History Denied: Klitschko Brilliant in Los Angeles Return

[Ravens Fan]

co-sign, why is it okay to embrace pacqiaou but not the klitchkos? they live here pac does not he just takes the dollars and leaves. i dont like the way the klitchkos arent given their due because they are russian very racist and hateful people should stop being extremists ,they are the best end of story ,where they are from doesnt even matter.a masterful performance the best of this era indeed.

Not to correct you but the Klit brothers are not Russian they are Ukrainian. And I really believe Larry Merchant hit the nail on the head. If the brothers were from a Western Pennsylvania coal town instead Eastern Europeans they would be national hero's in the US. As far as this fight is concerned there is no doubt that Wlad is the better boxer and may even have more one punch power, but Vitali is very smart and it was unreal how he knew were to go and move in the ring. I for one was very impressed. And I also noticed something you can't see unless it was in slow motion and that is the power he has on short punches. He was throwing punches that looked like it was no more then ten inches and he was cracking Chris. I also give props to Chris and have no problem with his show of emotions after the fight. Now, if he just took it a little more seriously and tried to get rid of the man boobs maybe he can come back. After all he was in the 230's just a couple of year ago. And what was the official stoppage, did the ref stop the fight or did Chris's corner stop it?

[COTTO-TIME]

Alot of heart and determination,but experiance and size took the best of it tho....

[bellagio510ak]

tough loss for arreola..but he showed heart and the desire to win..he has nothing to be ashamed of..the fight went pretty much how most expected it to go..i was just surprised that it went 10 rds..chris didnt have the proper footwork to position himself so that he could take advantage of openings in vitali's d..just too flatfooted and too little head movement..he chased vitali all night instead of cutting off the ring effectively..he can come back from the loss tho..but he should shed some lbs..arreola fought vitali prematurely in his career..he needed to get more experience with higher caliber "boxers" before stepping in the ring with 1 of 2 (his bro is the other) of the best boxers in the division..but now that this fight is behind him..he can go back to the gym and work on improving his game..fight on chris..

[Special K]

Arreola comes out of the fight beaten but I don't think his stock has went down any. He's still a top fighter in the division with a future.

[ChopperRead]

A Vintage Performance from a Superfit Vitali

I can tell with assurance from someone I know in Vitali's camp that he was never tired.

He said after the fight that he felt like he could have "gone 15-16" rounds he felt so good. If you'll notice, he wasn't even breathing hard in the post-fight interview, something that hasn't always been the case in his previous fights. So forget that. Vitali also employed a nutritionist for the first time in this fight, and it paid big dividends, along with his new swimming program, which has done wonders for his cardio fitness.

What you just witnessed was a fighter turning back the clock. Yes, Arreola was brave, but he was also a beaten man, a punching bag for Vitali. His will and bravery shouldn't detract from the greatness of Vitali's performance. 800+ punches thrown with 38% landing. And someone thinks Vitali was tired? LOL!

[ChopperRead]

Arreola on the Highway To Hell

Actually, I think Vitali's entrance song, AC/DC's "Highway To Hell," was also very appropo: he certainly took Arreola on the Highway to Hell and left him there by the end of the fight.

[Brassangel]

Another american hype job gets exposed

I don't think that's an accurate statement. Arreola has a lot of heart and will, and he's a tough guy to hurt. If he uses this to get into great physical shape, he could either take another crack at either Klitschko, or move in after they are gone.

Furthermore, I think it's more accurate to start realizing just how good these two - particularly Vitali - really are. In the scope of history, both guys would present lots of matchup problems for any heavyweight great. Vitali would be difficult to hit, difficult to hurt, and he'd make people pay.

Were it not for the circumstances which sidelined him for so long, he would have enjoyed a magnificent reign as heavyweight champion and no one would be questioning his greatness.

Vitali's chin is far harder to hit cleanly than you think. He leans back away from the punches that are thrown at him, and uses his reach and height advantages to counter while still leaning back, and the person throwing the punch not only misses but gets hurt. He is a master at staying out of range while still being able to get his own punches off, and he's one of the best fighters in the sport at punching hard while moving back, if not the best. He also has an uncanny ability to judge distance and space - his ring generalship is second to none.

And Arreola does have decent speed and decent skills, despite his flab. You're hugely underrating him.

Well said.

[baracuda]

im sure xcaret and mayan sun are huggin eachother cryin now till next week....

[NickG]

because they are russian

Russian? WTF!?!?

[Phirsole]

No. The Klitschkos don't get the credit they deserve because of some of their fans, not all but some. They are very nationalistic, racist and while they are a majority they behave like they are a minority in the 70's.
I'd be a fan if it wasn't for some of you guys, so called fans...

Nod.


I think nobody was really surprised by the outcome of the fight. But how it unfolded was great.
- Most expected Arreola to be beat down at least once,
- most expected the fight to last a maximum of 8 rounds, or far less
- most expected the fight to finish by brutal KO
- some expected Vitali to tire after 6 rounds due to age
- some expected another snorefest
- some expected Vitali to trade with Arreola and not backpaddel
- some expected Arreola lose his heart and quit on his stool.

We were all wrong. Arreola may not have the skills for a champion, but his heart cannot be questioned. He did not quit, his trainer threw the towel.

Arreola needs an improvement of his skills. Right now, he is an uncut diamond to be polished into a champion. The raw material is there, to be sure.