Ibragimov's shape

[0-1]

There's a nice article about Sultan Ibragimov's preparation for Holyfield ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) on the front page of ESB. It has a number of photos, giving a great look at Ibragimov in the gym, but I was left thinking how similar he looks to my middle-aged father! My Dad's in shape, but you can tell his age, and it's a lot more than 32!
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
Seriously, the dude has a paunch and mantits!
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
I've long been a believer that heavyweights can look out of shape and still fight well, but I'm still rather disappointed, especially when I think of how the then 45 year-old Evander Holyfield will look next to him...
Is he just a guy who naturally never gets sculpted, or is he not really training hard enough?

[2smart4u]

There's a nice article about Sultan Ibragimov's preparation for Holyfield ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) on the front page of ESB. It has a number of photos, giving a great look at Ibragimov in the gym, but I was left thinking how similar he looks to my middle-aged father! My Dad's in shape, but you can tell his age, and it's a lot more than 32!
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
Seriously, the dude has a paunch and mantits!
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
I've long been a believer that heavyweights can look out of shape and still fight well, but I'm still rather disappointed, especially when I think of how the then 45 year-old Evander Holyfield will look next to him...
Is he just a guy who naturally never gets sculpted, or is he not really training hard enough?:bbb Its not a bodybuilding contest bud ! I seem to remember a real good heavy named LARRY who looked kind of the same !:good PS EVAN used to real skinny !

[Dr Gonzo]

he is really well conditioned - he also proved that big muscles dont mean shit by beating steroid head Briggs; he doesnt look any worse than Povetkin who is much younger

[knockout]

He should take it easy on the mickey d's.:yep :smoke

[Mendoza]

There's a nice article about Sultan Ibragimov's preparation for Holyfield ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) on the front page of ESB. It has a number of photos, giving a great look at Ibragimov in the gym, but I was left thinking how similar he looks to my middle-aged father! My Dad's in shape, but you can tell his age, and it's a lot more than 32!
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
Seriously, the dude has a paunch and mantits!
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
I've long been a believer that heavyweights can look out of shape and still fight well, but I'm still rather disappointed, especially when I think of how the then 45 year-old Evander Holyfield will look next to him...
Is he just a guy who naturally never gets sculpted, or is he not really training hard enough?

The first photo has been " doctored " . Its a fake.

[FlatNose]

It is not hard to tell if a boxer is well conditioned , or not.True, boxing is not bodybuilding, but most of the Russians, Sultan included, look soft.Liakovitch loked soft too, and it was him who gassed out against Briggs, and Shannon has never been known for stamina.Not just the East Euro guys, lots of heavys figure since they don't have to make weight, they can eat whatever they want, and as much too.But if you're running every morning, sparring , and doing conditioning excersises, and not just going through the motions, you should look fitter than Sultan, who is obviously working not hard enough.
It will catch up to him, maybe even against the woefully past it Holyfield, who got ktfo by Fatso Toney, and hasn't gotten any better since.

[vonBanditos]

:bbb Its not a bodybuilding contest bud ! I seem to remember a real good heavy named LARRY who looked kind of the same !:good PS EVAN used to real skinny !

It's not a pie eating contest, either. I hope that first photo really is a fake.

[SteveO]

The first photo looks like it was taken in poor lighting more than anything. He looks a bit chunky, but I'm sure he's well conditioned.

[Relentless]

who said anything about bodybuilding?? do you have to bodybuild to look ripped?

[cross_trainer]

:bbb Its not a bodybuilding contest bud ! I seem to remember a real good heavy named LARRY who looked kind of the same !:good PS EVAN used to real skinny !

Holmes wasn't quite as bad as Ibragimov, although he did carry some extra weight.

Come to think of it, the entire 80's era was about as overweight as fighters are today. The difference is that the 80's didn't train as hard as fighters today (but still harder than fighters from the early post-Lewis era). Shame, that.

[theCandle]

I'm really surprised at the lack of understanding of some people's posts.

It's just his body type. If you've ever been to a boxing gym and trained and gone through the routines to put you on track for the amateurs and eventually pro it's similar to boot camp (if you've been the lucky soul that got to ride that train). Personally i found training in a boxing gym to be harder then boot camp once you factor in the sparring sessions.

He's in shape in many more ways then just what you see i'm sure.

