I don't think Wladimir Klitschko is unbeatable. I'm just having a difficult time trying to figure out who might be able to disprove that notion.
I know he's lost before, because I remember shaking my head in disbelief as he went down at the hands of Lamon Brewster, or even worse, Corrie Sanders. It's just that those fights seem like a lifetime ago.
In some respects, Klitschko is like Manny Pacquiao in that they honestly aren't the same boxers they were five or six years ago. Both have improved dramatically, so it really shouldn't come as any surprise that neither has lost in years despite fighting top competition.
And make no mistake about it, Dr. Steelhammer is fighting the best heavyweights this era can produce to send against him. It's not his fault that the current crop of contenders is particularly poor.
It's also not his fault that he's bigger and taller than all of his opponents. Size isn't everything, but when married to skill and power, it's pretty damn tough to beat.
That was proven once again this past Saturday when Klitschko took on Eddie Chambers. Fast Eddie spent a lot of time dressed down in defense, as Antonio Tarver would say, blocking and slipping punches.
When Chambers tried to attack, though, he had few options. Klitschko's jab was in his face all night, keeping him outside of effective punching range and forcing him to jump in just to get anything off.
He tried to counter over the jab a few times too, but when your opponent is five-plus inches taller than you, it simply doesn't work. Comically, he actually had to jump to try a right hand at one point.
Klitschko wore him down with relentless jabbing and just enough right hands and left hooks to hurt him on occasion. It was one of the latter punches that knocked out Chambers just seconds short of going the distance, a wide left that didn't look that devastating live but appeared very powerful in replays.
It wasn't the sexiest performance ever, which is often the case with Wlad. Trainer Emanuel Steward was begging for more activity from him even after a win on the cards was in the bag. It's understandable that Klitschko starts off cautiously, given his history, but somewhat mystifying when he doesn't open up more after the other guy has proven not to be much of a threat.
Still, Wlad did win, making it 12 in a row since the April 2004 loss to Brewster, nine by stoppage. Anyone waiting for him to revert to his old underachieving form has got to be pretty frustrated at this point.
What will it take for someone to upset Klitschko? Quite possibly a set of traits that doesn't exist in any current contender.
It's hard to see anyone out-pointing him, because he's a skilled boxer whose patient (some would say boring) style just makes it that much tougher to get to him. Guys who are slick enough to do it (like Chambers) can't get inside the powerful jabs and spend most of their time getting discouraged.
So testing Wlad's sometimes questionable whiskers is in order. The problem for power punchers is still the same, though: how do you get close enough to land any bombs without getting pummeled on the way in.
The U.S. is out of candidates to try it for the time being. The top three American heavyweights according to BoxRec are Tony Thompson and Chambers, both of whom Klitschko has already knocked out, and Chris Arreola. The Nightmare had little success against big brother Vitali, so no one is clamoring to see him get a shot at Wladimir.
David Haye certainly seems like he would have a puncher's chance with his heavy hands. But even at 6-foot-3 he's looking up at Dr. Steelhammer, and his defense (or lack thereof) suggests he'd be just as likely to end up on the canvas as Wlad even if he could force the issue.
Tomasz Adamek also has power and the right mindset to bring the fight to Klitschko, but he's even smaller than Haye. Let's see how he does against Arreola before dubbing him the Wlad-killer.
If there's a guy who's at least 6-foot-5 with long arms, a solid technical background and knockout power, please make yourself known. Otherwise, it's starting to look like Klitschko will continue his reign atop the heavyweight division simply because there's nothing anyone can do about it.
Posted by The Franchise
Showing posts with label vitali klitschko. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vitali klitschko. Show all posts
22.3.10
19.3.10
Wladimir Klitschko Vs. Vitali Klitschko... On Your Cell Phone
I'm going to do a more serious Wladimir Klitschko-related post later today, seeing as he's defending his heavyweight titles against Eddie Chambers tomorrow and everything. But this was just too good to pass up...
The Klitschko brothers may not be huge stars in the U.S. like they are in Europe - and maybe there are some good reasons for that - but they do have something no other boxer has: their own mobile phone game.
That's right, for just $5.99 (and if you have one of the supported phones) you can bring Klitschko Boxing - The Official Mobile Game, right to your phone. Play as either one of the brothers and dominate the heavyweight division with your own thumbs!
Even better, and this is a direct quote: "Attention: This is the only place where you can compete as Klitschko vs. Klitschko!"
It also has a career mode and some pretty attractive virtual ring girls, by the looks of it. Plus virtual Wladimir versus virtual Vitali is apparently okay with the Official Mother of the Klitschkos, so how can you pass it up?
Posted by The Franchise
The Klitschko brothers may not be huge stars in the U.S. like they are in Europe - and maybe there are some good reasons for that - but they do have something no other boxer has: their own mobile phone game.
That's right, for just $5.99 (and if you have one of the supported phones) you can bring Klitschko Boxing - The Official Mobile Game, right to your phone. Play as either one of the brothers and dominate the heavyweight division with your own thumbs!
Even better, and this is a direct quote: "Attention: This is the only place where you can compete as Klitschko vs. Klitschko!"
It also has a career mode and some pretty attractive virtual ring girls, by the looks of it. Plus virtual Wladimir versus virtual Vitali is apparently okay with the Official Mother of the Klitschkos, so how can you pass it up?
Posted by The Franchise
13.12.09
Klitschko v. Johnson: Round by Round
The last fight is underway already. HBO is wasting no time to take us to the tape delay.
The judges score the bout 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109, all for the winner by unanimous decision, "Dr. Iron Fist" Vitali Klitschko.
Posted by spartan117
Round 1
Vitali is getting his jab going as usual. Vitali is controlling the pace of the round. Johnson is working on getting close enough to land something. Johnson is staying in the Philly Shell. Vitali throws an overhand right. Johnson goes to the body. There's a lot of fake punches and flinching going on in round 1.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 2
Vitali has Johnson against the ropes and keeps throwing combos. Johnson gets a counter right in. Vitali is controlling round 2 as well. Johnson isn't throwing much of anything. Vitali is winning this round purely on activity.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 3
Vitali lands a right hand. This match has been bad and boring. Vitali isn't thowing anything to put Johnson in danger and Johnson isn't throwing anything. Johnson is smiling in there and is just blocking Vitali's jabs. Johnson throws 2 jabs to end the round.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 4
Klitschko keeps his jab going but not much else. Johnson is staying in his defensive shell. Klitschko misses with 2 right hands. Vitali lands a right hand. Johnson still isn't throwing much of anything. Vitali looks like he's getting frustrated and throws a big, wide right hook. Johnson tells Vitali to "come and get it."
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 5
Some swelling is starting over the right eye of Vitali. Vitali goes back to the jabs. Johnson mocks him and Vitali is starting to let the power punches go. Johnson throws a counter right. Vitali's right eye is pretty red. He lands a right hook.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 6
A cut has opened over the right eye of Vitali. He gets Johnson against the ropes and lets his hands fly. Johnson does a good job of dodging them. Vitali lands a jab followed by another right hand. Johnson lands a leaping left hook. Johnson lands a jab. Vitali lands a right hook. Johnson lands a right hook of his own.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 7
Vitali throws a right hand. He misses with a wide right hand. He's starting to get a little wild. He's starting to throw more right hands. Johnson isn't throwing much now. Johnson isn't active enough to win these rounds.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 8
Vitali gets 3 left hooks and finishes with a right, but his punches look soft. Now he lands a left hand. Vitali gets warned for a punch to the back of the head. Vitali lands a couple jabs and right hands. Johnson lands 2 jabs of his own. Vitali lands a right to the body.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 9
Johnson is throwing less punches than I've ever seen from anyone. Vitali lands a left hook. Johnson throws 2 jabs. Klitchsko dominates another round due to activity and cleaner punches. Vitali lands a left and a right hook.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 10
Johnson continues to dodge Vitali's punches. Johnson throws a jab. Vitali is doing all the work in there. Vitali lands 2 right hands. Johnson lands a right hook. Vitali lands a good right hand.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 11
Johnson's corner urges him to start throwing punches. Johnson lands a body shot. Klitchko is controlling this round as well throwing good punches and Johnson isn't doing much of anything. Vitali gets Johnson against the ropes and lets some punches go. They stare down after the bell.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 12
Vitali is trying to end strong. Johnson is doing nothing but defensive tactics. Now Klitschko is starting to taunt Johnson. Vitali lands a strong right hand, his best punch of the night. Vitali lands another power right hand. This round has been infinately better than any other round. Vitali lands another right hand. Johnson lands a right hand. Vitali finishes strong.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 120-108
Uatu: 120-108
Posted by spartan117
12.12.09
Live Diaz-Malignaggi II and Bradley-Peterson Round By Round Updates Tonight, Plus Vic Darchinyan, Vitali Klitschko and More
The 2009 year in boxing pretty much closes out (except for you, Kelly Pavlik) tonight, but at least it goes out with a bang. HBO and Showtime both have cards that, at least on paper, look like they should be fun.
