“Fighting Words” – Wladimir Klitschko: Avoiding Mandatory Mediocrity in Two Easy Steps

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

by David P. Greisman - He’s not supposed to be here today. Wladimir Klitschko should be consigned to the heavyweight boxer’s version of the mythical elephant graveyard, where formerly hyped pugilists wander to when bubbles are burst and chins are shattered. He had been counted out by fans and writers, observers and fighters.

But never the referees.

Three losses, no 10 counts: Ross Purritty in 1998, Corrie Sanders in 2003, Lamon Brewster in 2004. Each came via technical knockout. Each hit Klitschko with the force of a Mack truck, bringing his momentum to a screeching halt. Each time, Klitschko recovered from the crashing and burning, rebuilding himself and getting back into the ring.

He’s not supposed to be here today. But there he is, the consensus number one heavyweight. Klitschko has won seven fights in a row, including a decision over Samuel Peter and stoppages of Chris Byrd, Calvin Brock, Ray Austin and Lamon Brewster. He’s exorcised his demons and outdone his kin in the process, far surpassing the brief, controversial reign of older brother Vitali.

There’s so much left to do.

After all, Vitali Klitschko’s anointment as heavyweight savior had come largely on the strength of a loss on cuts to Lennox Lewis that, after Lewis retired, was followed by one-sided wins over Kirk Johnson, Corrie Sanders and Danny Williams, three fighters who had come to the ring as more blubber than slugger. In the rush to replace Lewis, some had seemingly forgotten the need to earn one’s position. [details]

[Jim Jeffries]

by David P. Greisman - He’s not supposed to be here today. Wladimir Klitschko should be consigned to the heavyweight boxer’s version of the mythical elephant graveyard, where formerly hyped pugilists wander to when bubbles are burst and chins are shattered. He had been counted out by fans and writers, observers and fighters.

But never the referees.

Three losses, no 10 counts: Ross Purritty in 1998, Corrie Sanders in 2003, Lamon Brewster in 2004. Each came via technical knockout. Each hit Klitschko with the force of a Mack truck, bringing his momentum to a screeching halt. Each time, Klitschko recovered from the crashing and burning, rebuilding himself and getting back into the ring.

He’s not supposed to be here today. But there he is, the consensus number one heavyweight. Klitschko has won seven fights in a row, including a decision over Samuel Peter and stoppages of Chris Byrd, Calvin Brock, Ray Austin and Lamon Brewster. He’s exorcised his demons and outdone his kin in the process, far surpassing the brief, controversial reign of older brother Vitali.

There’s so much left to do.

After all, Vitali Klitschko’s anointment as heavyweight savior had come largely on the strength of a loss on cuts to Lennox Lewis that, after Lewis retired, was followed by one-sided wins over Kirk Johnson, Corrie Sanders and Danny Williams, three fighters who had come to the ring as more blubber than slugger. In the rush to replace Lewis, some had seemingly forgotten the need to earn one’s position. [details]

Damn what a difference a trainer like Emanuel Steward makes. I just wish he had his brother's jaw.

[MaFu MoFo]

Imagine if he had Edison Miranda... Just Imagine it.


BTW, he is making a great job with Kermit Cintron.



Anyway, heavyWeights needs Heavy-Major-Surgery-Face-Lifting. Currently, the pulse is 25 beats per minute. Too boring!!!

[WLAD OWNS]

Good read, Wlad is the man and when his career is all said and done he will go down as one of the greatest Heavyweights of all time.

[!! Mr. Soprano]

Very good read..

[!! Mr. Soprano]

Good read, Wlad is the man and when his career is all said and done he will go down as one of the greatest Heavyweights of all time.

He has already faced Brewster....

if he can only clear his name against Purity and Sanders.. unfortunately, both these fights are completely meaningless right now and will only hold things up. Purity is no competition, Wlad gassed out and will win 10 out of 10 fights now. Sanders is like55 years old already and that win will not do anything at this point.

[HeartAttack]

One of the Greatest. no. Truth is its Ibragimov and Leon Margules and his Russian oil money backers that is making unification possible. Wlad lost interest because of Shelly Finkel making things difficult for everyone. Finkel is bad for the sport. He managed to be on Tyson's payroll even though Mike didn't need him and he got busted for making $6 million off of "consulting" fees for Olympic fighters and TV rights. Point is, Ibragimov and Chagaev were able to get a "unification" fight within weeks of Iggy haveing the strap, yet 18 months after Wlad has his, no unification yet. He is cloes, but its because of Iggy's management. Wlad is a good fighter, but everyone has their short comings, and I believe Wlad's is in the form of Chagaev not Ibragimov

[Leo Pradun]

Wladimir Klitschko: Avoiding Mandatory Mediocrity in Two Easy Step

He’s not supposed to be here today. Wladimir Klitschko should be consigned to the heavyweight boxer’s version of the mythical elephant graveyard, where formerly hyped pugilists wander to when bubbles are burst and chins are shattered. He had been counted out by fans and writers, observers and fighters.

But never the referees.

