Its very common when fighters age that they don't pull the trigger anymore. Everything looks good, its just they are not throwing.... they say things like "I would see the openings, but I just couldn't pull the trigger anymore" Only Wlad knows if that's the case or not, but the dudes practically 40 years old, which for a big man, fighting an even bigger man whos got some athletic ability, isn't something to just shrug off as irrelevant. However, I have been noticing a constant decline in Wlad for quite awhile now (its why I thought the Jennings fight was going to look as it did, while others thought Wlad was going to dominate) and the truth is he may simply not have the mindset, and the in ring IQ, to do what needs to be done against Fury at this stage. He was trying to fight tall against a taller guy, when he needs to calm down, and fight a bit more front footed and compact against someone like Fury. More of a break you down stalker, not a lunging, hoping to land a punch, frantic clincher (which does work well on smaller guys) It was surreal to see someone of Wlads standing and general prestige within the sport lose to someone like Fury. Fury though, to his credit, continues to improve. I look forward to the rematch, but if wlad doesn't have the mentality to change his gameplan for the rematch, and stick to it, it will be more of the same.
good assessment I agree that Wlad never able to settle into his jab followed by the right-hand he never could find the distance as Fury ( got to give credit where it is due) was always moving and keeping Wlad unsettled and striving to find the distance. To no avail. But he did nail Fury a couple times in the last round but he got aggressive with the attack too late Just needs to take more risks and bring on the firepower much earlier in the rematch
I actually hope its not the reason that Wlad says, which is he didn't throw his right because he wasn't landing his jab. That's a pretty bad excuse for someone with as many pro fights, and as many years in boxing as him, to give as to why he couldn't get anything going....
Rewatching the 12th round, Wlad landed some decent shots, and then proceeds to grope all over Fury, effectively nullifying any follow up work he could have/should have done. Is this hard for Wlad to understand? In a fight you know you will cruise to a win until you land a bomb, this is 'ok'.... in a fight you are losing, against a bigger guy, this is simply idiotic from a strategy standpoint. I wish I could talk to Wlad, who is seemingly a smart guy, and wonder why he does it. It almost seems like a psychological effect from his defeats, to be honest.