Another Klitschko brothers fight and another fighter who barely makes an account of himself. The image of a Wladimir or Vitali Klitschko opponent looking for a way out without sustaining too many punches is becoming all too familiar. These seemingly timid opponents are the real problem with the heavy weight division. It isn’t that it is top heavy, it is that nobody seems to want to dare to be great.
Odlanier Solis lost via stoppage from an injury sustained in the first round in his March 19, 2011 fight against Vitali Klitschko. Late in the first round Solis took a right hand to the top of his head which apparently caused him to step back awkwardly on his right leg and go down with a leg injury. What followed was not a brave attempt at continuing such as was witnessed when Yuri Foreman sustained a similar injury against Miguel Cotto. but rather a confused looking Solis staring at the referee and looking for the fight to end.
A final report on the injury to Solis has not yet been obtained but so far it appears that, while the injury is real, the man did not have the determination to try and continue.
Many heavyweights that have had a shot at one of the two brothers have entered the ring with an air about them that they were happy to make a career payday instead of treating a once in a life time opportunity with confidence and seriousness. Call it a 401k, IRA or the Klitschko brother retirement plan, many fighters treat the financial reward as the prize and not the championships that are carried by the brothers.
This is not meant to lump all of the recent opponents of either Klitschko brother into one category. Certainly Eddie Chambers tried everything he could from body shots to tackles before succumbing to the size and skill of Wladmir. Chris Arreola and Tony Thompson also gave everything that they had as well. For the most part however, most fighters who enter the ring against a Klitschko seem to either want to reach the final bell or to get out of the ring as quickly and safely as possible.
Few recent Klitschko opponents have tried anything remotely close to attempting to win. Some people praised Shannon Briggs for not quitting against Vitali but the man rarely threw a punch with any sense of purpose. Yes, Briggs made it to the final bell but an argument could easily be made that his action packed slug fest against Lennox Lewis which resulted in a knockout loss was a much more commendable effort at a championship fight. Sultan Ibragimov seemed content to hide under a high guard from Wladmir. Kevin Johnson seemed desperate to run away from Vitali. Samuel Peter has the distinction of having been beaten by both brothers. While in Peter’s first fight against Wladmir he was willing to be aggressive at times, he looked as though he was little more than a punching bag in the subsequent two fights.
Of course one of the reasons Klitschko fights are often non-events is because of the defensive abilities and safety first style of both of the brothers. Another reason is that the talent disparity in the heavyweight division is vast with the majority of the top ten rankings being filled with mediocre talents. Few within the heavyweight division have much of a chance of beating a Klitschko who are nearing a decade of being the absolute best the division has to offer.
Yet talent disparity is no excuse for the lack of action provided by the Klitschkos’ challengers. Part of what makes the sport so wonderful is that boxing’s history is littered with astounding underdog stories. If Hasim Rahman and James “Buster” Douglas had taken the same attitude towards their title shots as most recent contenders, boxing would be without it’s two most amazing, recent upsets.
Even in a loss, the effort of Chuck Wepner against Muhammad Ali was valiant enough to immortalize the man and inspire the film Rocky. Of course there is also the example of Corrie Sanders.
While Wladmir has improved since his upset loss to Sanders, that fight shows what can happen when a challenger who supposedly has no hope takes a fight seriously. Prior to the fight, Sanders went to a sports psychologist and even shaved his mustache in order to change his mind set. Sanders entered the ring against Wladmir to a song which had the chorus “Stand up for the champion, stand up”. Within two rounds Sanders shocked the world and earned a place in history.
Within the next year it appears as though Vitali will likely fight Tomasz Adamek and Wladmir will fight David Haye. These fights are gaining more attention worldwide than many of the Klitschkos’ recent defenses. Adamek is seen as a determined and focused fighter who has been fighting tall opponents as a way of preparing for one of the Klitschkos. Haye has speed and a bombastic style that could make for an exciting fight against Wladmir. Neither fighter is expected to win or even be competitive outside of their diehard fans but the fights are already gaining hype because both challengers are at least expected to try to win. The sad fact is that both challengers are small heavyweights having moved up from the cruiserweight division.
It would behoove many of the 220 plus pound natural heavyweights to look at themselves and ask why they aren’t willing to fight with the same gusto as their smaller counterparts.
Charlize Theron Eva Mendes Sarah Polley Aisha Tyler K. D. Aubert
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