By Don Colgan
Return Tilt With Bryd is Golden Chance for Klitschko
It was just four short months ago when the upcoming WBC Heavyweight Championship bout between defending titleholder Vitali Klitscko and challenger Hasim Rahman was generating much anticipation. Although the champion had only one successful title defense, an 8th round battering of 2nd tier contender Danny Williams, there was a growing perception that Klitschko was a late bloomer and was preparing to embark upon a respectable title run, punctuated by a knockout victory over Rahman.
However, Vitali never made it to November 12 at Las Vegas. Injuries have plagued his career and torn ligaments in his right knee abruptly ended his reign, and his career.
It was a career of promise unfulfilled. His courageous battle against Lennox Lewis stamped Klitschko as a champion in waiting. Although his style was cumbersome he could absorb punishment and he could punch and that alone was enough to propel him to the head of a heavyweight class that, charitably, has been found wanting since Lewis’ retirement.
There was the prospect of two Klitschko titleholders, as his brother Wladimir, viewed clearly as the better fighter of the two prior to his disastrous performances against Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster, remained a flawed yet potent force within the heavyweight division. It was the younger Klitschko who first carved a niche within the top ten in the heavyweight class, winning the WBO version of the championship with a 12 round decision over Chris Byrd in December of 2000. He successfully defended the crown five times, albeit against light caliber opposition.
However his chin was first exposed against Corrie Sanders when he relinquished the WBO crown via a crushing 2nd round TKO. His attempt to regain it against Lamon Brewster the following year resulted in a similar outcome as Wladimir was halted in five and saw his hard earned credentials as a viable heavyweight contender fade far behind his older and more battle hardened brother.
Now Lewis and Vitali are gone and the 29 year old younger brother is at a crossroads in his career. Klitschko’s 12 round decision over Samuel Peter, in which he visited the canvas on three occasions, did little to suggest that Wladimir could assume the mantle his older brother had vacated. However, the thin crust of talent that constitutes the heavyweight division in 2006 has elevated, although undeservedly, Klitschko to top contender status and a long awaited return bout against Bryd for the litters IBF heavyweight crown this April.
The prospect of the younger Klitschko assuming his brothers mantle as the dominant heavyweight in the world is marred by the Sanders and Brewster stoppages. Wladimir’s camp can explain away the three knockdowns incurred at the hands of Peter yet the fact remains Klitschko’s weak chin will spell doom for his temporarily revived championship prospects.
Other than the long ago points verdict over Bryd, Klitschko has not truly established himself as a world class heavyweight contender. True, he outboxed the hard punching yet undeveloped Peter in between journeys to the canvas. He demonstrated heart and perseverance that stood him well over the twelve round route yet it remains clear that he cannot withstand a heavyweight punch. He remains fair game to be stopped by virtually any contender and even the remnants of Tyson, virtually eliminated as a heavyweight threat, could KO Wladimir.
It remains painfully apparent that the 2006 crop of heavyweight contenders is like the Platte River, six miles wide and six inches deep. Vitali’s abdication last November did measurable damage to the division, robbing the heavyweight class of at least the semblance of a dominant heavyweight. As for Bryd, he is again viewed as the underdog to his former conqueror in a bout that seems destined to attract little attention, particularly in comparison to the lighter divisions, including a stellar welterweight division that features one marquee bout after another and boasts the finest pound for pound boxers in the world.
Bryd is a capable heavyweight with a sturdy chin and a solid work rate that should keep his challenger working round after round. Wladimir will land, make no mistake, and if Bryd has one of his infamous lazy nights the younger Klitschko could prevail once again. However, this bout has the makings of a 12 round wrestling match with Byrd almost certainly visiting the canvas once or twice, even conceivably being halted in the latter rounds. For his size and massive appearance, Klitschko has rarely exhibited true punching power.
Of course Klitschko has the tools to stop Bryd. His 45-3 record is not a mirage and he has been amoung the top ranked heavyweight for over six years. However, his punching skills are vastly underdeveloped and Wladimir’s camp has made painfully slow progress in developing their charge into the respected belter his older brother was.
Both Klitschko’s were mechanical, grinding heavyweights who often prevailed by imposing their physical will on their opponents yet Vitali had that Foremanesque demeanor that inspired fear, a characteristic his young brother has yet to acquire.
Wladimir must learn the fine art of fighting inside, shortening his punches as well as acquiring enough defensive prowess to avoid contact with the knockdown or KO wallop that could derail his title aspirations once and for all. Heavyweights mature late and the challenger could produce the devastating KO performance that will define his career. Time remains on his side. Wladimir seems likely to repeat on April 22 in Mannheim, Germany.
The young Klitschko must score the knockout predicted widely for Vitali prior to his aborted defense against Rahman. To, once and for all, certify his place as a legitimate heir to the heavyweight crown, and become his brother’s keeper.