Showtime's broadcast kicks off first, with Vic Darchinyan taking on Tomas Rojas. Then in the main event, two talented young junior welterweights collide when Timothy Bradley and Lamont Peterson go at it for Bradley's WBO title.
You'll be able to watch a good bit of that card before switching over to HBO 90 minutes later for a rare Boxing After Dark tripleheader. Victor Ortiz tries to return to his winning ways against Antonio Diaz and a rematch awaits for Juan Diaz and Paulie Malignaggi, plus there's a heavyweight title defense for Vitali Klitschko brought to us via the magic of tape delay.
This would be a good night to have two TVs set up in the same room, or at least one of those DVR contraptions. Failing that, you can watch your card of choice and bookmark us here to get live round by round updates of the other fights (except for Vitali, whose fight will already be in the past when you see it - spooky!).
In any case, spartan117 and I are going to split up blogging duties and do live posts for each televised fight, because that's just the kind of guys we are. Visit our main page to find the round by round posts, which should start shortly after 9 pm Eastern (for the Showtime bouts) and 10:30 pm Eastern (for the HBO card) tonight.
Posted by The Franchise
Showtime's broadcast kicks off first, with Vic Darchinyan taking on Tomas Rojas. Then in the main event, two talented young junior welterweights collide when Timothy Bradley and Lamont Peterson go at it for Bradley's WBO title.
You'll be able to watch a good bit of that card before switching over to HBO 90 minutes later for a rare Boxing After Dark tripleheader. Victor Ortiz tries to return to his winning ways against Antonio Diaz and a rematch awaits for Juan Diaz and Paulie Malignaggi, plus there's a heavyweight title defense for Vitali Klitschko brought to us via the magic of tape delay.
This would be a good night to have two TVs set up in the same room, or at least one of those DVR contraptions. Failing that, you can watch your card of choice and bookmark us here to get live round by round updates of the other fights (except for Vitali, whose fight will already be in the past when you see it - spooky!).
In any case, spartan117 and I are going to split up blogging duties and do live posts for each televised fight, because that's just the kind of guys we are. Visit our main page to find the round by round posts, which should start shortly after 9 pm Eastern (for the Showtime bouts) and 10:30 pm Eastern (for the HBO card) tonight.
Posted by The Franchise
26.9.09
V. Klitschko vs. Arreola: Round by Round
The replay of Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez just ended, so it should only be a few minutes until Vitali Klitschko and Cristobal Arreola make their way to the ring.
Posted by spartan117
Now Jim Lampley has Floyd for a live interview from his house. Mayweather says that he was happy with his performance last week, but he knows he can get better. He thanks all of the fans who tuned in and bought the PPV. Lampley asks him about the interview being hijacked by Shane Mosley. He says that he's willing to fight anyone, but he offered to fight Mosley almost 10 years ago. He finished the interview apologizing to HBO for his behavior last week. Lampley forgives him and says that they have enjoyed following his career.
HBO now airs a short documentary of Arreola's life and career. They have footage from yesterday's weigh-in. Arreola stepped on the scale with his t-shirt on and weighed in at 276, but then revealed that he was wearing a 25-pound weighted vest. So he actually weighed in at 251.
Larry Merchant is back on duty for tonight's fight.
Now an overview of Vitali's career. Still waiting for the fighters to come out.
Chris comes to the ring first. He walks out to "Run This Town" by Jay-Z, Kanye West and Rihanna. The crowd sounds completely behind him.
Vitali follows to a chorus of boos. The commentators have to yell to be heard over the crowd.
Arreola is 27-0 with 24 KOs. Klitschko is 37-2 with 36 KOs.
Here we go...
Round 1
The two meet in the middle with no glove touch. Arreola starts the action first and is showing good upper body movement. Arreola establishes the jab. He lands a right to the body and Vitali gets out of the way. Vitali is landing his jab and left hook very cleanly. The size difference is clearly evident. Arreola is trying to get Vitali against the ropes, but Vitali is moving around well. Klitschko is keeping his gloves below his waist. This has been a good round for Vitali.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 2
Klitschko is getting the jab in again. Arreola matches the jab output. Vitali lands a right hook, and Arreola steps on the gas and gets in a good right hand and combos to the body. Klitschko is doing serious damage with his jab and right hand; now an overhand right. Vitali is throwing way more punches than we are used to seeing. Arreola gets tagged by two big punches.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 3
Arreola is showing good defense and is blocking a good amount of Klitschko's onslaught. Arreola is still having trouble getting on the inside. Vitali tags him while he comes in with a left-right combo. Chris lands a jab to the body that sends Vitali back. Arreola is focusing on the body while Vitali has been aiming for the head exclusively. Arreola gets two shots to the body in before the bell.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 4
Arreola's face is getting red. Chris rushes the inside again and grazes a few punches. Vitali responds by getting out of there quickly. Vitali lands a stiff jab. Chris lands two great punches while Vitali is stuck in the corner. This has been Arreola's best round yet. Chris sends Vitali back with a jab. Vitali throws two jabs that are partially blocked. Arreola lands two hooks to the body.
Spartan117: 10-9 Arreola
Round 5
Arreola goes to work with a four-jab combo. Vitali lands a hard right straight. Vitali lands another. Arreola is fighting with more aggression now as he knows he's probably down on the scorecards. Vitali gets two more hooks in. This has been a Vitali round all the way. Chris just can't get inside to do any damage, but he is trying.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 6
Arreola tries to get inside the massive reach of Vitali. So far it hasn't worked well. Arreola stumbles into Vitali and backs him into the ropes. Vitali nearly misses with a big right hand. Arreola gets in two punches to the body. Vitali continues to move around the ring very well. Vitali punctuates the end of the round with a big right hand.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 7
Chris is starting to headhunt now. He rushes out for the seventh round and tries to land some power shots upstairs. He lands one cleanly. Vitali is winning these rounds, but it doesn't look like the punches are doing much damage to Arreola. He's in no danger of being KOed. Vitali lands a right hook to the body and one upstairs. Vitali lands two more hooks to Arreola's head. Chris lands a right hand right at the bell.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 8
Vitali gets backed against the ropes early. He ties up and Arreola gets in a few hard body shots in the clinch. Chris lands a big left hand and the fans get on their feet. Vitali ties up. Vitali does look like he's getting tired. Arreola is stepping on the gas in this round. He lands another big right hand. Now he gets tagged while closing the gap again. There is some blood coming from Chris' nose.
Spartan117: 10-9 Arreola
Round 9
Arreola is fighting with a new sense of urgency. He gets Vitali against the ropes again, but Vitali uses good defense to block Arreola's offense. A Klitschko chant starts but is quickly silenced by boos. Arreola has been on the offense the entire fight but hasn't been able to land anything that has put Vitali in danger. Klitschko is landing more punches now as Arreola's defense is being broken down.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 10
Klitschko lands a jab and straight right. Arreola continues to come forward. Arreola throws a couple more shots, but Vitali gets out of dodge quickly. Vitali looks like he's on autopilot now, throwing jabs, then a power punch, then backing away from Arreola's punches. The routine has repeated itself from Round 1. Klitschko lands another power right hand before the bell.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
The ref visits Arreola's corner and decides that he's seen enough. He stops the fight.
The winner by TKO, Vitali "Dr. Ironfist" Klitschko.
Arreola is very emotional after the loss and is shown weeping in his corner with his trainer.
In the post-fight interview, Vitali says that the city should be proud of Arreola, who showed great heart and will. He says that Chris has an amazing chin. He says he feels great, and he would like to break the record of George Foreman.
Arreola is choked up during his interview. He says that Vitali is tough, and if it were up to him, he would have never quit. He apologizes to the fans. He promises that he will be back.
Posted by spartan117
Live V. Klitschko-Arreola Round By Round Updates Tonight
Can we please get a referendum on how to write the short version of Cristobal Arreola's first name?
I mean, I can understand how Cris might be the preferred spelling, since it's a shortened version of his full name. Yet for years I've seen it spelled Chris, and some sites (I'm looking your way, ESPN.com!) have it both ways in different articles. It makes things tough for hard working boxing writers and bloggers everywhere.
Now that I have that little rant out of the way, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that I'm looking forward to Arreola's heavyweight title fight with Vitali Klitschko tonight. He deserves to be a big underdog, and I believe big brother Klitschko will win. But I think Chris/Cris at least has a chance to pull off the upset, and that's more than I can say about numerous recent heavyweight bouts.
If you can't tune in to HBO tonight, consider joining us here for live round by round updates by one of our intrepid bloggers. We'll do up a new post for the fight on the home page shortly after 10 pm Eastern time tonight, and then the simple act of refreshing your browser will have you keeping up with the action in no time.
'Til tonight...
