Vitali Klitschko vs. Chris Arreola: Predictions

The Franchise says...

On the surface, making a prediction for this weekend's WBC heavyweight title fight between Vitali Klitschko and Chris Arreola should be pretty easy. The elder Klitschko is taller, has a reach advantage and may have more power too. He has many more rounds boxed against top competition, and there's a nearly 100 percent chance his conditioning will be better than the usually cardio-averse Arreola.

So case closed, right? Yes... probably. I think Arreola has a shot to win, albeit not a huge one.

The Nightmare isn't without his own power, having knocked out 14 of the last 15 guys he's faced. He has a good chin, so it's not like Klitschko is going to send him to the canvas the first time he lands a power shot, and he has legit boxing skills - he's not a mere brawler.

There's also the fact that Vitali is 38 years old. Even though he has looked great in his two fights since returning after a hiatus from the sport that lasted nearly four years, boxers that age can get old at any time (except for Bernard Hopkins!).

You'd like the younger guy to be able to outlast the older one if that happens, but Arreola has never gone further than eight rounds, and rarely looks like he's trained to do so. That doesn't bode well for his upset hopes.

Arreola has a chance, but he's going to need to get in Dr. Ironfist's face early and shake him up. Assuming that doesn't happen, I see Klitschko winning by mid-round TKO.

Posted by The Franchise