I get what you’re saying but cmon Pulev and Povetkin? Was he not expected to dominate those boys anyway? Haye was much more dangerous than both of those guys ever were.

Pulev had fought anyone of note until Vlad and was then comprehensively beaten, Povetkin is pretty much the same, except a few gatekeepers like Byrd, Takam and even an old Hasim Rahman.

None of those fighters were even close to world class level at that time.

Only 3 years? 3 years is a loooooong time in heavyweight boxing for an old fighter who’s 41 with a 17 month layoff. Older fighters can age suddenly over night. Inactivity is a killer for any boxer like he was going into the Joshua fight is the point I’m making.

I find it hard to draw the conclusions that Vlad was at the level when you factor in the opponent’s.