The KO was beautiful and brutal. Full agreement there but the context was embarrassing. Povetkin was completely shot. His footwork and hand speed was glacial. In-turn, his balance was woeful. He no longer had the ability to step in and out of range with his trademark attacks hence him getting floored on two occasions when he couldn't transition back onto the outside from an (very slow) attack. His punch resistance was non existent and if Whyte had had any kind of urgency to finish him off he could have done. He snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and that was what was embarrassing imo.
Good point. I always see idiots calling everything embarrassing here. But Pov read it so bleeding well. I think embarrassing is more like Calzaghe/Lacey.
It was interesting reading what Fury had said about the finish. He said that he'd been purposely firing straight shots right down the pipe so that Whyte's guard would gradually lift higher (as the fight went on) with each attack in anticipation of the same shot which lead to him being able to bring the uppercut in for the KO. He proper set the trap. Same with the Povetkin loss. If I remember right, Pov kept pushing out the jab followed by a left hook to the body. For the KO, Whyte felt the jab and then expected the left hook to the body leaving himself exposed for the uppercut. Joshua and Rivas also floored him off uppercuts. He's a tough lad but he doesn't seem to have any awareness of the traps that these fighters are setting for him. Nor does he seem to acknowledge them afterwards. It's a massive weakness imo.
He did, he showed great ring IQ despite everything going against him. It was very clever and superbly delivered.
It still irks me that Whyte beating a barely able to move properly Povetkin who had Covid and rushed back into a rematch, clearly without full recovery, was marketed as revenge and setting the record straight. With that in mind he had absolutely no business being in the ring with Fury and I think deep down Fury knows it. It's a rubbish last fight if it is to be that and it wasn't deserving of being staged at Wembley. This isn't bowing out at the top, it's more like an easier farewell fight.
Fury won’t retire and yes a rubbish fight and not some epic just because of a big crowd and both British. Povetkin the same in the rematch as first, shot, but no evidence of covid. As if covid, a flu, would do anything to Povetkin anyway - highly unlikely. Funny how he apparently struggled to get in the ring but looked fine in training footage and also moving around the ring without issue… but couldn’t get up the steps. Laughable. Pub talk.
Got to say some great fighters went out this way Calzaghe v Jones Froch v Groves Mayweather v Conman McGregor I hope he does fight the winner of Usyk v Joshua then retires but I would not grudge him retiring now undefeated. Poor Mitch will have an eternal meltdown working out continuous ways and new angles to devalue the Fury CV
I thought he looked a little more shot in the second fight but it could just be the knowing that he'd been ill prior to it sewing the seed in my head
Very true, it's just that everyone wants to see the outcome of Fury vs Usyk, for me it's the ultimate fight given the ring craft that the two have. It would be a real shame if it never happened, especially when it will probably be very easy to make once Usyk does what he needs to do against AJ again.
I am not convinced he can turn down this final challenge when the public demand it. He has proved to be a fighting man and hopefully he does not lose his fitness and desire over the next few months.
It was indeed. Didn't even look like a lot if wind up on it either. Just beautifully delivered as you say.
