|
|
Firstly it would be Wladimir Klitschko who would destroy heavy underdog Lamon Brewster to regain the WBO championship. Then, older brother Vitali would avenge his little brother's defeat to Corrie Sanders, acquire the WBC title, they would be the first siblings in history to simultaneously hold portions of the heavyweight crown and all would be well.
Now that this deliriously happy scenario has been upended by yet another oh so shocking loss for Wladimir and the scandalous allegations that have ensued, as well as a possible investigation afoot into the allegedly suspicious surrounding circumstances, we have no choice but to turn our focus to Vitali; who actually delivered on his side of the bargain.
Let's face it, our alternatives are Chris Byrd; quite possibly the luckiest man alive who just happens to hold the IBF title or our WBA champion John Ruiz, I think that would be enough to convince anyone to give Klitschko a second look.
Fortunes change rather quickly in this game and our predictions don't always work out the way we had planned.
Not long ago it was Wladimir Klitschko who was going to be our future star, but for every Fabio Moli flattened there appeared to be a Corrie Sanders just waiting to return the favor.
Meanwhile Vitali Klitschko could always have counted on a career in cleaning up little brother's messes but he has emerged as the forerunner of the two after his heroics against Lennox Lewis last year. Of course, Klitschko's career defining performance against the now retired Lewis was made possible by Lewis' willingness to salvage the promotion at short notice after Kirk "Of course I'm in shape" Johnson pulled out.
I can't think of another fighter, let alone a champion that would have taken such a risk as Lewis did before he stopped Vitali in six rounds. It was a wildly exciting fight ended by some of the most grotesque cut damage I've ever seen.
But as usual when concerning Lennox Lewis these factors will be conveniently forgotten and somehow illogically manipulated to his eternal detriment in the eyes of the American boxing public.
Credit where it is due though, Vitali has said and done the right things ever since that evening in June 2003. He bases himself in Los Angeles and strokes the collective ego of the Staples Center crowd with his ring walk accompaniment of "Hotel California." Such moves have prompted seasoned US journalists to portray the man whose heart they once so stringently questioned as "One of our own."
Besides such blatant hypocrisy, on April the 24th Vitali finally won his WBC heavyweight title in a real fight against veteran South African Corrie Sanders.
It wasn't too pretty and Sanders wasn't prepared for much more than to counter Klitschko with one of his sneaky southpaw bombs, but it was still a very entertaining fight. In fact, "Sniper" Sanders made a few hits in an opening round scored for him as he succeeded in luring Klitschko into his trap.
Press reports about the Klitschko's training sessions with LA's Freddie Roach were not encouraging when Vitali was heard to utter such nonsense as, "You should never clinch in boxing." Obviously the power in Sanders' left hand persuaded him to change his stance on the matter and if such thinking can be permanently eradicated the Vitali Klitschko show might have some longevity.
The rounds passed and I couldn't help but cringe whilst watching Klitschko and remembering all of the sensational quotes that have been attached to him being "The Man."
His wide and awkwardly lumbering footwork was not a scientific marvel to behold but when it matters Klitschko has some impressive qualities. Being an absolute giant of a man Klitschko curiously still lunges with is jab but it is consistent and accurate as are his varied attacks to the head and body.
By the fifth it was Klitschko who was light on his feet and letting his shots go while Sanders was exhausted; physically and strategically. Perhaps the heavyweight champion of the world shouldn't have love handles, but Sanders showed more guts than those around his waist as he flatly refused to cave in under heavy fire. In fact he soldiered on valiantly until referee John Schorle's compassionate stoppage in the eighth.
|
|
The heavyweight division lost its standard bearer when Lennox Lewis retired earlier this year but the people have adopted their champion in Vitali Klitschko. And so now, at thirty two years of age he faces the task of cleaning up this ragged house known as the heavyweight division. Unfortunately the legacy he will look to forge will be against men who, quite plainly, Lennox Lewis simply could not be bothered to fight.
The uninspiring list of contenders as they were under Lewis's reign have merely upgraded their status and managed to gather no more appeal in doing so.
Of course, Lewis was asked about a potential return to the fold by HBO's Larry Merchant during the broadcast but the simplicity of his refusal only served to ridicule the state of the division even further. And indeed, why should he come back? Having carried the credibility of the entire class for so long, why should he now indulge the curiosities of the suits that would benefit by seeking to pitch him against the pride's new lion?
The impression I get is that Lewis' dignified exit hurts, even for those that denied him respect for so long. I feel that many would like Lewis to serve himself up as a sacrifice for Klitschko, a last link to the past which would afford the new champion true lineage. Whether Lewis could win a rematch or not is quite irrelevant now, his denying those people the satisfaction of finding out is just as sweet a parting shot.
Restoring clarity and respectability to the title is perhaps an unfair charge for Vitali Klitschko, but it is his nonetheless. Without a career defining victory over Lennox Lewis, Klitschko must now become the standard that all other heavyweights are to be compared to. If he is to be bereft of opposition to dramatically punctuate his legacy then he must at least dominate the division and leave no doubt as to who was the greatest champion of his era. None of the current pugilistic pretenders, and there are many of them, should be able to stand the light of day by his shining example.
Chris Byrd holds a double incentive; his IBF championship hardware and the fact that Vitali should look to exact his own revenge for his embarrassing retirement loss to Byrd. However, Byrd's card appears to be marked for the foreseeable future as Andrew Golota and Jameel McCline struggle against one another to secure the title away from the southpaw stylist. And if Byrd were to lose to either I would certainly welcome the prospect of Klitschko being matched against them also.
In years past, fight journalists portrayed Evander Holyfield as the example that all heavyweights were to be measured by. Now it is they who have measured him up, picked a burial suit and are waiting to place the final nails in the coffin of a once prized professional career.
Such fighters of former fame but absent ability should be avoided at all cost by Klitschko if he is to mark his time as champion in a dignified way. Holyfield would be a prized scalp for a young, hungry fighter but to beat a man whose name now far supersedes his capability holds no valuable consequence for Klitschko. A man only that bit more of an entity than Holyfield, principally because of his less advanced age is the WBA's John Ruiz.
That Ruiz has become a two time world heavyweight champion is a truly mystifying fact and Klitschko could do himself and the rest of the boxing world a huge favor by disposing of Ruiz in a unification match as soon as possible. And of course there is one last revenge mission to undertake for his younger brother if Wladimir fails to secure a return with Lamon Brewster.
It is yet to be determined whether a conspiracy to handicap Wladimir was at play during his fight with Brewster; one which would guarantee the dramatic loss which ensued. We wait for the outcome, but my suspicion is that this matter will be dropped sooner rather than later and Wladimir Klitschko will realize that his best chance of regaining a world title and respectability lies in his ability in the ring, and that the boxing public notoriously looks unfavorably upon those who would have their deeds completed for them in a courtroom.
The emergence of a savior for the division looks increasingly unlikely in the immediate future. That being so, Vitali Klitschko is as good a man as any in which to place your hope as we continue to wait for one.