Three losses, no 10 counts: Ross Purritty in 1998, Corrie Sanders in 2003, Lamon Brewster in 2004. Each came via technical knockout. Each hit Klitschko with the force of a Mack truck, bringing his momentum to a screeching halt. Each time, Klitschko recovered from the crashing and burning, rebuilding himself and getting back into the ring.

He’s not supposed to be here today. But there he is, the consensus number one heavyweight. Klitschko has won seven fights in a row, including a decision over Samuel Peter and stoppages of Chris Byrd, Calvin Brock, Ray Austin and Lamon Brewster. He’s exorcised his demons and outdone his kin in the process, far surpassing the brief, controversial reign of older brother Vitali.

There’s so much left to do.

After all, Vitali Klitschko’s anointment as heavyweight savior had come largely on the strength of a loss on cuts to Lennox Lewis that, after Lewis retired, was followed by one-sided wins over Kirk Johnson, Corrie Sanders and Danny Williams, three fighters who had come to the ring as more blubber than slugger. In the rush to replace Lewis, some had seemingly forgotten the need to earn one’s position.

Wladimir had been on his way to doing so. After capturing the International Boxing Federation title from Byrd, he showed himself to be an outspoken proponent of heavyweight unification, of the need to go beyond sanctioning bodies to produce a leader amidst the herd.

Ray Austin, Brewster and Calvin Brock aren’t exactly Ruslan Chagaev, Sultan Ibragimov and Oleg Maskaev.

Klitschko, however, looks to be going forward finally after being stuck in neutral for a year: Negotiations are underway for a collision with Ibragimov, a fight that could come as early as February.

“My goal has always been to unite the titles,” Klitschko told Sports Illustrated. “I’m getting tired of the politics, though. I want to fight.”

Politics. They are an institution that can provide structure. They tend to be a system through which much gets lost in bureaucracy.

Sanctioning body politics mean mandatory challengers, which had almost become a taboo term after March, when the brilliant minds at the IBF sent forth Austin as their top competitor. Klitschko sent him down within two and with nothing but left hands in an anticlimactic annihilation. Klitschko would apologize afterward, essentially yearning for a formidable foe.

But with his thudding jab and sledgehammer right hand, Klitschko had pounded through whomever had been sent his way. He had winnowed the ranks to the point that his July stoppage of Brewster was recognized as a mandatory defense simply because there were no other top challengers available.

Brewster, amazingly, was followed in the rankings by previous Klitschko kayo victims Brock and Byrd, though nothing about their losses to Klitschko could convince one that they deserved shots at the title. The possibility of them being sent forth was the epitome of mandatory mediocrity.

Surprisingly, cooler heads prevailed.

The IBF set up a tournament, pitting Byrd and Brock, respectively, against undefeated prospects Alexander Povetkin and Eddie Chambers. The winner would actually have a mandate as Klitschko’s mandatory. Step one of the tournament saw Povetkin defeat Byrd via 11th-round knockout Saturday; Brock and Chambers meet this weekend.

A Chambers victory guarantees that the tournament winner will be a fresh face, a new challenge in a division desperately crying out for unification and rejuvenation. The tournament itself leaves time for Klitschko to start the former, while the eventual mandatory challenger will be the face of the latter.

The 10 Count

1. With his aforementioned stoppage loss Saturday to Alexander Povetkin, Chris Byrd is now approaching a junction from where he must think long and hard about whether he has a future in the heavyweight division.

Yes, Byrd is a two-time heavyweight titlist, which is quite the impressive feat for an undersized fighter whose 1992 Olympic silver medal came all the way down at middleweight. But Byrd is 37 now, and he is coming off of a stretch that includes losses to Povetkin and Wladimir Klitschko in which, on both occasions, he failed to reach the final bell.

The rise from the middleweights to boxing’s marquee division had been motivated by the possibility of fame and fortune. And Byrd reached his peak, coming out victorious over the likes of Evander Holyfield, Vitali Klitschko, Jameel McCline and David Tua.

That’s all in the past.

Byrd, however, told the Associated Press that he’s not quite done: “I’ve got to lose to an American before I retire.”

The opportunity remains for one last title run for Byrd – at cruiserweight, where he will no longer find himself constantly battling uphill in the land of the behemoths. Byrd has proven himself over the years to be as tough as he is skilled, as likable in person as he had been slick in the ring. It’s doubtful that anyone would want to see him get hurt, and there’s no shame in competing, for once, against men his own size.

[Leo Pradun]

He has already faced Brewer....

if he can only clear his name against Purity and Sanders.. unfortunately, both these fights are completely meaningless right now and will only hold things up. Purity is no competition, Wlad gassed out and will win 10 out of 10 fights now. Sanders is like55 years old already and that win will not do anything at this point.

the sanders rematch is still a possibility down the line but after taking a tune up fight I belive sanders was injured again I read somewhere..

[SkillspayBills]

Good read, Wlad is the man and when his career is all said and done he will go down as one of the greatest Heavyweights of all time.

Not a chance in hell. Don't get me wrong I am a fan of Wlad and he is without a doubt in my mind the best heavyweight this day. However that is just it............it is THIS day and in THIS day the heavyweight division is as week as it has ever been.