Kubrat Pulev: The Cobra of Sofia-The Bulgar Beast Was Tamed. Can He Still Be Great?

Kubrats main problem is that his style is similar to Wlads own.... just not quite as good in any area.

Basically Kubrat would win most if not all of the fights that Wlad has won (certainly in recent years), but against Wlad I expect him to be out-jabbed, out powered and outmuscled.

On paper he's certainly the best challenger to face Wlad in a number of years, but I don't see how he beats Wlad using inferior versions of the same arsenal.

In some ways I think it's more likely to take a more explosive, possibly smaller guy with a different style (a la Povetkin or Haye) to pull the upset, but then we've seen how that turns out too.

Good as he is Kubrat is basically Wlad - Lite. Good luck to Pulev, but I only see this going one way.

 

Maybe he'll learn not to light his right hand wander forward and leave himself open for a left hook.

 

Given Pulev's personality (at least as much of it as it's possible to see as a non-Bulgarian speaker who relies on translated interviews and has never met him in person), there's a strong likelyhood he's "done". Ego-driven, petulant and not as good as he thinks he is, and now he knows it. There's no shame in losing to a Klitschko, but I doubt Pulev is able to condition himself into seeing it that way.

Whoever fights him next will go headhunting, which nobody really did to him before and on the evidence of the Wlad fight that defense is just ... well, it needs a lot of work that Pulev may not be prepared to put in.

 

I'm curious, will Pulev ***** and moan about drug testing for his next opponent?

 

Pulev fought the wrong fight against Wlad and wasn't prepared properly. He got the dream fight too early kind of like Canelo and Floyd. I still think Pulev could beat Wlad in the near future he just needs to fight the other big boys in the division first

 

Pulev clearly lost my respect to him after he refused to accept his loss and started to refer to drug test, gloves and other bull****. There were many fighters in Klitschkos' carriere who were saying a lot of things like Haye, Chisora etc. (in fact almost everyone), but it was out of sheer desire to promote the fight. This guy appeared to be

. By the time he fights his way back (if he does), there already will be Joshua and couple of other fighters who will destroy him almost in the same way as Wlad did. I don't mind seeing him with Fury, Wilder, Povetkin and others though but he doesn't get another payday with Wlad, that's for sure. That remains the biggest money he will ever receive.

 

Pulev is already 33, prime age for a HW. He isn't going to learn head movement and footwork at this point, these are fundamentals he should have picked up 10 years ago.

Wlad would have to be shot and have no legs for Pulev to beat him.