joe, he'd out work Kubrat bulling him to the ropes. There d be no call for a rematch, Frazier would take it easily.
Frazier only fought one guy who was close to Pulev in size, Mathis was 6-3, 243 with a 76" reach for their fight, but he was a fat guy. Pulev is 6-4.5, 245-50, with an 80" reach and not fat at all. Frazier had a tough fight with Mathis. Pulev is a better conditioned, stronger, tougher fighter than Mathis who gave Frazier problems. Frazier would make the effort and he did have a busy, nice left hook, but Pulev is much bigger and stronger and he has a good boxing background. Pulev would be 5-6" taller than Frazier, 40 pounds heavier, well conditioned and skilled. When Frazier fought he didn't have to worry about huge Eastern European or Cuban or African or even well schooled, big strong, Western European heavyweights. In those days the Western Europeans were guys like Bugner, Dunn, Cooper, Blin, Mildenberger - limited. Today it is much different with Dubuis, Joshua, Yoka, Fury, etc. In Frazier's time most of the good training was in the U.S., today the pro game is all over the world and most have access to good training. It's a new heavyweight division and guys 5-11, 205 are no longer a factor in it.
Frazier by Dec. Too much activity and dynamic activity at that. Pulev has the great jab and strength but that's not enough against prime Joe.
Interesting post Mercante had Joe and Buster level. referee: [url]Arthur Mercante[/url] 5-5 | [url]Tony Castellano[/url] 7-2 | [url]Jack Gordon[/url] 6-4
Whilst I agree with your overall sentiment, Bugner was a beast of a man, 6-5, 82" reach and ripped to the bone at 220. And it's not like Pulev is the most dynamic fighter ever. He's got that jab but otherwise not much very imaginative and possesses little in the way of a plan B. He's strong but not especially powerful. And he can be gassed. He is a very difficult guy to take out but doesn't have the deepest gas tank. I think a prime Frazier can outwork him while not taking huge punishment in return.
I agree with most of that. Bugner was a big athlete, but when we scored the FOTW with Bugner - Frazier, Bugner looked like an athlete who was boxing. He didn't look well schooled as a boxer. I don't know what his background was in boxing, but he didn't look like a skilled fighter, he looked like a guy who was bigger and stronger than his opponent, surviving in a game he didn't really understand. IMO, Pulev is a better boxer and although I don't know about Bugner's amateur backgound, I'd be surprised if it is comparable to Pulev's. That being said, Pulev seems to lack something and it's possible that Frazier could pull off a win in a one time fight. Sort of like the win the smaller Duran pulled off over SRL, Duran did everything he could in that fight against a bigger, stronger opponent, the next fight he couldn't repeat the intensity and it didn't end well for him. While I think Frazier "could" win one against Pulev, I don't think he could win a series and I don't think he could get to the top today because he'd have to fight big, athletic, well schooled fighters time after time to get there. Even a skilled 5-11, 205 pound man like JF would "burn out" quick in today's heavyweight division.
