Two things happen that changed the dynamics. The first was Williamson flash knockdown of Klitschko in the fourth round. Within the first minute, a Williamson right caught an off-balance Wladimir flushed. Klitschko immediately stood up and came back strong to salvage the round. Two of the judges gave Klitschko credit for winning second half of the round and awarded Williamson a one-point advantage. The second thing was the clash of heads at the end of the fifth round. This accidental head butt ended the fight and sent it to the scorecard, in which the Ukrainian fighter had an edge on two of the judges’ scorecard.
So what can be surmise from this? First, Wladimir is not the same fighter he was two years ago. Since the Sanders debacle, Klitschko fights tentative and not to lose as oppose to win. Last night was no exception. He appeared cautious and afraid to commit his punches. The fluidity that existed just two years ago and allowed Wladimir to dominate fighters such as Byrd and McCline was missing. Unless the old Wladimir shows up in future fights, his future is bleak.
When you see a prospect with a 16-0 record, you should be suspicious. Jeff Lacy is the real thing and last night proved it. Against a caliber fighter, Lacy showed both the patience and wide variety of punches to win. Lacy lost the first two rounds as Syd Vanderpool out boxed the young American. A Vanderpool’s body shot stunned Lacy in the opening rounds and the Canadian hand speed appeared to be unsolvable puzzle. Lacy stayed with his game plan of breaking Vanderpool down and kept moving forward. He started to cut off the ring and moved side to side as oppose to chasing his elusive prey. Starting in the 3 rd round, Lacy closed the distance and forced Vanderpool to fight.
While Vanderpool hand speed stilled held sway, the combinations were coming less frequent. Vanderpool abandoned his jab and found himself on the rope more often. Lacy took advantage of the Canadian lapses and pounded away. In the sixth round, Lacy nailed Vanderpool with series of uppercut and Vanderpool’s own will kept him up. Staggered and bloodied, Vanderpool went back to his stool. In the eighth round, Vanderpool retreated to the rope for one final time and Lacy took advantage. Like a seasoned veteran, he did not allow Vanderpool to escape and finished the job.
This was the tale of two fighters going in different direction. Klitschko was the superstar to be and now he is hoping to rescue a career among the elites. A loss of confidence and uncertainty, the Ukrainian is searching to find the magic before a once promising career goes slipping away.
As for Lacy, he is now owns a portion of the super middleweight championship. With a powerful left hook complimented by a commanding right hand punch. Lacy only weakness is the jab but he is working on that as well. Once he learns to use his jab more effectively, he has the chance for superstardom and maybe even multiple championships. Is there a light heavyweight championship waiting? While most of the boxing world eyes were fixed upon the Trinidad-Mayorga fight, those fight fans who eschewed the PPV price and settle for the Showtime, found themselves viewing a future superstar in Lacy.
Klitschko has the talent in a depleted heavyweight division to be a champion but not the confidence. Lacy has both the skill and the confidence that a champion needs. The difference between these two fighters is that when Klitschko walks in the ring, he is not certain whether he will prevail. In between the fifth and sixth round, Lacy told his corner that he was breaking his opponent down. With the fight still in doubt, Lacy showed the confidence in his ultimate victory. That is the difference between a championship caliber fighter and a mere contender.
