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Scoop Malinowski, *************.com
This could be a struggle for the world's best heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko because Danny Williams is at his prime best right now. Danny was always a good heavyweight with all the ingredients but his career was stagnated for various reasons. Now he has finally fulfilled his potential (or part of it) with that monster win against Mike Tyson.
A big win like that changes everything. Like in a simple gym sparring match, when the quiet unknown underdog stuns and dominates the gym champion, everything changes. The underdog is looked at differently. He sees himself differently. This new and improved Williams is in my opinion the biggest threat out there to Vitali right now. The slayer of Tyson will fight this Saturday night with a fierce determination fueled by confidence and faith, much like Corrie Sanders - who was so confident and courageous after his great win against Wladimir Klitschko.
Williams was one of those confusing guys who showed flashes of brilliance over the years but also he showed plenty of mediocrity. Frank Warren's safety-first promoting surely stunted Williams' progress over the last half decade. In fact, Williams told me he always wanted to fight the marquee Americans but the fact that he didn't get those opportunities from Warren is one of the reasons why he struggled with motivation. Great or even very good fighters have trouble getting up for mediocre fights. This is why Vitali absolutely must be ready for a difficult test. If the political problems in his homeland in Ukraine have affected his preparation, severe trouble may be looming.
But I believe Vitali will be ready. He will be sharp and hungry and eager to prove he belongs where he is. Vitali is a different fighter now as well - smarter and more confident. Vitali is undoubtedly the new king, the successor of Lennox Lewis, the new alpha male of boxing. I do not get any sense that it is his time to pass the torch. Vitali is still ascending. I don't see anyone out there who can beat Vitali at this time. Perhaps Vitali's motivation is to continue to dominate until his brother is ready to take over. The fact that Lennox Lewis opted to retire than confront Vitali in a rematch was a massive psychological victory. And that win over the supremely confident Sanders was also an enormous victory for so many reasons.
The great Lennox Lewis has been acting oddly lately. He appears frustrated and even threatened by Vitali's emergence. He seems uncomfortable and annoyed that he failed to conquer Vitali in a convincing manner. And by coaching Sanders and now Williams, the retired Lewis seems still to be competitive with Vitali, even coming across as almost desperate to defeat Vitali, by any means necessary. It makes you wonder, if Lewis believed he could defeat Vitali, wouldn't he do it himself? Does Lewis respect Vitali much more than he's willing to admit? Is Lewis in denial about how good Vitali is, much like Bowe, Holyfield and Don King used to be in denial about the greatness of Lewis?
If $20,000,000 is not enough to lure Lennox into a rematch with Vitali, what amount could? Maybe there is no amount in the world that would make Lewis want to step into the ring again with Vitali. When a great fighter such as Lennox Lewis shows these kind of attitudes toward Vitali, perhaps it is the most telling clues of all as to just how good Vitali really truly is.
Danny Williams will provide a dangerous and difficult challenge - and if Vitali has become complacent there could be an upset - but my gut feeling is that Vitali is not ready to leave the throne just yet.
This could be a struggle for the world's best heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko because Danny Williams is at his prime best right now. Danny was always a good heavyweight with all the ingredients but his career was stagnated for various reasons. Now he has finally fulfilled his potential (or part of it) with that monster win against Mike Tyson.
A big win like that changes everything. Like in a simple gym sparring match, when the quiet unknown underdog stuns and dominates the gym champion, everything changes. The underdog is looked at differently. He sees himself differently. This new and improved Williams is in my opinion the biggest threat out there to Vitali right now. The slayer of Tyson will fight this Saturday night with a fierce determination fueled by confidence and faith, much like Corrie Sanders - who was so confident and courageous after his great win against Wladimir Klitschko.
Williams was one of those confusing guys who showed flashes of brilliance over the years but also he showed plenty of mediocrity. Frank Warren's safety-first promoting surely stunted Williams' progress over the last half decade. In fact, Williams told me he always wanted to fight the marquee Americans but the fact that he didn't get those opportunities from Warren is one of the reasons why he struggled with motivation. Great or even very good fighters have trouble getting up for mediocre fights. This is why Vitali absolutely must be ready for a difficult test. If the political problems in his homeland in Ukraine have affected his preparation, severe trouble may be looming.
But I believe Vitali will be ready. He will be sharp and hungry and eager to prove he belongs where he is. Vitali is a different fighter now as well - smarter and more confident. Vitali is undoubtedly the new king, the successor of Lennox Lewis, the new alpha male of boxing. I do not get any sense that it is his time to pass the torch. Vitali is still ascending. I don't see anyone out there who can beat Vitali at this time. Perhaps Vitali's motivation is to continue to dominate until his brother is ready to take over. The fact that Lennox Lewis opted to retire than confront Vitali in a rematch was a massive psychological victory. And that win over the supremely confident Sanders was also an enormous victory for so many reasons.
The great Lennox Lewis has been acting oddly lately. He appears frustrated and even threatened by Vitali's emergence. He seems uncomfortable and annoyed that he failed to conquer Vitali in a convincing manner. And by coaching Sanders and now Williams, the retired Lewis seems still to be competitive with Vitali, even coming across as almost desperate to defeat Vitali, by any means necessary. It makes you wonder, if Lewis believed he could defeat Vitali, wouldn't he do it himself? Does Lewis respect Vitali much more than he's willing to admit? Is Lewis in denial about how good Vitali is, much like Bowe, Holyfield and Don King used to be in denial about the greatness of Lewis?
If $20,000,000 is not enough to lure Lennox into a rematch with Vitali, what amount could? Maybe there is no amount in the world that would make Lewis want to step into the ring again with Vitali. When a great fighter such as Lennox Lewis shows these kind of attitudes toward Vitali, perhaps it is the most telling clues of all as to just how good Vitali really truly is.
Danny Williams will provide a dangerous and difficult challenge - and if Vitali has become complacent there could be an upset - but my gut feeling is that Vitali is not ready to leave the throne just yet.
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