By Jack Welsh
Vitali Klitschko’s towering presence plus power was the all the endorsement the public needed in lauding the true heavyweight champion in his eight-round rout of Danny Williams Saturday at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
The 33-year-old Klitschko, now of Los Angeles via Kiev, Ukraine, was clearly justified in calling his first WBC title defense “the greatest performance in my career as a professional,” having put the outclassed 31-year-old British import on the canvas in the first, third, seventh and eighth rounds for a TKO at 1:26.
Klitschko, in his Vegas debut, earned $3,200,000 after lifting his resume to 35-2, 33 KOs while Williams collected $300,000 as his record dipped to 32-4, 27 KOs.
Klitschko had to deal with a negative world audience as the WBC ruler, even after he was Lennox Lewis’ last opponent June 21, 2003 when England’s Emperor retired getting a controversial six-round victory. Vitali led on a scorecards, 58-56, but bad cuts over and under his left eye prompted the ringside physician to stop the bout.
Team Klitschko knew there would be no rematch with Lewis and had to settle winning the vacant WBC diadem by TKOing Corrie Sanders in eight-rounds last Apr. 24 in Los Angeles’ Staples Center.
“Nobody thought I would beat Lewis. I surprised people and could have kept on fighting but the doctor stopped the fight. But I knew I’d never get a rematch,” a frustrated Klitschko reflected.
World media types were always pressuring Lewis to discuss his successor in the heavyweight division, at its lowest ebb in years, and splintered with four recognized champions.
Besides the WBC’s Klitschko, there was the IBF’s Chris Byrd, WBA’s John Ruiz, and the WBO’s Lamon Brewster.
HBO-Pay-Per-View signed Lewis to do color commentary before and after the Klitschko-Williams pairing, the latter backing into the title shot with a surprise TKO of former champ Mike Tyson last July in Louisville, Ky.
Lewis, two inches shorter than Klitschko at 6’5” when they fought, was conservative before and after the Mandalay promotion.
“Before this fight, if I had to say who was leading the pack right now, I’d have to give that to Vitali, although he has not been tested. There are still some key questions he has to answer on his career.”
In the press recap, Lewis really hadn’t altered his opinion that the 6.1”, 270-pound Williams would have big problems handling Klitschko’s overall size.
“Danny showed courage and determination but he didn’t have the power he needed to hurt the bigger man Great heart but it wasn’t any easy task. Klitschko can’t beat me, but he’s better than those other guys.”
Klitschko, sometimes off balance and showing that erect stance of his early European days, pawed more than snapped his jab early. Williams’ game plan was no secret, lunging to get inside and hook to the head and body but he missed more than he landed.
The Ukraine pride caught his man with an eight-punch salvo late in the first round and Williams pitched down face first.
“Danny Williams is a very hard puncher and he surprised me with it. There
were a couple of times when he got me very hard. Danny’s iron chin was a big surprise. i got him with a lot of power punches. In the second round, I felt some pain in my right hand and after that they both hurt, more and more in very round.”
Williams, with gloves high, roused the house when he landed a shot to the body or caught Klitschko off-balance with a hook to the jaw. Just before the bell in the third round, the WBC champion dropped the ambitious Briton with a straight left to the neck. Williams struggled briefly to rise.
“We knew Wiliams would be trying in every round to work inside. My coach, Fritz Sdunek, gave me advice to keep boxing. I was getting a little tired, but I was prepared to go all 12 rounds if need be. My body usually needs a couple of rounds to warm up but that wasn’t a problem here.
“I was surprised with Danny’s chin. On some of those knockdowns, I was sure he would not get up even when I hit him from the outside,” Klitschko advised.
When Klitschko dropped a fading Williams in the seventh round with a five-punch volley, it was the beginning of the end with referee Jay Nady observing. It was over at1:26 of the eighth when Williams was airborne from a straight right and Nady waved it over.
The media’s post-fight recap was delayed along beyond most deadlines, including United Kingdom and European writers, since both fighters went to Valley hospital for routine examinations. Klitschko was checked for only swollen hand and Williams for a minor concussion.
It was beyond 12:30 a.m. Sunday before Klitschko returned to the media room with both hands in bandages.
“I can’t answer the question of who I’ll fight next, but the doctor says my hands should allow me to fight in two months. Maybe by then we’ll know the opponent. Hasim ‘Rock’ Rahman, the former champion who has split two fights with Lennox Lewis, might be a possibility,” Klitschko opined.
“Actually, boxing is like life. The most important part is experience. From every fight, I take something I can use. Hopefully, next year I can be even better. Holyfield, Tyson and Lewis have had their time. I am the next generation.
“Danny Williams was very brave with an iron chin. And he was always dangerous. I hit him with many strong punches. And I was ready for a very tough fight from him. I don’t fight for myself. I fight for the people. If the people are happy, I feel I am a success. I’m flying back to Germany Sunday and then returning to the Ukraine.”
COTTO’s BODY SHOTS STOP BAILEY
Miguel Cotto, rapidly gaining a big reputation as one of boxing’s most vicious body puncher, enhanced the hype when he methodically wore down heavy-hitting Randall Bailey for a sixth-round TKO in his first defense as WBO junior welterweight champion Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
Cotto, 140, Caguas, P.R., proved his jaw is as rugged as his punching power when he took some early shots from ex-junior welterweight king Randall Bailey, 139.5, Miami, Fla., before quickly putting the latter on the canvas in the second third rounds.
Cotto, improving to 22-0,18 KOs, collected the largest purse of his four-year career at $275,000 and is now mentioned with such front-liners as Kostya Tszyu, Arturo Gatti, Vivian Harris, Zab Judah, and Ricky Hatton.
Bailey, a former WBO/WBA ruler, put Cotto under instant pressure in the first round, shaking him with booming right to the jaw and a left uppercut.
Cotto never lost his cool, twice setting up a heavy right with a jab and then exchange counters with Bailey.
Before the second round bell, Cotto dropped Bailey with two short rights and added another right as an attention getter.
Midway in the third round, the rivals twice traded combinations and Cotto started to change the trend of the action with a five-punch salvo that had the ring doctor checking Bailey’s left eye.
The veteran Floridian was now in steady retreat as Cotto started loading up in the fourth round with a six-punch flurry twice that went unanswered.
Bailey tried to get back in the chase in the fifth round with sever al good shots but again Cotto retaliated.
Bailey made what was his last stand early in the sixth round with jabs, but Cotto had him bleeding over both eyes with a six-punch rush, prompting referee Norm Budden of Reno for halting the action at 1:37.
“My right hand is not as good as it used to be. We knew Bailey doesn’t take it too well to the body. So, we took it to his body and won the fight. As my promoter Bob Arum about my next opponent. They put who ever they want and then I go out and do the work,” said the 22-year-old pride of Puerto Rico.
Bailey, earning $75,000 as his log slipped to 28-5, 27 KOs, said “Cotto threw a lot of punches. It was not his power but his volume. His defense was good and I didn’t hit the guy with my best shots. Cotto is better than I thought.”
(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in Las Vegas and also a regular contributor to Ringsports. Com and other American sports magazines.)