Posted by The Franchise
I mean, I can understand how Cris might be the preferred spelling, since it's a shortened version of his full name. Yet for years I've seen it spelled Chris, and some sites (I'm looking your way, ESPN.com!) have it both ways in different articles. It makes things tough for hard working boxing writers and bloggers everywhere.
Now that I have that little rant out of the way, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that I'm looking forward to Arreola's heavyweight title fight with Vitali Klitschko tonight. He deserves to be a big underdog, and I believe big brother Klitschko will win. But I think Chris/Cris at least has a chance to pull off the upset, and that's more than I can say about numerous recent heavyweight bouts.
If you can't tune in to HBO tonight, consider joining us here for live round by round updates by one of our intrepid bloggers. We'll do up a new post for the fight on the home page shortly after 10 pm Eastern time tonight, and then the simple act of refreshing your browser will have you keeping up with the action in no time.
'Til tonight...
Posted by The Franchise
23.9.09
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
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
3.9.09
Quick Thoughts on September's Boxing Schedule
We're in a bit of a holding pattern right now as far as big boxing weekends go, as there's nothing of interest on Labor Day weekend. After that though, September is shaping up to be a pretty busy month. Here are my quick thoughts on each Saturday for the rest of the month:
September 12 - Mikkel Kessler vs. Gusmyl Perdomo, Andre Ward vs. Shelby Pudwill (Showtime); Ivan Calderon vs. Rodel Mayol (PPV)
All I have to say is that with all the anticipation that Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic has stirred up, Kessler and Ward better take care of business in these tune-up fights. You have to think some parties (say, HBO) wouldn't mind a stumble before the thing even starts, but I think I can safely speak for all true boxing fans and say I hope both gentlemen have quick nights.
As for Calderon, I didn't see his first fight with Mayol (stopped after six rounds due to a cut caused by an accidental headbutt), but it's clear Iron Boy had his hands full. He's always been pretty amazing to me because his lack of power means he can almost only win on the cards - and he always does. At 34, you wonder if his long streak of excellent boxing is about to come to an end.
September 19 - Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez, Chris John vs. Rocky Juarez (PPV)
I'm not sure if I can remember a huge fight in the last few years that had more questions surrounding it that featured two guys who are still at or near their primes than Floyd-JMM. Right now I'm not sure I can even say with any confidence who the aggressor will be. I hate picking against both guys, so come fight week it's going to be a tough call. I'm leaning toward Floyd right now.
I like John in the rematch with Juarez, though it will be interesting to see who is more fired up: Chris because he feels like he was jobbed in Houston, or Rocky because everyone still thinks he can't win the big one.
September 26 - Vitali Klitschko vs. Chris Arreola (HBO)
There's no reason not to think Vitali will win, perhaps easily. Does Arreola have a chance? I can't say until I see how seriously he's taking his conditioning. And given his history, there's not much reason to be optimistic.
Posted by The Franchise
September 12 - Mikkel Kessler vs. Gusmyl Perdomo, Andre Ward vs. Shelby Pudwill (Showtime); Ivan Calderon vs. Rodel Mayol (PPV)
All I have to say is that with all the anticipation that Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic has stirred up, Kessler and Ward better take care of business in these tune-up fights. You have to think some parties (say, HBO) wouldn't mind a stumble before the thing even starts, but I think I can safely speak for all true boxing fans and say I hope both gentlemen have quick nights.
As for Calderon, I didn't see his first fight with Mayol (stopped after six rounds due to a cut caused by an accidental headbutt), but it's clear Iron Boy had his hands full. He's always been pretty amazing to me because his lack of power means he can almost only win on the cards - and he always does. At 34, you wonder if his long streak of excellent boxing is about to come to an end.
September 19 - Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez, Chris John vs. Rocky Juarez (PPV)
I'm not sure if I can remember a huge fight in the last few years that had more questions surrounding it that featured two guys who are still at or near their primes than Floyd-JMM. Right now I'm not sure I can even say with any confidence who the aggressor will be. I hate picking against both guys, so come fight week it's going to be a tough call. I'm leaning toward Floyd right now.
I like John in the rematch with Juarez, though it will be interesting to see who is more fired up: Chris because he feels like he was jobbed in Houston, or Rocky because everyone still thinks he can't win the big one.
September 26 - Vitali Klitschko vs. Chris Arreola (HBO)
There's no reason not to think Vitali will win, perhaps easily. Does Arreola have a chance? I can't say until I see how seriously he's taking his conditioning. And given his history, there's not much reason to be optimistic.
Posted by The Franchise
12.8.09
Klitschko Brothers and Oscar De La Hoya Coming for Fight Night Round 4... for a Price
Gamers, you'll soon get a chance to use two of the heavyweight titleholders and the biggest pay-per-view draw of all time in Fight Night Round 4. But only if you're willing to pony up a little dough.
First pointed out to be via Twitter by Tim Starks of The Queensberry Rules, EA Sports has announced that Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko and Oscar De La Hoya, along with alternate versions of George Foreman and James Toney (skinnier ones, perhaps?) will be available in a few weeks through Xbox Live and the Playstation Network.
Alas, while I'm sure I will enjoy beating up on... um, playing as all three of those boxers, I also have to share Tim's reaction ("Noooo.") to the news that the update will cost 800 Microsoft Points or $9.99 for PS3. I'm looking forward to seeing more current boxers released - Andre Berto has already suggested he'll be in the game, pun intended - but EA better not expect us to fork over $10 for every three fighters. That is balls any way you look at it.
I'm actually even more interested in the free download also coming later this month, which will allow the mapping of punches to the controller buttons, a feature which was included in the previous Fight Night but so far absent from this release. It's not that I don't appreciate the beauty of the Total Punch Control scheme, but the training mini-game that requires specific combos is so unforgiving it makes me want to hurl my controller at the TV. If for no other reason than that, thanks EA, for saving me money on new wireless controllers.
Posted by The Franchise
First pointed out to be via Twitter by Tim Starks of The Queensberry Rules, EA Sports has announced that Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko and Oscar De La Hoya, along with alternate versions of George Foreman and James Toney (skinnier ones, perhaps?) will be available in a few weeks through Xbox Live and the Playstation Network.
Alas, while I'm sure I will enjoy beating up on... um, playing as all three of those boxers, I also have to share Tim's reaction ("Noooo.") to the news that the update will cost 800 Microsoft Points or $9.99 for PS3. I'm looking forward to seeing more current boxers released - Andre Berto has already suggested he'll be in the game, pun intended - but EA better not expect us to fork over $10 for every three fighters. That is balls any way you look at it.
I'm actually even more interested in the free download also coming later this month, which will allow the mapping of punches to the controller buttons, a feature which was included in the previous Fight Night but so far absent from this release. It's not that I don't appreciate the beauty of the Total Punch Control scheme, but the training mini-game that requires specific combos is so unforgiving it makes me want to hurl my controller at the TV. If for no other reason than that, thanks EA, for saving me money on new wireless controllers.
Posted by The Franchise
10.8.09
20/20 Hindsight: Nothing New From Angulo, The Roy Jones Story That Won't Die and Other Quick Thoughts
There was no big fight this past Saturday, but there was a fight worth watching on ESPN2 on Friday night as Alfredo Angulo attempted to get his career back on the right track. In some ways, he did that by knocking out Gabriel Rosado. Certainly his confidence should be back, though perhaps it never left if his dog-themed entrance was any indication.
I'm not sure we really learned anything about Angulo though. With all due respect to Rosado, who isn't a stiff by any means, Perro was in against someone who didn't look able to hurt him and couldn't deal with his pressure.
The last time we saw Angulo, he was getting taught a lesson by Kermit Cintron, who used a good jab and superior footwork to bring Alfredo's limitations to the forefront. Rosado just wasn't good enough in the same areas for us to know if Angulo has improved.
I still think Angulo's chance to be a star is pretty good. He has fight-changing power in both hands and certainly gives fans the action they want. It's just impossible to say for sure if he's any closer to reaching his potential until he fights someone else as good as or better than Cintron.
Also in action on Friday Night Fights was Anthony Dirrell, younger brother of Andre Dirrell. Though he doesn't appear to have as much upside as The Matrix, he's fun to watch as he switches stances often and has fast hands. He's also easy to root for, having already gone through a bout with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma that put his boxing life on hold for a couple of years.
Changing gears a bit, regular readers should know that I get a lot of amusement out of the apparent infatuation that Roy Jones Jr. and UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva have with someday boxing each other. That story just won't completely go away, and it got a new boost of energy this weekend.
That's because Silva added another ridiculous (in a good way) KO to his MMA record by starching Forrest Griffin, who was in attendance in Philadelphia. Dave Meltzer of Yahoo! Sports says a Jones-Silva fight is more likely to happen than some would suspect, though not until the Spider fulfills the remaining three bouts on his UFC contract.
My opinion of this fight hasn't changed, as I'd still like to see it. Though many MMA fighters are starting to take the sweet science more seriously, I think a high percentage of them would be in for a rude awakening if forced to fight under the other sports' rules. Before anyone jumps on me, this would be true going the other way too - Andre Berto, are you listening?