I remember a few years back watching this amaterr boxing and mma venue in Denver and this first fight was a regular looking smallish white kid against this lean tall muscular african american guy.
Round one goes by and you almost feel sorry for this white kid getting worked over by this other guy who's pouring it on and looks to make a quick knock out.
This was an amateur fight where there were only several weight classes, so the guys fighting could be even 25 or so pounds different in weight. (and in this case it was so)
Round two comes around and they're going at it again and however you notice a little ways into the round that the african guy (very muscular and intimidating looking) is gassed out, basically he punched his arms out to the point where he could barely hold them up any longer even to defend himself.
Round three comes and the white kid is taking over and thrashing this other guy who can barely even take cover due to how tired his arms and shoulders are.

Sorry for the long post but i've got to say i don't believe that being ripped like Arnold Schwarzenneger is going to guarantee a win.:nono

[cross_trainer]

I'm really surprised at the lack of understanding of some people's posts.

It's just his body type. If you've ever been to a boxing gym and trained and gone through the routines to put you on track for the amateurs and eventually pro it's similar to boot camp (if you've been the lucky soul that got to ride that train). Personally i found training in a boxing gym to be harder then boot camp once you factor in the sparring sessions.

He's in shape in many more ways then just what you see i'm sure.

I remember a few years back watching this amaterr boxing and mma venue in Denver and this first fight was a regular looking smallish white kid against this lean tall muscular african american guy.
Round one goes by and you almost feel sorry for this white kid getting worked over by this other guy who's pouring it on and looks to make a quick knock out.
This was an amateur fight where there were only several weight classes, so the guys fighting could be even 25 or so pounds different in weight. (and in this case it was so)
Round two comes around and they're going at it again and however you notice a little ways into the round that the african guy (very muscular and intimidating looking) is gassed out, basically he punched his arms out to the point where he could barely hold them up any longer even to defend himself.
Round three comes and the white kid is taking over and thrashing this other guy who can barely even take cover due to how tired his arms and shoulders are.

Sorry for the long post but i've got to say i don't believe that being ripped like Arnold Schwarzenneger is going to guarantee a win.:nono

Quite so. Carrying a little extra weight seems to be normal for several Eastern European fighters--including Ibragimov, Chagaev, Povetkin, even Valuev--and some posters have said it comes down to genetics in that region. They're obviously still well-conditioned.

It is noteworthy, though, that it also means that they're smaller than their tale-of-the-tape indicates, because some of their weight comes from fat.

[AmazingHook]

It's probably just the way he's built, so he's a natural chunky dude and no matter how much/hard he trains he will I guess never get a ripped physique.

[nrgetic]

Its his technical deficiencies that will make him vulnerable. His conditioning has always seemed fine as he generally maintains a very high punch output in his fights

[lefthook31]

Now look at a piture of Holyfield. Doesnt mean shit though. It has a lot to do with genetics, look at Botha for example, he accomplished a lot for a guy that looked like Butterbean.

[Butch Coolidge]

Gil Clancy once commented that old time trainers thought a washboard abs type of guy couldn't take body punches as well as an Ibragimov type guy. Besides that, some fighters like Sam Peter have a layer of subcutaneous fat that covers a thickly muscled waist and abdomen that gives them an appearance of having a big beer gut, but is really where true power comes from. Take a closer look at the area around Ibragimov's oblique muscles and you might see some striations that suggest this is the same case for him. I believe there's a book called "Core Strength" that says the same thing.

[Relentless]

Quite so. Carrying a little extra weight seems to be normal for several Eastern European fighters--including Ibragimov, Chagaev, Povetkin, even Valuev--and some posters have said it comes down to genetics in that region. They're obviously still well-conditioned.

It is noteworthy, though, that it also means that they're smaller than their tale-of-the-tape indicates, because some of their weight comes from fat.

have you seen vitlay or wlad?? or even andrew golota?? they seem to be in decent shape for eastern euro's

[DamonD]

Gil Clancy once commented that old time trainers thought a washboard abs type of guy couldn't take body punches as well as an Ibragimov type guy.
I do remember Foreman going on before about how Holyfield "don't like it to the body" because of Holy's chiseled abs and slender waist not being as great of a shock absorber as his chin. Seemed funny to think of it that way, you'd think someone with such a muscular torso would be able to live with body shots better, but I'm no biologist and in some areas of thought it is a straightforward proposition.

