By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
How can this not, in boxing’s best year in at least a decade, be the bout that everyone is clamoring to see?
Wladimir Klitschko, a charismatic, intelligent and humble man who speaks five languages, owns a doctorate in sport science, and can box as well as any big man ever could, is fighting the most significant match of his life on Saturday.
The only man alive who would be a favorite to defeat him is his brother, World Boxing Council champion Vitali Klitschko. But since they have long said they’ll never fight each other, there are no truly worthy challengers for either of them.
In Ruslan Chagaev, Wladimir Klitschko is meeting perhaps the man with the best chance on the planet not named Klitschko of defeating him and leaving the ring with three of the four major sanctioning body belts.
The heavyweight unification bout will be held in Gelsenkirchen, Germany before a raucous throng of more than 60,000 fans. Yet, to the rest of the world, it will largely be an afterthought.
Klitschko is a marvelously talented fighter at the height of his powers, but the heavyweight championship attracts less interest than the super bantamweight title these days.
If you had the choice on Saturday between watching Klitschko-Chagaev or a fourth fight between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez, which would you choose?
Klitschko is never going to be recognized for his truly marvelous ability because of a dearth of quality opponents.
Where some heavyweight champions, such as Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey, Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and Mike Tyson, were larger than life in the U.S., Klitschko is a mere blip on the radar screen.
He barely registers.
Foreman was hawking grills and pitching muffler shops years after he last threw a punch in anger. He became an American sporting icon after ending a 10-year retirement and regaining the heavyweight title at age 45. But he was managed brilliantly and promoted astutely and remains one of the most popular men in the world even as he’s passed the 60-year-old mark.
Klitschko has awe-inspiring physical abilities, but he’s never fought a fight in which, going in, the opponent was given much of a chance.
Two of his three defeats were due to a failure of his conditioning; in the third, a knockout at the hands of Corrie Sanders, he got caught flush early with a punch from one of the sport’s hardest punchers.
Go down the list in most of boxing’s divisions and there are at least a handful of fights you’re desperate to see.
Go down the list in the heavyweight division and you can begin to appreciate the difficulty in being a matchmaker.
Klitschko’s last five opponents were Ray Austin, Lamon Brewster, Sultan Ibragimov, Tony Thompson and Hasim Rahman.
None were a threat. No one in the public or the media bought any of the five as legitimate challengers, let alone threats to win. Yet it’s not like Klitschko is dodging anyone he should be fighting. Other than his brother, he’s been willing to take on all comers.
It’s just that the field stinks.
So he racks up lopsided victories as the public, outside of his home base in Eastern Europe, essentially yawns.
A fighter is judged by the quality of his opposition. Ali fought 14 fights against eight men who are in the International Boxing Hall of Fame: Foreman, Bob Foster, Joe Frazier, Larry Holmes, Sonny Liston, Archie Moore, Ken Norton and Floyd Patterson.
Foreman fought four Hall of Famers; Frazier three. Each man also fought numerous other quality opponents.
Klitschko, though, has never met anyone who will come remotely close to being in the Hall of Fame.
He’s going to be remembered as much for the fluky losses to Brewster and Ross Puritty as for any of his victories. He has no such thing as a career-defining victory.
The almost-certain one-sided victory over Chagaev on Saturday will do little to improve that perception.
Klitschko’s handlers need to take him on a world tour after this fight. Exposing him to fans that haven’t seen him in person can only help burnish his reputation. He’s a great ambassador for the sport, both in the way he handles himself out of the ring and in the way he deals with his in-ring responsibilities.
Many, though, aren’t aware of that. And there is no defining opponent on the horizon who will allow him finally to capture the world’s respect and admiration.
Saturday’s bout will be the fifth in his last six he’s fought in Germany. That’s good for the short-term bottom line, but it’s hardly making him an icon anywhere else.
It says more about heavyweight boxing than it does about Klitschko’s talent that he’s still not a household figure in the U.S. and that he’s no slam dunk to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Sadly, a win over Chagaev isn’t going to change that.
People, stop drinking that hatorade, cause you know on September 26, another “disappointment” is coming. Even though I dont mind Arreola as a person, as aboxer he will get his ass whooped!
Also, Kevin stop being so close-minded. Brothers dominate the division and they will be dominating the division until they retire. There is nothing THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA can do! ;)))
You know what Jon, too be honest Chageuv was moving his a head a lot, but the problem was he hardly made any attempt to move inside Kilts body, it was like he was on survivor mode most in the fight.
Whats can we expect, hardly anyone has ever heard of this guy before at least I haven’t. As for experience, he need much more. Who ever is training that guy has no plan whatsoever .