But Silva is so gifted in the stand-up portion of MMA and Roy has never been a master technician, so this particular match-up is intriguing. It needs to happen before Jones gets too old though.
Other quick thoughts:
* I think Vitali Klitschko agreeing to fight Chris Arreola is another one for the "you can't blame the Klitschkos for the sorry state of the heavyweight division" side of the argument. Both he and Wladimir certainly seem willing to fight anyone.
* Am I crazy, or is there a good chance that Paul Williams will make Kelly Pavlik look silly if they fight? It's strange to me that The Punisher's camp is reportedly the one making negotiations difficult, because Williams should be jumping at the chance to take on someone as high profile as The Ghost.
* With apologies for talking about MMA on a boxing blog twice in one post, anyone who doesn't think a good chin is a valuable trait in the combat sports can just watch replays of Brian Bowles' knockout of Miguel Torres from the WEC event last Sunday. Bowles walked through some stiff shots to land his own, an even more impressive feat with the lighter MMA gloves.
Posted by The Franchise
I'm not sure we really learned anything about Angulo though. With all due respect to Rosado, who isn't a stiff by any means, Perro was in against someone who didn't look able to hurt him and couldn't deal with his pressure.
The last time we saw Angulo, he was getting taught a lesson by Kermit Cintron, who used a good jab and superior footwork to bring Alfredo's limitations to the forefront. Rosado just wasn't good enough in the same areas for us to know if Angulo has improved.
I still think Angulo's chance to be a star is pretty good. He has fight-changing power in both hands and certainly gives fans the action they want. It's just impossible to say for sure if he's any closer to reaching his potential until he fights someone else as good as or better than Cintron.
Also in action on Friday Night Fights was Anthony Dirrell, younger brother of Andre Dirrell. Though he doesn't appear to have as much upside as The Matrix, he's fun to watch as he switches stances often and has fast hands. He's also easy to root for, having already gone through a bout with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma that put his boxing life on hold for a couple of years.
Changing gears a bit, regular readers should know that I get a lot of amusement out of the apparent infatuation that Roy Jones Jr. and UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva have with someday boxing each other. That story just won't completely go away, and it got a new boost of energy this weekend.
That's because Silva added another ridiculous (in a good way) KO to his MMA record by starching Forrest Griffin, who was in attendance in Philadelphia. Dave Meltzer of Yahoo! Sports says a Jones-Silva fight is more likely to happen than some would suspect, though not until the Spider fulfills the remaining three bouts on his UFC contract.
My opinion of this fight hasn't changed, as I'd still like to see it. Though many MMA fighters are starting to take the sweet science more seriously, I think a high percentage of them would be in for a rude awakening if forced to fight under the other sports' rules. Before anyone jumps on me, this would be true going the other way too - Andre Berto, are you listening?
But Silva is so gifted in the stand-up portion of MMA and Roy has never been a master technician, so this particular match-up is intriguing. It needs to happen before Jones gets too old though.
Other quick thoughts:
* I think Vitali Klitschko agreeing to fight Chris Arreola is another one for the "you can't blame the Klitschkos for the sorry state of the heavyweight division" side of the argument. Both he and Wladimir certainly seem willing to fight anyone.
* Am I crazy, or is there a good chance that Paul Williams will make Kelly Pavlik look silly if they fight? It's strange to me that The Punisher's camp is reportedly the one making negotiations difficult, because Williams should be jumping at the chance to take on someone as high profile as The Ghost.
* With apologies for talking about MMA on a boxing blog twice in one post, anyone who doesn't think a good chin is a valuable trait in the combat sports can just watch replays of Brian Bowles' knockout of Miguel Torres from the WEC event last Sunday. Bowles walked through some stiff shots to land his own, an even more impressive feat with the lighter MMA gloves.
Posted by The Franchise
23.7.09
Franchise Thoughts: What Exactly is Wrong With David Haye?
When former cruiserweight champion David Haye announced in mid-2008 that he was moving up to heavyweight with his eye on winning titles in that division as well, it struck me as a welcome turn of events. As anyone who's been a boxing fan for at least this decade can tell you, the heavyweight scene was long overdue to be shaken up, and Haye seemed tailor-made to do some shaking.
He had legitimate power as a cruiser, making him capable of ending fights at any time. Yet he had obvious defensive deficiencies, so he could just as easily be the one looking up at the lights at the end of the fight. Put simply, he was fun to watch.
On top of that, he was well-spoken and talked a good game. Man, did he talk. Haye had no problem telling the world that he wanted to go after Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko - only the guys who rule the division - and sounded quite sure he'd be able to beat them if he ever got them in the ring.
Now here we sit over a year later and pretty much all Haye has left us with is that talk. He got the date he wanted with Wladimir Klitschko but had to pull out (allegedly due to injury, though others insist it was fear of Setanta's bankruptcy), and Wlad moved on without him.
It looked like Haye would land brother Vitali as a consolation prize, but that bout died Wednesday with the surprising announcement that Haye will fight Nikolai Valuev instead on November 7. It's a big challenge, pun intended, but not exactly the one we've been promised all this time.
The ESPN report by Dan Rafael is interesting to read because of the very different stories told by each side. Klitschko's people say they thought they had a done deal for a fight but got hoodwinked at the last second. Haye is on the record stating no agreement was ever reached and that the money he would have had to fight for would have made him a "slave fighter."
He also says he still wants to face the Klitschkos, but only on "equal and fair" terms. I don't know much, but one thing I do know is that knocking out Monte Barrett doesn't give one the right to hope for a 50/50 split of the purse with one of the Brothers Klitschko.
Here's another thing: if you attend a press conference wearing a t-shirt with a picture of the two guys you've been calling out decapitated, you'd better fight one of them when you have the chance. Whatever his reasons, Haye is choosing not to do that, meaning all of that tough talk of his has added up to nothing.
Unlike some boxing fans, it doesn't bother me that much when fighters choose the big money fight over the "better" one. It's a tough sport, and guys deserve to get paid when they get the chance. Maybe it's too much of me to ask, but I'd at least like the boxer to be honest about it when he's doing it.
And so it is with Haye. Either he wants to gun for the top guys in the division right away or there's some other goal he has in mind. He can't have it both ways.
I've been Haye's big defender on this blog since he originally started yapping. He's made it almost impossible to keep sticking up for him now, and time will tell if he has any intention about backing up his words with some action.
Posted by The Franchise
He had legitimate power as a cruiser, making him capable of ending fights at any time. Yet he had obvious defensive deficiencies, so he could just as easily be the one looking up at the lights at the end of the fight. Put simply, he was fun to watch.
On top of that, he was well-spoken and talked a good game. Man, did he talk. Haye had no problem telling the world that he wanted to go after Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko - only the guys who rule the division - and sounded quite sure he'd be able to beat them if he ever got them in the ring.
Now here we sit over a year later and pretty much all Haye has left us with is that talk. He got the date he wanted with Wladimir Klitschko but had to pull out (allegedly due to injury, though others insist it was fear of Setanta's bankruptcy), and Wlad moved on without him.
It looked like Haye would land brother Vitali as a consolation prize, but that bout died Wednesday with the surprising announcement that Haye will fight Nikolai Valuev instead on November 7. It's a big challenge, pun intended, but not exactly the one we've been promised all this time.
The ESPN report by Dan Rafael is interesting to read because of the very different stories told by each side. Klitschko's people say they thought they had a done deal for a fight but got hoodwinked at the last second. Haye is on the record stating no agreement was ever reached and that the money he would have had to fight for would have made him a "slave fighter."
He also says he still wants to face the Klitschkos, but only on "equal and fair" terms. I don't know much, but one thing I do know is that knocking out Monte Barrett doesn't give one the right to hope for a 50/50 split of the purse with one of the Brothers Klitschko.
Here's another thing: if you attend a press conference wearing a t-shirt with a picture of the two guys you've been calling out decapitated, you'd better fight one of them when you have the chance. Whatever his reasons, Haye is choosing not to do that, meaning all of that tough talk of his has added up to nothing.
Unlike some boxing fans, it doesn't bother me that much when fighters choose the big money fight over the "better" one. It's a tough sport, and guys deserve to get paid when they get the chance. Maybe it's too much of me to ask, but I'd at least like the boxer to be honest about it when he's doing it.
And so it is with Haye. Either he wants to gun for the top guys in the division right away or there's some other goal he has in mind. He can't have it both ways.
I've been Haye's big defender on this blog since he originally started yapping. He's made it almost impossible to keep sticking up for him now, and time will tell if he has any intention about backing up his words with some action.
Posted by The Franchise
23.3.09
Franchise Thoughts: On Vitali, Roy and Why Hybrid Cards Aren't the End of the World
After watching Vitali Klitschko dispose of Juan Carlos Gomez fairly easily on Saturday, I finally fell firmly into the camp of people who kind of feel sorry for him.
