Has The Vitali Klitschko Train Begun Boarding?
by
Buster Paris
12/14 - Saturday night. December 11th 2004. I’ve got my popcorn, cream soda, pad and pen and I’m looking forward to a fun night. Vitali Klitschko and Danny Williams.
“OOOOW” – In the first bout on the fight card Carlos “Famoso” Hernandez get’s a huge gash on his right eye. Every eye cut since June of 2003 brings me right back to Klitschko/Lennox Lewis and that cut that Vitali could have used to pack his gloves and trunks in rather than use a gym bag.
Even my wife who hates boxing chimed in on my reaction to Hernandez’s cut with “It’s not as bad as Klitschko’s...” which impressed me and showed me how that cut is as famous as Cindy Crawford’s mole.
Despite Klitschko’s rising stock I’m not sure who is going to win. I could go either way actually, which tells me something about how I think of Klitschko. To me he still hasn’t proved something and I’m not sure what that something is.
Danny Williams knocks out the shell of Mike Tyson and he’s got my respect and my optimistic eye. In my book he’s on his way.
Klitschko who in my opinion was winning the fight against an out of shape and horribly performing Lennox Lewis and has won 8 of his last 10 fights - and each fight he looks better and better, but yet for some reason I’m still not convinced. I’m still not on the Dr. Ironfist bandwagon.
So why am I not on the Klitschko train especially after his punishing of Danny Williams. I mean come on. That jab. Those combinations. Vitali never got cocky or anxious or careless. He fought a great fight. He’d even stop a punch mid stream, like an inch before impact and change it’s angle. It was amazing.
At one point in the fight it looked like the Jolly Green Giant playing with the Pillsbury Dough Boy. I’m hung up on the fact that Vitali’s mouth was open the whole fight. That he was breathing through it.
Klitschko landed 296 punches and Williams landed 44, but I’m hung up on Vitali’s mouth.
Here we are, back to my original problem - why am I not a believer? Why am I not on the Klitschko bandwagon? Am I alone here? I’ve got to assume that I’m not the only one on the look out for the next great Champ. The next “badest man on the planet” thank you Mike Tyson. I just don’t see Vitali Klitschko as him.
So – what would it take for Vitali to convince me that he is the Champion I’m waiting for? I need to see him against a real heavy hitter, against a real threat.
The following is a list of those that if he beat he would gain that “something” that’s missing:
- James “Lights Out” Toney
- Andrew Golota
- Chris Byrd (rematch of their April 2000 bout)
- Jameel McCline
At least I think he would gain that “something”, but I’d have my popcorn and cream soda ready.
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