Better NOW than later... We will soon know for sure if brewster has wlad's number or not... but the point is... I'd rather see wlad lose now , then to see him beating other champs , uniting all the belts but only to eventually get KOed by that guy... it would ruin the entire division... So it's a good thing that Brewster vs Wald II is happening in a few days... If Wlad wins , it'll be his revenge + one of his most dangerous opponent will already be written out of the picture. If He loses...so be it. And it will be brewster's major come back and I bet Lyak vs brewster II is going to be huge if it ever happens in the near future too...
if wlad would unify the belts first, which would take another two or three years, brewster will be out of the picture. he will be out of his prime and he probably wouldn't have gotten a chance against still-prime wlad.
anyway , this rematch is perfect...perfect timing imo. if wlad really has what it takes...then it won't be a problem (obviously) if he gets owned by the same guy again... then everyone was wrong about his case, and he never was "the" one who had the potential to unify all the belts.. brewster is the perfect test for him. It's gonna be a major moment of truth. and a huge test for him. maybe there's other opponents who'd give wlad a run for his money but brewster , in particular...is an extremely important opponent because he already defeated him + styles make fights... and brewster is one tough mofo with KO power...He's only been knocked down once against wlad...
That Brewster has Wlad's number is a weird thing to say. When a guy has someone's number, he consistently makes him pay for habits, technical moves and counters that. For instance Norton with Ali; that jab bothered him plenty. Frazier against Ali: the pressure. Sanders against Wladimir: that quick left hand that kept landing. But Brewster vs Wlad? All he did was absorb a terrible beating untill Wlad gassed... that's not having ones number, that's having a big heart & chin and being somewhat lucky that he didn't pace himself. But these are fixed by easy adjustments, whereas Wlad may well always have trouble with Sanders' quick left like Ali always had trouble with Nortons jab.
I re-watched the first fight. While everyone knows the result, there are other things to consider. Brewster was fresh and highly motivated to win due to the death of his trainer. This was Wlad's first fight with Manny Steward. I think Wlad was in transition, and likely underestimated Brewster. Since this fight, Steward has worked and improved on Wlad's pacing, clinching, and defense. Wlad basically punched himself out when he did not need to. Brewster was nearly out of it in round four. I think Wlad will be wiser this time around and dictate the when's and where's of this fight. Wlad might box some. Wlad might slug some. Wlad might clinch some. But he will not gas himself with multiple combinations. Brewsters money punch is the left hook. If you watch Wlad recently, he blocks this punch well because he uses his right glove for defense. The re-match is Wlad's to lose. I think Brewster's in for a beating at a measured but sustained pace.
