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by David P. Greisman - The belts he wears make him king of the heavyweight division. The men he beats seem far more suited for the heavy-bag division.
With his sharp skills and pounding power, Wladimir Klitschko ascended to the throne of boxing’s marquee weight class, what was once the standard-bearer of the Sweet Science.
He who vies to be king does so to rule over splendor and prosperity, to be the crown ***el, the cream of the crop, the best of the best. Alas, by no fault of his own, this king of the hill is atop a heap.
Klitschko, like his older brother and many others from former Soviet countries, came from a strong amateur system. He is 32, still close enough to his prime not to show signs of slipping. He has won 10 straight, many against the best his division has to offer, capturing two alphabet titles and recognition as the number one big man.
Many of his counterparts are aging former champions and contenders, men who have fooled themselves, thinking they still belong in a weight class that is without the depth to move on. Others are converts to combat, athletes who started in other sports, started boxing late and sought to make up with size while they still developed skill.
Not every Klitschko opponent fits into these categories. Not that it matters. All have gone down. [details]
With his sharp skills and pounding power, Wladimir Klitschko ascended to the throne of boxing’s marquee weight class, what was once the standard-bearer of the Sweet Science.
He who vies to be king does so to rule over splendor and prosperity, to be the crown ***el, the cream of the crop, the best of the best. Alas, by no fault of his own, this king of the hill is atop a heap.
Klitschko, like his older brother and many others from former Soviet countries, came from a strong amateur system. He is 32, still close enough to his prime not to show signs of slipping. He has won 10 straight, many against the best his division has to offer, capturing two alphabet titles and recognition as the number one big man.
Many of his counterparts are aging former champions and contenders, men who have fooled themselves, thinking they still belong in a weight class that is without the depth to move on. Others are converts to combat, athletes who started in other sports, started boxing late and sought to make up with size while they still developed skill.
Not every Klitschko opponent fits into these categories. Not that it matters. All have gone down. [details]
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