It's not his fault, as many observers have pointed out, that he is a heavyweight champion during one of the division's dimmest eras. It's certainly not his fault that his size prevents him from getting the proper due for his skills or his heart.
Even more than brother and fellow champ Wladimir, Vitali seems to want to please the fans. If there's a problem with both Brothers Klitschko, it's that they care about those title belts a little too much, meaning they will fight any mandatory challenger one of the sanctioning bodies puts in front of them just to keep the straps.
I think the situation that might finally make Vitali a compelling figure is if David Haye (or anyone, really) would beat Wladimir. That would give Vitali a unique dual unification/revenge motivation as he tried to avenge his little bro.
Unless that happens, the Klitschko-dominated heavyweight picture is likely to remain dull for many fans. But it's not Vitali's fault, because he's trying. I think.
Another guy who is still trying is Roy Jones Jr., even if his sights are set a bit lower now. He showed Saturday he could still perform and entertain, and he may be content with that at this point.
I'm not even going to try to figure out who makes sense for him to fight going forward, but as long as he stays close to his Florida home, his fans will come out to support him. Call Jones just the latest example of an emerging boxing trend in 2009: keep all but the biggest fights local, and people will buy tickets.
And speaking of locals, kudos to Square Ring for putting another Floridian, Nate Campbell, on color commentary for the boxing matches on the Jones-Sheika card. He was insightful and funny, and he certainly has a future as a commentator should he want to pursue one when his in-ring days are done.
To top it all off, the hybrid boxing/MMA card came off pretty well in Pensacola despite many naysayers - including some famous ones. At least on the broadcast, it sounded like the fans were into the MMA bouts and the Jones-Sheika main event, lagging just a bit for the B.J. Flores boxing match.
Does that mean mixed cards are the wave of the future? Definitely not, at least at the highest level. But for regional shows with fights that make sense from both sports, there appear to be some synergies that are there to be exploited.
Last 10 Seconds: If you haven't read it yet, go check out William Dettloff's excellent story on The Ring Blog about the trials of former lightweight champion Paul Spadafora. Everyone loves a good redemption angle, and it's hard not to pull for Spadafora as he attempts his latest comeback after you read his tale of learning lessons the hard way.
It's not his fault, as many observers have pointed out, that he is a heavyweight champion during one of the division's dimmest eras. It's certainly not his fault that his size prevents him from getting the proper due for his skills or his heart.
Even more than brother and fellow champ Wladimir, Vitali seems to want to please the fans. If there's a problem with both Brothers Klitschko, it's that they care about those title belts a little too much, meaning they will fight any mandatory challenger one of the sanctioning bodies puts in front of them just to keep the straps.
I think the situation that might finally make Vitali a compelling figure is if David Haye (or anyone, really) would beat Wladimir. That would give Vitali a unique dual unification/revenge motivation as he tried to avenge his little bro.
Unless that happens, the Klitschko-dominated heavyweight picture is likely to remain dull for many fans. But it's not Vitali's fault, because he's trying. I think.
Another guy who is still trying is Roy Jones Jr., even if his sights are set a bit lower now. He showed Saturday he could still perform and entertain, and he may be content with that at this point.
I'm not even going to try to figure out who makes sense for him to fight going forward, but as long as he stays close to his Florida home, his fans will come out to support him. Call Jones just the latest example of an emerging boxing trend in 2009: keep all but the biggest fights local, and people will buy tickets.
And speaking of locals, kudos to Square Ring for putting another Floridian, Nate Campbell, on color commentary for the boxing matches on the Jones-Sheika card. He was insightful and funny, and he certainly has a future as a commentator should he want to pursue one when his in-ring days are done.
To top it all off, the hybrid boxing/MMA card came off pretty well in Pensacola despite many naysayers - including some famous ones. At least on the broadcast, it sounded like the fans were into the MMA bouts and the Jones-Sheika main event, lagging just a bit for the B.J. Flores boxing match.
Does that mean mixed cards are the wave of the future? Definitely not, at least at the highest level. But for regional shows with fights that make sense from both sports, there appear to be some synergies that are there to be exploited.
Last 10 Seconds: If you haven't read it yet, go check out William Dettloff's excellent story on The Ring Blog about the trials of former lightweight champion Paul Spadafora. Everyone loves a good redemption angle, and it's hard not to pull for Spadafora as he attempts his latest comeback after you read his tale of learning lessons the hard way.
21.3.09
V. Klitschko v. Gomez: Round By Round
ESPN is wasting no time with the broadcast of the heavyweight title fight between Vitali Klitschko and Juan Carlos Gomez. The fighters are already in the ring. Michael Buffer is handling the intros. Because of the broadcast is on basic cable we are forced to see commercials in place of the fighter introductions. So I'm assuming that once this commercial break is finished we will be at the beginning of the first round.
Gomez is currently the number 9 ranked heavyweight in the world. This is the first time Vitali has defended his WBC heavyweight title. The crowd is clearly pro-Klitschko.
Round 1
There is certainly a height difference between these fighters, Vitali having the advantage. Gomez goes to work immediately with a flurry and catches Vitali. Vitali keeps Gomez away with some long jabs. Vitali has yet to throw a right hand. Vitali is patient, not throwing any power punches and waits for Gomez to make a mistake. They each paw with their lead hands. Gomez lands a hook to the body and head. Vitali looks a bit awkward in the first round. Gomez lands a left hook to the head. I give round 1 to Gomez.
Spartan117: 10-9 Gomez
Uatu: 10-9 Gomez
Franchise: Gomez
Round 2
Vitali throws 2 hooks and misses and Gomez gets inside and lands 2 hooks of his own upstairs. Gomez is doing a good job getting inside. Vitali's hands look slow which is why he's not landing a whole lot. Vitali lands a jab to the body and the head. Vitali now lands a straight right hand. Gomez sticks out his tongue. This is a much better round for Vitali. The crowd starts to chant his name. Vitali misses with a right hand and Gomez lands a counter. Vitali lands a shot well after the bell.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Franchise: Klitschko
Round 3
Gomez goes to work early again and throws a flurry. Gomez charges forward again to get inside and lands a few soft punches. Vitlali goes back to the jab. Gomez lands a left to the body and they tie up. Vitali lands a right hand to the face of Gomez. Vitali lands another right hand that lands flush. Gomez throws a hook that puts him off-balance and Vitali lands a jab. The two tie up again and they both try to get some shots in. Not much action in round 3.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klischko
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 4
Klitschko sticks to throwing his jab. Vitali follows up with a right hook that lands and the crowd cheers. Vitali is landing his punches flush. Gomez's eye is starting to swell. Gomez is really having trouble getting inside now. Gomez now tries to get inside but it results in a clinch. The ref tells Gomez to watch his head. Lots of clinching going on in the last minute.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 5
Gomez's eye is starting to really swell and appears bloodshot. Vitali is focusing on that eye now and landing all of his jabs there. Vitali throws a body shot. Gomez's eye is now bleeding. Gomez can't get out of the way of Vitali's punches now. Vitali hangs his arms below his waist. Vitali lands a great left hand and Gomez stumbles. Gomez's eye is in bad shape now. The ref doesn't look like he has any interest in stopping the action to examine it. Great round for Vitali.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 6
Klitschko is really landing his jab well. Things have gone from bad to worse with Gomez. Gomez keeps grappling now which shows he's tired. Gomez now trips and falls. Vitali is controlling this fight. His punches don't look like that have enough power behind them to knock Gomez out but I hope he surprises me. Now blood is pouring from the top of the head, behind the hairline of Klitschko's. It had to be caused from a headbutt.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 7
Gomez's eye is almost swollen shut. Gomez just keeps clinching. There have been a lot of breaks in the action due to Gomez tying up. Vitali leans into a huge right hand from Vitali and Gomez goes down. Gomez is in big trouble. He gets up and Vitali punishes him in the corner. Gomez is trying to clinch to stay alive. Gomez grabs him and falls down. It's ruled a slip and Gomez barely makes it out of the round.
Spartan117: 10-8 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-8 Klitschko
Franchise: 10-8 Klitschko
Round 8
Gomez looks like he has his legs back and tries to get inside. Gomez clearly needs a knockout now to win this and it looks highly unlikely. Gomez clinches again. Gomez is loading up on his right hand which he needs to do. Klitschko tries to catch Gomez as he comes in. Klitschko lands a good jab. Gomez gets rocked by another big right hand. It looked like Gomez was thinking about quitting by turning his back, but he turned back around to take a few more punches before the end of the round.
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 9
Gomez lands another huge right hand. Another cut opens over the other eye of Gomez. Gomez gets rocked by another power right hand and Gomez goes down. I can't believe his corner hasn't stopped this. Gomez gets clocked again and now Gomez turns his back and quits.
The winner by TKO at 1:48 of Round 9... and still WBC Heavyweight Champion... Vitali Klitschko.
