I don't look at this thread as "Anti-Wladimir"...to me its just an honest observation of the guys inability to be a "warrior" in the ring. After getting starched by Corrie Sanders, he has been on the look-out for the heavy punch coming his way. Thats why E. Steward taught him to hold so much. And thats another thing? This content is protected This content is protected Prob cause the same result would have occured? Big Brother Vitali had to do Wlads dirty work & that just don't sit right with me. Anyway, if you watch the vid, Wlad appears to be a better, more agressive fighter that he is today. The damage done by Sanders really took all the fire from Wlads future gameplans... [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqEANlBbhsA[/ame]
Sanders in the end did not want a second fight then with Wlad, because of Roy Jones. Jones persuaded Sanders to sign a contract to fight Jones. By signing that contract, the WBO stripped him....it was the same with the IBF, who stripped any champ then if they signed a fight with a WBO champ. Everyone was dumping on the WBO back then. So Jones did not sign the contract that Sanders signed. Wlad then fought Brewster for the vacant WBO championship and lost. Having lost by KO twice, it took Wlad a bit of time to get his legs under him. Sanders could not buy a fight with any one...no body in his right mind wanted to fight him.....so dropped under the radar until Vitalie took him.
Thompson? Doesn't sound familiar? :good Loosing to Dawson on points VS getting stopped by Thompson (WHO?!) :rofl
Interesting to watch that old clip again. Wlad's style really doesn't look significantly different than when he fought Haye, to be honest -- he comes forward to put pressure on the opponent, but he's cautious with his hands, and mainly jabs. He's a little more aggressive than he is now, but certainly not by a huge margin. The basic style looks very similar, just a little less refined/polished. Sanders even uses a similar strategy to the one Haye used. He stays on the outside rather than coming in to infight, and he opts to attack in 'ambush' style, lunging in with quick, powerful shots. The crucial difference is that Sanders doesn't have the height disadvantage to overcome, so it's easier for him to get to Wlad. (Wlad also looks less able to deal with aggression in that clip...looks a bit panicky.) Sanders is also a southpaw, so that adds even more problems...a tall, quick-handed and powerful southpaw, it looks like. Not easy to deal with.
Sanders had a bad back as he told everyone before the fight with Vitiali which was why he came in chubby. Even so, for a few rounds he was dangerous as hell. In the film of the Wlad fight he looks more fat than he was (all he had was love handles)...but TV makes everyone look ten pounds fatter. I liked Dr. Steel Hammer in this corner......Mr. Sanders in the other. I thought that class....He definatly was the Mr. after that fight. Sanders by the way was 6 foot 4, and Wlad was 6'6"....so he was one big inch bigger than Haye.