The reality is, most of these heavy weight are too Dam lazy, out of shape, pop belly, bums. Yes I said it Bums! Now come on why can’t you come too the ring and make your self look respectful for the fans. And the sad ting about it, these heavy weight are still making a significant amount of money. No matter what your still going to have some rich fans, or a spectator who who no nothing about boxing, who are willing to spend thousands and thousands of dollars too see these bums fight or get knocked out and go home and call it a night.
What a disepointing fight I really wanted to see haye vs klitschko
Ugh,
What a terrible fight that was.
I actually felt sorry for Klitschko that Chagaev didn’t offer any competition and gave up by the fourth round.
I have to say that Chagaev’s performance is up there with the worst efforts by a contender fighting for the Heavyweight crown.
The only other heavyweight championship fight I can think of where a boxer offered almost no attempt at an attack was the embarrassing effort of David Tua, when he fought Lennox Lewis. That fight was literally a twelve round no-hitter.
One of the things that amaze me about some fighters who don’t seem to get taught boxing basics is when they don’t know how to get close so they can attack another boxer that might have longer arms.
Chagaev would come in showing no head movement whatsoever, came absolutely straight in, not on any angles at all and didn’t use a jab to come in with when he came near.
So there was Chagaev, hands high in a position that he has never learned how to punch from, coming in absolutely dead straight forward with no head movement whatsoever, like he was made of wood, no angles or behind any type of punch, jab or hook, and making it an easy sparing session for Klitchicho to keep his jab in his face, then follow up with a hard straight right, whenever he felt like it. Klitchicho would use a little movement to make sure that the block of wood coming straight at him, would never reach him.
Virtually no adjustments in Chagaev, I don’t know if that was the fault of his trainers or if it was Chagaev being frightened or being incredibly inflexible and lacking of talent.
It should be remembered that Chagaev has very little professional boxing experience.
It did look like Klitchicho was in great shape and was ready to fight, but he had no one to fight against.
Aren’t their any decent heavyweight contenders out there ? I think I would have picked Butterbean to win over Chagaev. There has to be some 210 pound and up fighters who are not 30 plus pounds overweight, know how to box, have some heart for the sport, know how to move their head and come in throwing a jab, can take advantage when they block or duck a bunch, who don’t come straight in, and don’t move straight back.
I agree that Cris Arreola would have given as good as effort as he could, but I don’t think he would be competitive with Klitchicho. I think is Arreola is serious about his career, he needs the motivation or a trainer to GIVE him the motivation to strain a heck of a lot better. He is too out of shape and therefore too slow and carrying to much pure body fat to be a serious heavyweight. It seems like he can punch and he has heart, but he needs to train seriously , do lots of roadwork and push himself away from the table.
Hmmmmm, maybe for some competition against Klitschko against : George Foreman?Manny Pacquio?Lenox Lewis seems to be in pretty good shape, King Hippo from the Punch Out video game? ? I don’t know.
Please don’t drag out Hasim Rahman again !!
I believe that the only true competition that I have seen in the heavyweight division (no cruiser weights please), is his brother Vitali Klitschko. I know that is a fight that won’t happen, but in my opinion I would pick Vitali Klitschko in a 7th round knockout.
I don’t think that it has to be a GREAT fighter to beat or compete with Klitschko, just one with solid skills who is in shape.
Jon
Jamie well said, Chagaev stinks, he was more like a speed bag. The problem with him was he couldn’t find his way inside on the Klitscho.
He was moving his head very well at the beginning but he was utilizing the opportunity to go to the body. That’s how you beat these monster you have to work downstairs. I think Arreola would have a better chance but he better be in tremendous shape to fight these guys if not he will too be another victim. As much as I don’t like the any of the Klitchicho’s style of boxing, We have no choice to give them credit. At least they look like athletes in the heavy weight division.
I SEEN THIS FIGHT ON ESPN360. CHAGAEV STINKS. HE WAS A HUMAN PUNCHING BAG. I THOUGHT I READ SOMEWHERE WHERE ONE OF THE BROTHERS WANTED TO FIGHT ARREOLA. THAT WOULD BE A FIGHT. AT LEAST CRIS ARREOLA WOULD FIGHT LIKE A TRUE MEXICAN FIGHTER. HE WOULD GO TO KNOCK OUT HIS OPPONENT OR GET KNOCKED OUT. IF THE BROTHERS WANT REAL RESPECT ONE OF THEM SHOULD FIGHT ARREOLA. COULD YOU IMAGINE THE FIGHT AT THE STAPLES CENTER? THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME.
Through 6 rounds, this fight sucks and Klit. will win again. It bothers me no one can give him or his brother a challenge. Chagaev has not landed ONE punch of meaning yet.
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