Posted by spartan117
Posted by spartan117
Live Klitschko-Gomez, Jones-Sheika Round By Round Updates Tonight
First of all, a big thumbs down goes to ESPN for moving the Vitali Klitschko-Juan Carlos Gomez heavyweight title fight from its regular station to ESPN Classic. Yes, I know Classic shows a lot of boxing programming, but why bother obtaining the rights to show the fight if you aren't going to put it in front of the widest possible audience?
In any case, if you don't get ESPN Classic or are too carried away with March Madness to watch the fight, we've got you covered. Head on over to our main page and look for a new post with live round by round updates shortly after 6 pm Eastern.
Also, we'll have live updates of the Roy Jones Jr.-Omar Sheika fight later tonight. You can actually watch that mixed boxing-MMA card through your computer thanks to the people at MaxBoxing.com, and if you live outside North America, it works out to just $9.95 U.S. Still, if you can't swing that, our main page will have a round by round thread for the Jones fight as well.
Posted by The Franchise
In any case, if you don't get ESPN Classic or are too carried away with March Madness to watch the fight, we've got you covered. Head on over to our main page and look for a new post with live round by round updates shortly after 6 pm Eastern.
Also, we'll have live updates of the Roy Jones Jr.-Omar Sheika fight later tonight. You can actually watch that mixed boxing-MMA card through your computer thanks to the people at MaxBoxing.com, and if you live outside North America, it works out to just $9.95 U.S. Still, if you can't swing that, our main page will have a round by round thread for the Jones fight as well.
Posted by The Franchise
Predictions: Vitali Klitschko vs. Juan Carlos Gomez
Uatu says...
It's Dr. Ironfist versus the Black Panther for the WBC heavyweight title.
The good doctor is not coming off of a long layoff this time around, as he just fought in October. Gomez actually has the longer layoff.
Vitali is going to have his usual "home" ring advantage as this fight will take place in one of his adopted homes, Germany.
Vitali will enjoy the height advantage once again, probably close to three inches or so, maybe four, so I imagine Vitali will fight in his standing up, somewhat leaning back style, which will make it difficult for Gomez to get to him. Vitali still only has those two losses, his infamous quit on the stool loss to Byrd and his exciting stoppage loss to an exhausted Lennox Lewis.
Gomez is an interesting opponent, however. He still only has one loss, but it came in shocking fashion as he was a first-round KO victim to Yanqui Diaz, who isn't exactly a world beater. Gomez was a fast-handed, skilled heavyweight when he first entered the scene from the cruiserweight ranks. I don't think I have seen him fight for a few years now, but common sense would say that he hasn't gotten any faster, only slower. He could have slightly increased his power, but his last three fights have gone the full 12 rounds.
So what does this all add up to? I believe Gomez comes to win - I think he may actually want this fight more than Kiltschko. I also believe that his drive is not going to be anywhere near enough for him to win. He isn't going to knock Vitali out, he probably doesn't have enough power to keep Vitali honest, and he isn't going to be able to flurry or stick and move safely over a whole fight to get a decision. So the Vitali train keeps chugging
Vitali Klitschko by TKO in Round 7.
The Franchise says...
I have only seen Gomez fight once, so I am approaching this mostly from how Klitschko looked last time out. And actually, he looked pretty darn sharp in dispatching Samuel Peter. You certainly would not have automatically suspected he was coming off a layoff of nearly four years.
The suspicion here is that Gomez will have the same problem most people have with the Brothers Klitschko; namely, that they are too big and too tall. The idea is to get inside and rough them up, but that's tough to pull off for anyone, let alone a former cruiserweight.
There's no good reason to pick against Vitali since I expect he'll have advantages in size, reach, skill and power. Unless he's not taking this fight seriously for some reason, I like Klitschko to roll by mid-round KO.
Posted by uatu
It's Dr. Ironfist versus the Black Panther for the WBC heavyweight title.
The good doctor is not coming off of a long layoff this time around, as he just fought in October. Gomez actually has the longer layoff.
Vitali is going to have his usual "home" ring advantage as this fight will take place in one of his adopted homes, Germany.
Vitali will enjoy the height advantage once again, probably close to three inches or so, maybe four, so I imagine Vitali will fight in his standing up, somewhat leaning back style, which will make it difficult for Gomez to get to him. Vitali still only has those two losses, his infamous quit on the stool loss to Byrd and his exciting stoppage loss to an exhausted Lennox Lewis.
Gomez is an interesting opponent, however. He still only has one loss, but it came in shocking fashion as he was a first-round KO victim to Yanqui Diaz, who isn't exactly a world beater. Gomez was a fast-handed, skilled heavyweight when he first entered the scene from the cruiserweight ranks. I don't think I have seen him fight for a few years now, but common sense would say that he hasn't gotten any faster, only slower. He could have slightly increased his power, but his last three fights have gone the full 12 rounds.
So what does this all add up to? I believe Gomez comes to win - I think he may actually want this fight more than Kiltschko. I also believe that his drive is not going to be anywhere near enough for him to win. He isn't going to knock Vitali out, he probably doesn't have enough power to keep Vitali honest, and he isn't going to be able to flurry or stick and move safely over a whole fight to get a decision. So the Vitali train keeps chugging
Vitali Klitschko by TKO in Round 7.
The Franchise says...
I have only seen Gomez fight once, so I am approaching this mostly from how Klitschko looked last time out. And actually, he looked pretty darn sharp in dispatching Samuel Peter. You certainly would not have automatically suspected he was coming off a layoff of nearly four years.
The suspicion here is that Gomez will have the same problem most people have with the Brothers Klitschko; namely, that they are too big and too tall. The idea is to get inside and rough them up, but that's tough to pull off for anyone, let alone a former cruiserweight.
There's no good reason to pick against Vitali since I expect he'll have advantages in size, reach, skill and power. Unless he's not taking this fight seriously for some reason, I like Klitschko to roll by mid-round KO.
Posted by uatu
3.2.09
Franchise Thoughts: Big Time Boxing on ESPN Good for the Sport
When I first heard that WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko was going to pass on a fight with David Haye to face mandatory challenger Juan Carlos Gomez, I was a little disappointed. But my interest level has picked up over the last week or so, not because I'm getting more excited about the fight (I'm not) but because I'm intrigued by where it will be airing.
Reported by numerous media sources and confirmed by Dan Rafael in his blog entry today, the Klitschko-Gomez fight will air live on ESPN on March 21. As the scribe points out, that's the main channel too, and not one of its many offshoots.
I did a little digital sniffing around and was unable to come up with a date for the last time there was a heavyweight title fight on basic cable. For the better part of this decade, at least, championship boxing has been shown almost exclusively on HBO, Showtime or pay-per-view in the United States.
It's an interesting move for ESPN, as the its commitment to boxing has been waning just a bit in recent times. Wednesday Night Fights got the axe this year, and The Contender was allowed to find a new home on Versus. The recent redesign of ESPN.com has made boxing content more difficult to find than ever, and I've suspected for a while that the only thing keeping the network from ditching boxing for MMA is the fact that it has no programming stake in that sport.
On the other hand, Friday Night Fights has a pretty nice lineup set for the first quarter of 2009, and the ticker at the bottom of all ESPN channels regularly reports results of title fights as if they were newsworthy events. As long as you've got one foot in the game, why not devote some time to it and see what happens? It's a low risk proposition for ESPN with a bit of upside.
There's little doubt in my mind that it's a positive for boxing simply because ESPN is seen in so many more homes than HBO or Showtime. I'm sure anyone devoted enough to the sport to be reading this can come up with a list a mile long of fights they'd rather see on cable before Klitschko-Gomez, but the heavyweights still resonate the most with the general public, so it's hardly surprising that this is what we're getting.
And sure, there's a risk that people will find the fight by accident, decide that it's a stinker and resume ignoring boxing for the next few years. That wouldn't leave the sport's profile any lower than it is right now, though, so there's nothing to lose and only potential fans to gain.
The Final Bell
Can we please put a moratorium on all "MMA may kill off boxing" stories for good? Pretty please? Because we've been down that road ad nauseum, and I'm pretty sure most right-minded people have decided the success of one sport really has very little to do with the success or failure of the other.
Here's a brand spanking new review I found on Salon.com of the new book "Blood in the Cage" by Sports Illustrated's L. Jon Werheim. Most of the book is about the history of MMA, but a chunk of it is also devoted to - that's right - the rise of MMA at the expense of boxing.
Congratulations L. Jon, you're officially late to the party, and wrong on top of that. Thankfully reviewer Robert Anasi does a nice job in just a few paragraphs of explaining why boxing's trials and tribulations are uniquely its own.
Reported by numerous media sources and confirmed by Dan Rafael in his blog entry today, the Klitschko-Gomez fight will air live on ESPN on March 21. As the scribe points out, that's the main channel too, and not one of its many offshoots.
