by Don Colgan
Last month, Vitali Klitschko really fooled us all. Perhaps the boxing fraternity should have seen it coming, with the previous postponents of his scheduled title defense against Hasim Rahman and his spotty ring appearances over the past several years. Yet Klitschko seemed to possess a tremendous opportunity. Although devoid of grace and pure ring skill, he was a dominant heavyweight in a mediocre era and was clearly the standout heavyweight of his era.
He was no less than a 4 to 1 favorite over Rahman and was projected a knockout winner with near unamininity. Yet the pre bout verbal sparring was spirited and the public was energized. There was a positive energy that emanated from Vitali and his slightly less talented brother Wladimir that promised benefices for boxing. The potential for dual Klitschko titleholders offered a heretofore unseen possibility. Boxing is in the throes of rebirth, with the emerging Mayweather era and the Hopkins-Taylor middleweight championship rivalry signaling the onset of a bright future for the sweet science. The Klitschko's were in the midst of this rebirth and played a very unique and significant role in attracting renewed interest in the United States and worldwide.
Vitali's startling retirement alters the fistic landscape and removes from the horizon a stimulating and promising period for the heavyweight division, desperately needed after the demise of Tyson and the dominant yet uninspiring reign of Lennox Lewis.
Now Wladimir remains, a flawed contender who must elevate his skillset to a new tier of ability if he is to claim the mantle abdicated by his brother. It is doubtful if he can accomplish this. The three trips to the canvas he suffered in his points triumph over Samuel Peter, combined with his brutal knockout defeat at the hands of Lamon Brewster accent his fragile chin and does not leave Wladimir in the position of heir apparent to this brother. A glass chin cannot be remedied and the first time Wladimir encounters a foreman with a sluggers punch, he is in peril of being knocked out.
Yet the Vitali retirement is an enigma. If the damage to is knee is chronic and would disable him to the point of endangering him in the ring than the decision is sound. Yet there was no suggestion of pending retirement after the previous Rahman cancellations. Vitali seemed comfortable with the growing respect he was earning, grudgingly, as the best heavyweight in the world. The Ring Magazine designation as Heavyweight Champion gave Klitschko traction and his legitimacy to his championship. However, he made only one successful defense against a journeyman heavyweight who was a fringe contender.
Klitschko needed a knockout victory over Rahman to silence his critics and enhance is public persona as a champion and not a pretender. His abrupt retirement will render his career all but meaningless. He will be looked upon as an abberation, an asterisk that followed by Tyson-Lewis era. He has no legacy and his claim that he “Went out on top” is very hollow.
So what should he have done? Perhaps he trained, and fought, with great pain. To step into the ring with a damaged knee and fight what today passes as the best heavyweights in the world is unquestioned courage. He certainly cannot continue a career that would leave him crippled!
That being said, I have to question if there wasn't another path he could have taken. Did he bow out because he secretly feared that he was indeed vastly overrated and was destined to be stopped, possibly by Rahman? Could he have taken a respite from the ring and wholly rehabilitated the knee? Ali fought Norton with a broken jaw and was repeatedly hampered in his late career by an extremely painful right hand that crippled his punching power had to be shot up with novacaine before many of his 1970's title defenses.
All we in the writing alliance can do is examine the information an hand and form theories. Vitali Klitschko had to enter the ring and fight. His career was not given the benefit of the doubt, even after his courgeous and bloody TKO loss to Lewis that, in effect, established his championship credentials and firmly established him as a potential champion. He proved his valor that evening against a formidable titleholder. If he has suffered chronic and disabling pain in his knee over the past several years and continued his ring career that would be an extension of his courage. It is a very mixed signal for an enigmatic champion who has created more questions than he has answered over the past three years.
Now the question, less than a month after his retirement, centers around his mindset after his knee has been repaired. He will be 35 years old and heavyweights mature late. Would Vitali reconsider his decision and provide a degree of closure to his career? His time need not be lost!
He will never be regarded as anything more than an above average giant who came to the forefront at an opportune time in the heavyweight class. Yet his career is now an unfinished question? His contribution, along with his brother, to the state of boxing in the early 21st century is more significant outside of the ring than his accomplishments within the roped square. He gave hope, created excitement, and the many unanswered questions about his abilities and his reign provided a much needed catalyst for boxing.
Once again the heavyweight division is listing. Perhaps the brooding Ukranian can revisit his decision and, win or lose in the ring - thus giving some definition to his era!
