The chase afterward is particularly nasty. Logan gets away and pushes himself through the wilderness. He climbs a cliff even though he's exhausted. When he reaches the top, Sabr…

The chase afterward is particularly nasty. Logan gets away and pushes himself through the wilderness. He climbs a cliff even though he's exhausted. When he reaches the top, Sabretooth is already there. Logan has put everything into getting that far, and Creed has still gotten ahead of him. Then the beating continues. Eventually Logan takes them both over the edge rather than let Sabretooth finish him there. He survives, but this isn't a flashback where we discover he secretly had the whole situation under control. We see how badly Creed can overwhelm him. That gives their later confrontations more context. Wolverine has already been on the receiving end of this man's strength, patience and cruelty. He knows exactly what Creed is willing to do when he has the advantage.