Roy Jones did it too and he went from a nearly-untouchable lightheavyweight to a mediocre fighter with a questionable chin and two one punch knockouts to fighters that didn't punch half as hard as punches he easily took earlier in his career, as was the case with Byrd. I don't quite think these examples carry that much weight. Is Marciano a poor puncher because he carried Moore for 9 rounds, yet Moore was down three times in the first round by a lightheavyweight several years later into his 40's? Is Baer a weak puncher because he couldn't stop Braddock over 15 whereas a light hitting LHW stopped him in 6? Does Bonavena punch harder than Foreman and Frazier because he floored Chuvalo whereas the former two couldn't? Does it reflect poorly on Marciano that he could not so convincingly stop Cockell yet a middelweight did it quicker?
Your point is well taken. Fighters grow old, but I still think the George fight does raise issues for Wlad and Povetkin. Povetkin still has to prove himself against top men. At this point, his win over Byrd means nothing. With Wlad, it does diminish perhaps his most impressive ko victory. It will be a matter of debate how much Byrd had left two years ago.
Wlad's fight over Byrd was very impressive. It was a clean TKO, and Bryd was done for. Povetkin had a more shop worn verison of Byrd and took much longer to stop him via mercy rule.
Byrd was nothing special, and never was. People calling him a defensive genius or boxing master...I'm sorry, but that's just lazy punditry of the highest order. He could not even solve the style of Fres Oquendo, who possessed nothing more than a 1-2 combination. Byrd was hit time and again with lead rights and jabs, something a great boxer would never let happen. He also got somewhat lucky against Golota, a fighter who had one bad shoulder and whom they dusted off to put in there with Chris. Nah, the only reason he was somebody was because he fought in a shitty division.
I agree 100% Byrd was as much of an embarrassment as a "top flight heavyweight" as was John Ruiz. Bizarrely Byrd was afforded credit far beyond his obvious limited ability. Then again, it suits the agenda of the Wlad-worshippers on ESB to boost Byrd's standing.
Byrd beat Tua and Holyfield, who were to fighters that defeated Ruiz. Byrd's prime was in the 90's to ealry 00's. He was a pretty good fighter. No one is calling Byrd an all time great, but he was very good for sure. Byrd's style depends greatly on speed, reflexes, and quickness, and these are the first things to go in the mid 30's. Yet he was still competive with the best out there when he was past his prime. Unlike many smaller past champs, Byrd had a good chin in his prime. Lennox Lewis gave Byrd a belt rather than fight him. While I think Lewis would have won, he was worried about not looking good.
I mostly agree, but somehow Holyfield manged to defeat Rhaman. I think you need to watch the prime Chis Byrd. He was a true escape artists on the ropes or in the corners. The Jimmy Young of his era if you will.
Holyfield was 40 years old, and way past his best, and injured. Yes, Byrd's best win is probably over David Tua, or the one where Vitali Klitschko quit. Ibeaubuchi mashed a prime Byrd, and I just never saw anything particularly impressive from Byrd after that. Then again, most the heavyweights of the last ten years have been unimpressive. I can only say how I see it. Byrd never impressed me and never will.
I do think the weight loss affected him...he should have dropped to Cruiser then Possibly LGT HVY ....But most gym guys know that the lower weight class guys like middleweights, have speed and still enough power to hurt a HVy in the gym...Mike Tyson would not want to take a clean punch from Roberto Duran...nor would Ali...we do remember the story of Johnson/Ketchel, even though there are a lot of story's surrounding it...Ketchel at 160 still dropped him....as a fighter ages especially a HVYWT, he must put on weight..legs are usually the 1st things to go (Byrds Legs were Shot) but a fighters punch stays with him and weight put on right can help an older guy as long as it is not excesive
disagree, they both fought the same version. dont try to take away from povetkin, we all know wlad's camp is hesitant on taking on povetkin who has challenged wlad numerous times He was no jimmy young
Young was better for sure, but really no defensive masterboxer either. Neither man has any place on a list of top pure boxers.