Just like Whyte has given a wide berth to Luis Ortiz and Michael Hunter because he knows they beat him. He underestimated Povetkin as he thought he had lost his touch. Many probably thought that in the 4th but in the 5th he showed his elite level skill and determination. That wasn’t a lucky punch, he’d been teeing that up from the get go and sprung it on him. Duck down and body shot to the left! You look at his eyes he knew exactly what he was doing. Dillian went down to block the body and he delivered one of the best uppercuts I’ve ever seen. That’s not fluke that was world class! I also and @GBJ might disagree think that Pulev is a potential risky fight for AJ.
Pulev is rugged, but he doesn’t carry power. He doesn’t throw one-punch KO’s, so it’s hard for me to see how he beats AJ.... we know he won’t win on points.
When Wlad stopped him (his only loss, I think?) it was through his tactics. Pulev isn’t a great thinker or tactician. He doesn’t really change things up when he’s in there, he mainly sticks to that Eastern-European stiff, upright style... flat footed & little head movement. All Wlad had to do, was keep him on the end of the jab, wear him down & finish him.
As long as AJ sticks to a Wlad-style gameplan, he probably stops Pulev late on