By CompuBox

Ever since Lennox Lewis retired as undisputed heavyweight champion in 2003, the division has suffered through a thorough reshuffling of the deck. Since "The Lion's" departure, 16 different men have laid claim to some version of the four "major" belts. While the heavyweight shuffle has produced a split verdict on who is the "real" champion, the opinion-makers were unanimous as to the solution for the division's protracted malaise – the crowning of another undisputed champion.

The first step toward that exalted goal will take place February 23 at Madison Square Garden when IBF king Wladimir Klitschko fights the WBO's standard bearer Sultan Ibragimov. Klitschko, regarded by virtually every expert as the best of the four titlists, is a 4-to-1 favorite to become a double-belt holder – and if one counts the IBO strap Klitschko holds, which few do, he would actually hold three belts.

This contest features not only a clash of styles but a confrontation between the today's super-size behemoths in the 6-6 1/2, 243-pound Klitschko and the 6-2, 219-pound Ibragimov, whose frame is more typical of big men of the 1970s and 1980s. At first glance, one would think that Klitschko would have the size and skill set to overpower Ibragimov, and while "Dr. Steelhammer" may ultimate prove that to be correct there are elements that might cause some observers to rethink their position.

The first factor favoring Ibragimov is a quirk of birth – he was born left-handed. Only five lefties have worn a version of the four "major" belts (converted right hander Michael Moorer and natural southpaws Corrie Sanders, Chris Byrd, Ruslan Chagaev and Ibragimov), and they all have been crowned since 1994. Heavyweight portsiders remain a relatively rare breed, and in his 52 bouts Klitschko has only had five such fights, going 4-1. Klitschko owns a decision victory and a seventh round TKO against Byrd, a first round KO of Najee Shaheed in July 1998, a fifth-round stoppage of Joseph Chingangu in July 1999 and a second round defeat to Sanders.

One of boxing's many truisms reads that fighting a southpaw will limit the effectiveness of an orthodox fighter's jab because the lefty's right glove is perfectly positioned to block it. Klitschko’s trainer Emanuel Steward does not ascribe to this theory and Klitschko’s numbers bear him out.

Klitschko's rematch against Byrd in April 2006 offers the closest approximation of his jab's effectiveness against a defensively proficient southpaw, though in this case Byrd took an unusually confrontational approach. Instead of backing to the ropes and letting his defense dictate his offense, Byrd stood at ring center and shot left crosses to Klitschko’s body while the challenger mostly pawed with his jab. Once Klitschko began landing his right, the jabs fell into place, and by the sixth they were ripping through Byrd’s gloves. In the sixth round alone he landed 19 of 32 jabs (59 percent), the most jabs an opponent ever landed on Byrd in bouts tracked by CompuBox, and Klitschko ended up connecting on 57 of 146 for 39 percent accuracy.

In Klitschko's most recent outings, the jab has been a vital component. That fact was never more evident than in his revenge sixth-round corner retirement against Lamon Brewster in July 2007. Klitschko threw an average of 58 jabs per round, more than triple the heavyweight average of 19 and 12 more than the overall heavyweight punch output of 46. His 162 connects in six rounds was on pace to shatter the divisional record held by Lennox Lewis against David Tua in November 2000 (213) as well as the all-time, all-divisions record held by Ike Quartey against Jose Luis Lopez in October 1997 (313). Moreover, 346 of Klitschko's 434 attempted punches were jabs – an astounding 80 percent – and most of them were hard, jarring and frighteningly accurate (47 percent).

As proficient as Klitschko is at throwing the jab, that's how effective Ibragimov is at defending against it. Friday Ahunanya, Ray Austin, Shannon Briggs and Evander Holyfield combined to land a meager 1.6 of the 15 jabs they attempted. The 11 percent connect rate is nearly one-third the pace of the average heavyweight (31 percent). Of those opponents, Briggs was the most successful as he connected on 20 of 142 (14 percent) while "The Real Deal" was the least with 17 of 198 (9 percent). Both Ahunanya (12 of 114) and Austin (25 of 218) clocked in at 11 percent.

In short, at least in terms of jab effectiveness, Klitschko-Ibragimov pits the unstoppable force against the immovable object. Something – or rather someone – has to give and the one who forces the other to do so will be the winner.

The second factor in Ibragimov's favor is his overall defensive numbers, not just against the jab. Ahunanya, Austin, Briggs and Holyfield landed a combined 22 percent of their blows, 16 percent under the heavyweight average of 38, and that figure was achieved by Ibragimov’s subtle head movement, knowledge of punching angles, superior mobility and the stamina to execute those moves throughout an entire fight. His defensive skills combined with his southpaw stance also limited his opponents' output as they threw 27 punches per round, 19 below the divisional average.

The final factor is that Ibragimov has been the more active fighter. Klitschko has been on the sideline for 230 days, the longest of his 12-year career, while Ibragimov has been off for just 133 days. Klitschko logged only eight rounds of action in his two fights in 2007 while Ibragimov amassed 25 in his three bouts last year.

