Interested in knowing what everyone’s thoughts are on Yuri’s skill set and abilities as a fighter. How would he do today if he were in his prime? Discuss.
He was really good on the outside but lacked power. Yuri had a solid amateur background and beat some really good fighters before the loss to Cotto. That knee injury was brutal but he showed tons of heart in that fight. I liked him and thought he retired at the right time. Regarding how he woukd do today, I don't see him beating Crawford at all but he certainly woukd be a tough fight for a lot of guys today because of his IQ and amateur background.
He had a really bad knee that caused him issues his whole career. I'm pretty sure he had the same knee surgery that I had which is microfracture surgery to regenerate cartilage. I know he tore his ACL and Meniscus against Cotto. Right knee injuries are especially brutal for a conventional fighter. I know I am always skiddish about throwing right hands with my gimpy knee. The twisting motion on the right knee causes a lot of problems once you have an established issue with cartilage. It's very hard to come back from that injury as a fighter and he was never the same.