I did a little digital sniffing around and was unable to come up with a date for the last time there was a heavyweight title fight on basic cable. For the better part of this decade, at least, championship boxing has been shown almost exclusively on HBO, Showtime or pay-per-view in the United States.
It's an interesting move for ESPN, as the its commitment to boxing has been waning just a bit in recent times. Wednesday Night Fights got the axe this year, and The Contender was allowed to find a new home on Versus. The recent redesign of ESPN.com has made boxing content more difficult to find than ever, and I've suspected for a while that the only thing keeping the network from ditching boxing for MMA is the fact that it has no programming stake in that sport.
On the other hand, Friday Night Fights has a pretty nice lineup set for the first quarter of 2009, and the ticker at the bottom of all ESPN channels regularly reports results of title fights as if they were newsworthy events. As long as you've got one foot in the game, why not devote some time to it and see what happens? It's a low risk proposition for ESPN with a bit of upside.
There's little doubt in my mind that it's a positive for boxing simply because ESPN is seen in so many more homes than HBO or Showtime. I'm sure anyone devoted enough to the sport to be reading this can come up with a list a mile long of fights they'd rather see on cable before Klitschko-Gomez, but the heavyweights still resonate the most with the general public, so it's hardly surprising that this is what we're getting.
And sure, there's a risk that people will find the fight by accident, decide that it's a stinker and resume ignoring boxing for the next few years. That wouldn't leave the sport's profile any lower than it is right now, though, so there's nothing to lose and only potential fans to gain.
The Final Bell
Can we please put a moratorium on all "MMA may kill off boxing" stories for good? Pretty please? Because we've been down that road ad nauseum, and I'm pretty sure most right-minded people have decided the success of one sport really has very little to do with the success or failure of the other.
Here's a brand spanking new review I found on Salon.com of the new book "Blood in the Cage" by Sports Illustrated's L. Jon Werheim. Most of the book is about the history of MMA, but a chunk of it is also devoted to - that's right - the rise of MMA at the expense of boxing.
Congratulations L. Jon, you're officially late to the party, and wrong on top of that. Thankfully reviewer Robert Anasi does a nice job in just a few paragraphs of explaining why boxing's trials and tribulations are uniquely its own.
7.1.09
Report: Haye to Focus on Wladimir Klitschko After Vitali Klitschko Fight Falls Through
It didn't take much of 2009 for one of boxing's sanctioning bodies to ruin an intriguing fight - and in the one division that needed it most.
Just a few weeks ago, it looked like former cruiserweight champion David Haye was all set to take on reigning WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko in June. But the WBC decreed that Vitali had to face mandatory challenger Juan Carlos Gomez, and since he's loathe to give up the belt he waited several years to recover, it appears Klitschko will take that bout in late March.
Give the brash Haye credit for his ambition though, as the AP is reporting that he'll seek a fight with Wladmir Klitschko, the WBO and IBF champion, instead. Haye has thus far fought just once at heavyweight, knocking out Monte Barrett in five rounds this past November.
It's not clear if Haye would fare better against one particular Klitschko brother, as he'd be giving up plenty of size to both of them. Conventional wisdom would suggest that Vitali would be the easier target, as he's five years older and has fought just once in the last four years, but he looked sharp while dominating Samuel Peter last October.
Just a few weeks ago, it looked like former cruiserweight champion David Haye was all set to take on reigning WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko in June. But the WBC decreed that Vitali had to face mandatory challenger Juan Carlos Gomez, and since he's loathe to give up the belt he waited several years to recover, it appears Klitschko will take that bout in late March.
Give the brash Haye credit for his ambition though, as the AP is reporting that he'll seek a fight with Wladmir Klitschko, the WBO and IBF champion, instead. Haye has thus far fought just once at heavyweight, knocking out Monte Barrett in five rounds this past November.
It's not clear if Haye would fare better against one particular Klitschko brother, as he'd be giving up plenty of size to both of them. Conventional wisdom would suggest that Vitali would be the easier target, as he's five years older and has fought just once in the last four years, but he looked sharp while dominating Samuel Peter last October.
15.12.08
Report: Haye, Vitali Klitschko Reach Deal to Fight in June
Former cruiserweight champion David Haye got his feet wet as a heavyweight by knocking out Monte Barrett, but he's always had his eye on the big fish of the division - champion brothers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko. As it turns out, he won't have to wait too much longer to face one of them.
Haye told media outlets in his native Great Britain on Sunday night that he has reached an agreement to face Vitali Klitschko this coming June. The bout will take place in London, which is Haye's home turf but also the site where Klitschko won his first world title by knocking out Herbie Hide in June 1999.
Klitschko's last loss came in 2003 at the hands of another British fighter, Lennox Lewis (fighting for the final time), when a nasty cut caused him to take a TKO loss despite leading on all three cards at the time of the stoppage. He looked sharp while dispatching Samuel Peter in nine rounds two months ago after nearly four years of inactivity.
Barrett had his moments against Haye, who often seems to be on the edge of disaster before dropping his opponents. Haye has won five matches in a row by knockout dating back to November 2006, but he'll give up over four inches and numerous pounds when he takes on Klitschko.
Haye told media outlets in his native Great Britain on Sunday night that he has reached an agreement to face Vitali Klitschko this coming June. The bout will take place in London, which is Haye's home turf but also the site where Klitschko won his first world title by knocking out Herbie Hide in June 1999.
Klitschko's last loss came in 2003 at the hands of another British fighter, Lennox Lewis (fighting for the final time), when a nasty cut caused him to take a TKO loss despite leading on all three cards at the time of the stoppage. He looked sharp while dispatching Samuel Peter in nine rounds two months ago after nearly four years of inactivity.
Barrett had his moments against Haye, who often seems to be on the edge of disaster before dropping his opponents. Haye has won five matches in a row by knockout dating back to November 2006, but he'll give up over four inches and numerous pounds when he takes on Klitschko.
13.10.08
20-20 Hindsight: Chad is Indeed Bad, Tarver and Peter Done as Title Contenders and More
Sometimes the intrigue in boxing is all in the build-up to the fights and not so apparent in the fights themselves. That was definitely true this past weekend, when two championship bouts with interesting storylines produced little in-ring suspense.
In the case of heavyweights Samuel Peter and Vitali Klitschko, make that zero in-ring suspense. Klitschko quickly answered any questions about how he'd bounce back from nearly four years of inactivity due to injury, looking sharp but employing a pretty conservative style - taking notes from brother Wladimir, perhaps. Peter posed zero problems, losing every round (though one official judge somehow gave him one) and stinking up the joint so badly that you were actually happy that he decided not to come out for the ninth round.
Things were slightly different in Vegas, where at least both Antonio Tarver and Chad Dawson came to fight. Tarver simply found himself outgunned, and though he had his moments, many of them were created by Dawson's inconsistency. The outcome was never really in doubt, producing what my stepfather and many other observers called an exciting but not competitive fight.
Dawson emerged as the night's big winner, and his future looks very bright. His accuracy and hand speed make for a fan-friendly style, and his multi-punch combinations are reminiscent of a prime Shane Mosley. Though he had to respect Tarver's power somewhat, he could show more of a killer instinct. I definitely don't want to watch him do what he did in Saturday's sixth round, which he basically took off to prove Tarver couldn't hurt him.
It's rumored that he wants the winner of the upcoming Joe Calzaghe-Roy Jones Jr. fight, and that would get him either his stiffest test (if it's Calzaghe) or his most lucrative possible fight (if it's Jones). Floyd Mayweather called him the top pound-for-pound boxer in the world, and while Money knows a lot more about boxing than me, I wouldn't go there just yet. He definitely put himself in everybody's top 10, that's for sure.
In contrast, Klitschko's win, while a nice comeback story, doesn't do much for the heavyweight division. As long as the Brothers Klitschko refuse to fight each other, fans of the big guys are deprived of the best match that can be made. Unless Alexander Povetkin can dethrone Wladimir and set up a revenge angle for Vitali, we may have to wait and see if David Haye can inject some excitement into the proceedings.
Meanwhile, the losers of Saturday's fights have something in common: they're both pretty much done as legitimate title contenders. Tarver looks a step slow (at least), and though he's always good for entertainment value, retirement seems to be calling his name. There's absolutely no point in putting Peter back in against either Klitschko, and even if one of the brothers loses soon, he didn't show anything Saturday that's going to make him a hot commodity for any other champ. He seems destined to become a gatekeeper sooner rather than later.
One final note: getting psyched up for last weekend's fights, I almost missed the story that Evander Holyfield may be in line for a fight with Nikolai Valuev. That subject is enough to deserve a column of its own, but I can summarize my feelings in two words: Please. No.
In the case of heavyweights Samuel Peter and Vitali Klitschko, make that zero in-ring suspense. Klitschko quickly answered any questions about how he'd bounce back from nearly four years of inactivity due to injury, looking sharp but employing a pretty conservative style - taking notes from brother Wladimir, perhaps. Peter posed zero problems, losing every round (though one official judge somehow gave him one) and stinking up the joint so badly that you were actually happy that he decided not to come out for the ninth round.
