by Cliff Rold
He’s been the best Heavyweight in the world for years. In his last outing, he looked like the baddest man on the planet.
Matched with a surly, legitimate threat in Kubrat Pulev, Wladimir Klitschko came out with a chip on his shoulder. Klitschko’s aggressive stance got him stung early and the way he responded showed how far he’s come since early down times in his career. He bounced Pulev off the floor repeatedly, knocking him out in the fifth.
This Saturday (HBO, 10 PM EST/PST), he makes his return to the US for the first time since defeating Sultan Ibragimov in a 2008 unification fight. Under the bright lights at Madison Square Garden, does he have another destructive performance in him to sustain momentum as a crowd pleaser?
Let’s go the report card.
The Ledgers
Wladimir Klitschko
Age: 39
Title: IBF Heavyweight (2006-Present, 17 Defenses); IBO Heavyweight (2006-Present, 17 Defenses); WBO Heavyweight (2008-Present, 13 Defenses); Lineal/Ring World Heavyweight (2009-Present, 10 Defenses); WBA ‘Super’ Heavyweight (2011-Present, 7 Defenses); TBRB (2013-Present, 2 Defenses)
Previous Titles: WBO Heavyweight (2000-03, 5 Defenses)
Height: 6’6
Weight: 241.6 lbs.
Hails from: Kiev, Ukraine
Record: 63-3, 53 KO, 3 KOBY
Record in Major Title Fights: 24-2, 19 KO, 2 KOBY; 11-0, 8 KO (Lineal Title Only)
Current/Former World Champions Faced: 11 (Chris Byrd UD12, TKO7; Ray Mercer TKO6; Corrie Sanders TKO by 2; Lamon Brewster TKO by 5, RTD6; Samuel Peter UD12, KO10; Sultan Ibragimov UD12; Hasim Rahman TKO7; Ruslan Chagaev RTD9; David Haye UD12; Jean Marc Mormeck KO4; Alexander Povetkin UD12 – WBA Regular Titlist)
Vs.
Bryant Jennings
Age: 30
Title/Previous Titles: None
Height: 6’3
Weight: 226.8 lbs.
Hails from: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Record: 19-0, 10 KO
Rankings: #5 (Ring), #7 (BoxingScene), #8 (TBRB, ESPN), #9 (BoxRec)
Record in Major Title Fights: 1st Title Opportunity
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: 1 (Siarhei Lyakhovich RTD9)
Grades
Pre-Fight: Speed – Klitschko B+; Jennings B
Pre-Fight: Power – Klitschko A+; Jennings B
Pre-Fight: Defense – Klitschko B+; Jennings B+
Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Klitschko A; Jennings B
Jennings could be considered analogous to former Lightweight titlist Nate Campbell. A late start in the sport and limited amateur experience didn’t stop him from becoming a contender. Some guys just are sort of naturals. Jennings appears to fit in that category.
He’s developed well since turning professional in 2010. A patient fighter who doesn’t give up any of his 6’3 frame, Jennings is willing to work the ring waiting for openings. He goes to the body with a nice left hook and has an accurate right over the top. Jennings never seems to fight outside himself and defense is a strength. He has good head movement and, behind a high guard, blocks well. Conversely, he sometimes seems to be thinking instead of just letting his hands go.
It reflects the catching up he’s still doing as a boxer.
Will any of the positives help with Klitschko? It’s hard to say yes going in. Klitschko is a dramatic step up in competition. The champion has several physical advantages to go with much more experience.
Klitschko is taller, has proven superior power, and on film appears also to be quicker. Klitschko maintains one of the best left jabs in the game, able to flick with it to annoy or snap it to knock other men backwards. Klitschko isn’t much for counter punching but he hasn’t had to be for years. His ability to navigate space, and muffle return fire with clinches, has made up for it.
If Klitschko lands big, can Jennings take it? That’s the big question. Jennings has had a good chin so far but he hasn’t been hit by anyone with Klitschko’s power. Also a detriment, Jennings hasn’t shown the sort of power than would make Klitschko nervous so far.
The Pick
Until Jennings proves he really belongs in the ring with Klitschko, it’s hard to think he does. Wins over men like Mike Perez and Artur Szpilka are good building blocks, but it feels like he’s missed a development step going from that fare to Klitschko. It’s not clear how he gets past the jab or than he can hurt Klitschko if he does. Jennings will last some rounds and the fight will be a lot of chess along the way. Ultimately, Klitschko lowers the boom in the second half.
Could the fight surprise and turn into a war? It’s possible. It was, after all, a bit of a surprise that we didn’t get a war in the middle of this week. Here now, a report card follow-up on Wednesday’s top ten Flyweight showdown.
Pre-Fight: Speed – Juan Carlos Reveco B+; Kazuto Ioka B+/Post: Same
Pre-Fight: Power – Reveco B; Ioka B+/Post: B; B
Pre-Fight: Defense – Reveco B+; Ioka B+/Post: Same
Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Reveco A; Ioka A/Post: Same
While there was plenty of contact, followers of the smaller divisions had to be a little disappointed in just how much a boxing match Ioka-Reveco turned out to be. It was a fascinating technical struggle at times, but it never really launched as a fight.
Credit to both men in that respect for fighting smart and sticking to their game plan. Ioka, taller and longer, got off to a good start but Reveco was able to use combinations to counter his attacks as the rounds wore on. Ioka rebounded in the second half as Reveco slowed, closing the show with a good twelfth for a narrow, deserved decision.
What now for Ioka? He’s the WBA ‘regular’ titlist at 112 lbs., which could put him in line for unified titlist Juan Francisco Estrada. Being that Reveco held his WBA belt for years without being forced to fight the other WBA titleholders doesn’t make that fight inevitable.
Ioka could always move into a fourth class and challenge WBO titlist Naoya Inoue in a battle of precocious early belt collectors. It’s hard to imagine a bigger all-Japanese showdown on the current scene.
Report Card and Staff Picks 2015: 23-6
Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
