By Matthew Hurley
With his emphatic rematch victory over Chris Byrd in front of a partisan crowd in Mannheim, Germany, Wladimir Klistchko staked his claim to being, at the very least, one of the best heavyweights in the world. Despite the fact that “Dr. Steelhammer” has been nothing but a question mark since he was destroyed in two rounds by Corrie Sanders, Klitschko indeed looked impressive in easily dismantling the longest reining belt holder in the division. But what does it really mean? In fact, with title belts changing hands at an alarming rate in boxing’s premier division, it really doesn’t mean all that much.
Emanuel Steward, Klistchko’s trainer, contended after the bout that there was no one out there who could beat his physically imposing fighter. Steward’s comments may at first seem a bit overblown, but as the former trainer of the first truly big heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis (and by big we’re talking over 240 pounds and at least six-foot-five) he has the fistic pedigree to gloat.
On top of that, one of only two fighters to beat Lewis, Oliver McCall, was trained by Steward before the legendary trainer switched corners. He understands that in order for a big man to maintain a high level of consistency, in regards to punch out-put and stamina, it demands a long, punishing jab and, as much as a referee will permit, a clutch and grab style that allows for periods of rest during rounds.
Klitstchko employed that style in his previous fight against murderous punching, but unschooled contender Samuel Peter. He had to because if he didn’t tie up an opponent who decked him three times in the bout he never would have survived. It was tactically appropriate in that fight, but why use it at all against the light hitting Byrd, whom he had already taken apart in their first bout?
Steward, and fans of the personable Ukrainian, will respond that he did the smart thing and took his time to impose his strength and establish his jab in order to set up his crunching right cross. And they would be right. It was an extremely professional performance by Wladimir. It was a smart strategy against a fighter who couldn’t reach him and who couldn’t hurt him. So none of the questions concerning Klitschko’s alleged weaknesses were even remotely answered.
But what happens when a big, strong fighter who he won’t be able to push around the ring starts launching haymakers at that still questionable chin? Steward is so annoyed by this question that he waves it off.
“The chin is not an issue,” he constantly says when the subject comes up.
Yet, if enough people are still wondering about it than it is still an issue. And it could, ironically, work in Wladimir’s favor. Not only is he now the marquee heavyweight out there, he’s a fighter that has been knocked cold twice and nearly taken out a third time. Potential opponents know that he represents the most money at, perhaps, the most risk because of his offensive weaponry, but that chin remains an inviting target. A fighter like Lamon Brewster, who knocked him out in five rounds, proved that if you can take his punch and drag him into a physical struggle it’s very possible that the six-foot-six behemoth just might collapse from exhaustion.
Chris Byrd, on the other hand, presented nothing but problems for these same fighters. He was elusive, hard to hit and provided no substantial reward for even attempting to take his belt. There was a reason, besides ineffectual promotional handling by his then promoter Don King, as to why he fought so infrequently. Who wants a loss on their record if they're not at least going to get paid handsomely for it?
The stylistic match-up between Byrd and Klitschko was ridiculous when you consider the size differential, strength, punching power and the fact that they had done it once before and it wasn’t even close. But Byrd matched up well against other big men because they weren’t as offensively gifted as Klitschko. Of course Byrd didn’t knock anyone out, he just out pointed them; invariably in boring fashion. So in the end what does this overwhelming victory mean?
It means that the heavyweight division isn’t nearly as bad as some have made it out to be. There have been some really good fights as of late and the idea that anyone can lose gives the division a dash of intrigue. Now, Klistchko is back and firmly entrenched in the mix. Is he the best out there? Possibly. Can he be beaten? We’ve already seen that he can be and when he did lose it was in dramatic fashion. On top of all that he can punch like hell, he has a world-class jab and a personality that lends itself to American television. Even those who continue to deny this fighter his due have to at least admit that they’ll watch him fight just to see if he’ll fall like a tree again. And that, in itself, brings a healthy dose of excitement into what has been a moribund division since that other big heavyweight, Lennox Lewis, retired.
Everyone in the division knows that anyone can fall, even the big, imposing guy from the Ukraine. It has recently led to a round robin of title belt switching and it is getting fun again to be a fan of the big men of boxing. Klitschko is now at the top of the division. But don’t be surprised if he’s knocked from his perch in his very next fight and has to claw his way back up all over again. That’s intrigue, that’s damn exciting and that’s the current state of heavyweight boxing.