Things were slightly different in Vegas, where at least both Antonio Tarver and Chad Dawson came to fight. Tarver simply found himself outgunned, and though he had his moments, many of them were created by Dawson's inconsistency. The outcome was never really in doubt, producing what my stepfather and many other observers called an exciting but not competitive fight.
Dawson emerged as the night's big winner, and his future looks very bright. His accuracy and hand speed make for a fan-friendly style, and his multi-punch combinations are reminiscent of a prime Shane Mosley. Though he had to respect Tarver's power somewhat, he could show more of a killer instinct. I definitely don't want to watch him do what he did in Saturday's sixth round, which he basically took off to prove Tarver couldn't hurt him.
It's rumored that he wants the winner of the upcoming Joe Calzaghe-Roy Jones Jr. fight, and that would get him either his stiffest test (if it's Calzaghe) or his most lucrative possible fight (if it's Jones). Floyd Mayweather called him the top pound-for-pound boxer in the world, and while Money knows a lot more about boxing than me, I wouldn't go there just yet. He definitely put himself in everybody's top 10, that's for sure.
In contrast, Klitschko's win, while a nice comeback story, doesn't do much for the heavyweight division. As long as the Brothers Klitschko refuse to fight each other, fans of the big guys are deprived of the best match that can be made. Unless Alexander Povetkin can dethrone Wladimir and set up a revenge angle for Vitali, we may have to wait and see if David Haye can inject some excitement into the proceedings.
Meanwhile, the losers of Saturday's fights have something in common: they're both pretty much done as legitimate title contenders. Tarver looks a step slow (at least), and though he's always good for entertainment value, retirement seems to be calling his name. There's absolutely no point in putting Peter back in against either Klitschko, and even if one of the brothers loses soon, he didn't show anything Saturday that's going to make him a hot commodity for any other champ. He seems destined to become a gatekeeper sooner rather than later.
One final note: getting psyched up for last weekend's fights, I almost missed the story that Evander Holyfield may be in line for a fight with Nikolai Valuev. That subject is enough to deserve a column of its own, but I can summarize my feelings in two words: Please. No.
11.10.08
Round By Round: Samuel Peter vs. Vitali Klitschko
The O2 World Arena in Berlin, Germany is home to the WBC heavyweight title fight between Samuel Peter and Vitali Klitschko. We're watching this one several hours after the fact in the United States on Showtime.
This is basically a home fight for Klitschko, the former WBC and WBO heavyweight champion who is returning to action after nearly four years off. Dr. Ironfist and his brother are very popular in Germany, and the crowd is very much in his corner.
Michael Buffer handles the introductions and we're all set to go.
Round 1
Both men working short hooks in the early going. Peter trying to duck his way inside. Jab by Peter and another. Left hook and a right hand crash home for Vitali. Klitschko can't miss with either hand. Another left hook has Peter off balance. Klitschko backing and circling but still throwing as he does. Peter finally scores to the body but it's clearly Klitschko's round.
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 2
Klitschko couldn't have started this fight any better. Peter is coming forward but he's getting whacked on the way in. Klitschko jabs, Peter ducks in and ties up. Now a right hand upstairs gets Vitali's attention. Left hooks land both ways. Vitali scores repeatedly with his left hand, both jabs and hooks. Klitschko almost can't miss - the left hand especially is there any time he wants it.
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 3
The crowd claps as Klitschko evades Peter's attack. Vitali lands with both hands to the head and backs away. He sneaks in three jabs in a row and Peter can't muster much coming back. He does load up a big right but Vitali responds immediately. Right hook by Klitschko in the middle of the ring. Peter scores to the body in the losing seconds.
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 4
Klitschko is holding his hands low but Peter hasn't been able to make him pay. Lefts set up a right hand to Peter's head. Two more rights land fairly clean. Peter is coming forward but isn't busy, and he gets smacked with another right. Peter lands a few jabs to the body with nothing behind them. The announcers think he feels a one-punch KO may be his only way to win.
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 5
Just found out there is open scoring for this one, and to little surprise, Klitschko has won every round on the official cards. Nice straight right by Klitschko and he goes back to the jab. A combo lands punctuated by another right, and Peter's left eye is swelling. Vitali circles and scores with left hooks. Peter is trying more jabs but getting hit in return almost every time. Peter tries to turn it into a brawl before the bell and Klitschko isn't having it.
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 6
Vitali goes right back to work; Peter hasn't found anything that's worked so far. A long sequence with very little happening ends with a left hand by Vitali. Klitschko sneaking in lefts and backing out; Peter trying to set up the right hand and still finding it hard. That may have been the closest round so far but it still easily went to Vitali.
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 7
Peter's corner told him to go to the body to set up head shots, but that's been easier said than done. Klitschko pours it on with a combo and works more left hands. The jab keeps Peter at bay again, and a right hand hits Peter in the face. Another one is on target and Peter's eye isn't looking any better.
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 8
The only drama left in this one is seeing whether Peter will lay it all out to get the KO or be KO'ed. He's finally trying to stand and trade but Klitschko is just too cagey. Repeated jabs smack Peter with an occasional right hand for good measure. It's hard to write anything different - it's just very accurate punching by Klitschko combined with enough movement to keep his foe from scoring in response.
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Peter hears the scores after the eighth round and decides he's had enough. He quits on his stool, giving the win to Klitschko. Brother Wladimir is extremely excited as the brothers Klitschko reign as heavyweight champions together.
The winner by TKO at the end of Round Eight... and new WBC heavyweight champion of the world... Vitali Klitschko.
This is basically a home fight for Klitschko, the former WBC and WBO heavyweight champion who is returning to action after nearly four years off. Dr. Ironfist and his brother are very popular in Germany, and the crowd is very much in his corner.
Michael Buffer handles the introductions and we're all set to go.
Round 1
Both men working short hooks in the early going. Peter trying to duck his way inside. Jab by Peter and another. Left hook and a right hand crash home for Vitali. Klitschko can't miss with either hand. Another left hook has Peter off balance. Klitschko backing and circling but still throwing as he does. Peter finally scores to the body but it's clearly Klitschko's round.
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 2
Klitschko couldn't have started this fight any better. Peter is coming forward but he's getting whacked on the way in. Klitschko jabs, Peter ducks in and ties up. Now a right hand upstairs gets Vitali's attention. Left hooks land both ways. Vitali scores repeatedly with his left hand, both jabs and hooks. Klitschko almost can't miss - the left hand especially is there any time he wants it.
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 3
The crowd claps as Klitschko evades Peter's attack. Vitali lands with both hands to the head and backs away. He sneaks in three jabs in a row and Peter can't muster much coming back. He does load up a big right but Vitali responds immediately. Right hook by Klitschko in the middle of the ring. Peter scores to the body in the losing seconds.
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 4
Klitschko is holding his hands low but Peter hasn't been able to make him pay. Lefts set up a right hand to Peter's head. Two more rights land fairly clean. Peter is coming forward but isn't busy, and he gets smacked with another right. Peter lands a few jabs to the body with nothing behind them. The announcers think he feels a one-punch KO may be his only way to win.
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 5
Just found out there is open scoring for this one, and to little surprise, Klitschko has won every round on the official cards. Nice straight right by Klitschko and he goes back to the jab. A combo lands punctuated by another right, and Peter's left eye is swelling. Vitali circles and scores with left hooks. Peter is trying more jabs but getting hit in return almost every time. Peter tries to turn it into a brawl before the bell and Klitschko isn't having it.
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 6
Vitali goes right back to work; Peter hasn't found anything that's worked so far. A long sequence with very little happening ends with a left hand by Vitali. Klitschko sneaking in lefts and backing out; Peter trying to set up the right hand and still finding it hard. That may have been the closest round so far but it still easily went to Vitali.
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 7
Peter's corner told him to go to the body to set up head shots, but that's been easier said than done. Klitschko pours it on with a combo and works more left hands. The jab keeps Peter at bay again, and a right hand hits Peter in the face. Another one is on target and Peter's eye isn't looking any better.
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Round 8
The only drama left in this one is seeing whether Peter will lay it all out to get the KO or be KO'ed. He's finally trying to stand and trade but Klitschko is just too cagey. Repeated jabs smack Peter with an occasional right hand for good measure. It's hard to write anything different - it's just very accurate punching by Klitschko combined with enough movement to keep his foe from scoring in response.
Franchise: 10-9 Klitschko
Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko
Uatu: 10-9 Klitschko
Peter hears the scores after the eighth round and decides he's had enough. He quits on his stool, giving the win to Klitschko. Brother Wladimir is extremely excited as the brothers Klitschko reign as heavyweight champions together.
The winner by TKO at the end of Round Eight... and new WBC heavyweight champion of the world... Vitali Klitschko.
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