Holy will definitely be winning the body beautiful at the weigh-in, no doubt.

[KobeIsGod]

it's clear Sultan doesnt have a naturally lean body, but his stamina was shit against Austin. Stamina isnt natural, you've got to build it up. Briggs didnt make him work. Holyfield at the very least will test his stamina/heart. No way Iggy stops holyfield. He isnt feather-fisted but his power isnt his strongsuit either. I expect an Iggy UD, but Im hoping Evander wins so we can finally get an unification fight.

[0-1]

I don't think every boxer has to be ripped, and I buy some of this idea about fat being a shock absorber over muscles that protect the insides, but I think Ibragimov just looks too fat, for someone who is meant to be a heavyweight champino of the world. He doesn't have to look like David Haye, but I don't think it's either a good sign that he looks like a barfly...

[Grabonator]

He always seems in decent fight shape. He could be an endomorph, just like Foreman, which could be great for longevity in a career since endomorphs are usually not injury prone.

Foreman in his prime was ripped and in shape, and what is the indication of a endomorph bodytype?? What is endomorph?
I think Ibragimov has to do more sit ups, he would look better and it would help to absorb body punches. He also should work his chicken chest a bit.

[RichDam]

He looks like shit. The bloke is supposed to be a professional athlete.

[Guru_Too_You]

Need to do more roids and HGH like almost all the US heavy weights, baseball players, football players etc. Oh, wait. He's the HW champion. Guess he's doing fine.

Did you get an ass whipping from an American or something?

Or did your bitch find an American for some real sex?

I'm confused, because your hatred for the states screams that you've either gotten your bitch taken or ass kicked.

[Grabonator]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

The hell he was. He always looked soft.

In some fights ive seen he looked better than that.

[Malph]

Did you get an ass whipping from an American or something?

Or did your bitch find an American for some real sex?

I'm confused, because your hatred for the states screams that you've either gotten your bitch taken or ass kicked.

Don't be too hard on her. I think she is an an American.

[IntentionalButt]

I'm looking almost like a 188lb version of Sultan atm. :oops:

[SteveO]

What's Timur Ibragimov look like? I couldn't find a picture of the guy. I think they're cousins.

[1-Ton]

721

Iggy's latest training photo?

[Rock0052]

Now look at a piture of Holyfield. Doesnt mean shit though. It has a lot to do with genetics, look at Botha for example, he accomplished a lot for a guy that looked like Butterbean.

For that matter, Butterbean accomplished a lot for a guy that looked like Butterbean. :lol:

[Rock0052]

Gil Clancy once commented that old time trainers thought a washboard abs type of guy couldn't take body punches as well as an Ibragimov type guy. Besides that, some fighters like Sam Peter have a layer of subcutaneous fat that covers a thickly muscled waist and abdomen that gives them an appearance of having a big beer gut, but is really where true power comes from. Take a closer look at the area around Ibragimov's oblique muscles and you might see some striations that suggest this is the same case for him. I believe there's a book called "Core Strength" that says the same thing.

That actually makes alot of sense, and I agree with it. The fat helps act as both a shield and a shock absorber. It's one reason you don't see guys like Peter, Brewster, or Foreman taking too much damage from body shots...but yet many body shot KO's are inflicted on the washboard-abbed fighter.

[TanstA]

he's RUSSIAN. lol

[Relentless]

Did you get an ass whipping from an American or something?

Or did your bitch find an American for some real sex?

I'm confused, because your hatred for the states screams that you've either gotten your bitch taken or ass kicked.

i think his father left his mother for an american homo.

[AJAX]

I'm sure he'll come in shape, he learned his lesson against Austin when he came in about 10 lbs over his norm and got a draw. He knows evander is ready for 12 hard rounds.

[Butch Coolidge]

The story I heard is like ten days before the Austin fight Ibragimov's trainer disappeared and Ibragimov didn't even train for over a week leading up to the fight. He just indulged in food and visited with friends. Supposedly this is what led to Ibragimov changing trainers.

[IntentionalButt]

Everybody making a big deal out of this or drawing parallels to Holyfield's shape and insinuating that these things will affect the outcome of their fight needs to realize that Sultan didn't look like a Greek god in his last fight but still kept an unimpeachable workrate over 12 rounds with his mouth closed. Evander would kill him in a beauty pageant, but that means nothing in the ring.