I was watching the Chagaev's fight last night and I noticed that Wlad does not throw back when he goes back-pedalling. Am I right to say that? If this is right a faster fighter can close the distance if he keeps throwing...Chagaev never followed the openings, but I may be wrong.
I think you are right its then he seems to be at his most vulnerable. At times when chag got inside vlad would look very worried. Its going to take a very fit and fast heavyweight to beat him with leg movement and not just head movement. Chag wasnt fast enough on his feet to capitalise on any of the openings.
Hmmm...Wlad just beat the previously undefeated WBA champ who was generally considered the 3rd best HW and you point out how Wlad can be beaten...in your fantasy that is. You are very wrong. Wlad is very fast for a big man. Chagaev IS excellent at closing the distance to bigger men. That's why he beat 6'6 Felix Savon in the amateurs twice, that's why did better against Valuev than anyone (even though I think Valuev lost against Donald and Ruiz, Chagaev did better than these two). Still Chagaev could not get inside Wlad. This current version of Wlad would not be overrun by Sanders, in fact the only fighter I can imagine using a charging style successfully against Wlad at this point would be Lennox Lewis. Haye would be toast, he is NOT faster than Wlad. He may look faster to the naked eye, because he is smaller and has a lot of wild movement, but he would not avoid Chagaev's punches with such as ease as Wlad did.
the fighter who can beat vlad must be very fast, faster than wlad himself(and you could see it yesterday, that vlad is unbelieveble fast), he must be at least 1,90m, and have a really good chin and great power, so the only one who comes to my mind is lennox in the 90s
I was a fan of Vlad untill I started watching him fight. He has never impressed me and I could never see him beating a great heavy like Lewis or Tyson.