One major flaw in Ibragimov's recent fights has been his very low punch output. While he has done well in limiting his opponents' offense, it has come at the expense of his own attack. In the four Ibragimov fights tracked by CompuBox, he has averaged just 30 punches per round, 16 below the divisional average, and his connect percentage of 34 is four points below the standard.

A second flaw is Ibragimov’s lack of offensive versatility. Like most southpaws, Ibragimov's jab is virtually non-existent as he averaged 10.4 per round and landed 1.8 of them for 17 percent accuracy, well below the norms of 19 thrown, six landed and 31 percent. Because of that, Ibragimov is heavily dependent on his left cross and right hook, and to his credit he has been successful. In the four bouts mentioned above, Ibragimov averaged 8.5 of 19.5 power shots for 43.7 percent accuracy, most of which targeted the body. This means he was able to take advantage whenever he managed to get inside, which will be a vital part of Ibragimov’s fight plan against the long-armed Klitschko.

Klitschko has long had the reputation for being an offensive force, as his 44 KO in 49 wins attests. The three defeats, however, exposed weaknesses in terms of stamina and ability to take his opponents’ hardest punches. In recent fights, Steward has revamped Klitschko’s offensive approach to minimize those flaws in two ways: Reducing his punch output and limiting the use of his right hand.

In the eight Klitschko fights tracked by CompuBox between 1998 and 2001, Klitschko averaged 50 punches per round overall – 30 jabs and 20 power punches – landing 39 percent overall, 29 percent of his jabs and an impressive 53 percent of his power punches. But in four of his five most recent fights against Samuel Peter, Chris Byrd, Calvin Brock, and Ray Austin, Klitschko’s average output dropped a full 25 percent to 40 per round, and 28 of those punches were jabs. This means an astounding 70 percent of his offense consisted of jabs, the punch that epitomizes the low-risk, high-reward approach.

Despite this rather dramatic change in outlook, Klitschko did not sacrifice much in terms of efficiency. His jab accuracy increased from 29 to 33 percent and his power punch marksmanship dipped from 53 to 47 percent. His 38 percent accuracy overall is right at the heavyweight average while his jab connect percentage of 34 is three above and his power connect percentage of 47 is four above. His right hand was kept in cold storage for the most part; in fact he didn’t throw a single one against Austin and he didn’t unleash his first one against Byrd until four minutes had elapsed. Only after Klitschko established he could land the right with consistency did he feel confident enough to throw them with impunity.

The new Klitschko also limited his opponents’ effectiveness. The quartet listed above threw 32 punches overall (14 below average) while landing just three of their 16 jabs (18 percent) and 36 percent of their 16 attempted power punches. The name of the game is hit and not be hit, and the results of the style change spoke for themselves.

In his most recent outing against Brewster, however, Klitschko again shifted course and effectively merged the past with the present. He averaged 72 punches per round, landing 33 of them for 46 percent, yet 81 percent of those total punches were jabs, which landed at a 47 percent rate. His nearly 15 power punches per round was half the divisional average, but his 42 percent connect rate was just below the heavyweight standard. Against Brewster at least, he was that rarest of fighters – a volume puncher that also boasted brutal efficiency. Moreover, he limited Brewster to 28 percent effectiveness overall (10 percent below the divisional norm), though Brewster did manage to land on 46 percent of his slightly more than 10 power punch attempts per round.

So who will be the one to make the first step toward being "undisputed?" In terms of experience, Klitschko stands head and shoulders above most of the division in terms of rounds fought and quality of competition. Klitschko has fought 213 rounds as a pro and has fought six men who have held a title while Ibragimov has logged 116 rounds against three men who have held a title – and one of them, Al Cole, was a cruiserweight champ. Aside from Byrd (321), Klitschko has feasted on less experienced fighters in Brewster (142), Austin (158), Brock (123) and Peter (74).

Klitschko proved against Brewster that he is still capable of revving up the offense when needed and showed against Byrd that he can rack up numbers against a defensively responsible southpaw opponent. For Ibragimov to win, he must achieve a near perfect symmetry of opportunistic offense and defensive wizardry to offset Klitschko’s physiological advantages, and without the benefit of a consistent jab that is almost impossible to do. The stars must align perfectly for Ibragimov to win – and odds are they won’t. Fighters who thrive on defense as much as Ibragimov does will have a tough time convincing the judges that he deserves rounds, and especially so against Klitschko, an imposing big man capable of offensive fireworks.

To borrow a phrase from the NFL, look for Klitschko to return to his methodical "ball control" offense because he needs time to figure out Ibragimov’s southpaw stance and above-average mobility. This fight will be a delight for those who revel in fundamentals and strategy and a disappointment for fans who want to see heavyweight-sized pyrotechnics. Klitschko will prove that bigger is indeed better when he wins by unanimous decision.