Klitschko sees off Chagaev, defends titles

Wladimir Klitschko successfully defended his WBO and IBF heavyweight titles with a slow paced but dominant 9^th round stoppage win over WBA champion in recess Ruslan Chagaev in Germany on Saturday night.

This fight was put together less than a month ago when David Haye fell out as Klitschko opponent claiming injury and Chagaev had his rematch with Nicolay Valuev scratched when he tested positive for remnants of hepatitis B in a blood test.

Chagaev claimed to be in shape and ready to fight and Klitschko desired to keep his June 20 fight date. So those fallouts allowed this potentially intriguing bout to happen.

But it didn’t turn out to be much of a fight as Klitschko was able keep Chagaev completely at bay with a rapier left jab and an occasional hammer of a right cross.

Over the past few years Klitschko has managed to learn to fine art of dominating his opposition while keeping his risk to a minimum. I’d have to attest this to trainer Emanuel Steward as well as some earlier career losses where he learned who he was.

Now, Klitschko is able to use his vast physical advantages, he’s 6’6, athletic with great punching technique and power, and keep opponents away from his weaknesses – questionable stamina, chin and psychological trauma in the ring.

In the past he’s always been a physical marvel but he fought like he wanted to be out of the ring practically before the fight started. He would use his vast offensive tools to run opponents right out of the ring.  This approach first worked against him when he was dominating absorbent journeyman Ross Purity for 10 rounds – problem was it was a 12 round fight. And Klitschko fatigued so badly trying to rid himself of Purity that his corner pulled him out of the fight in round 11.

Then he was dropped to canvas like a sack of potatoes several times en route to a 2^nd round demolition by left handed puncher Corrie Sanders. And his last taste of defeat was in 2004 when he beat tough as nails Lamon Brewster from pillar to post for 4 rounds. But the problem was Brewster didn’t go anywhere and Brewster nailed a fatigued Klischko in the 5^th round to gain the stoppage win.

It wasn’t that Klitschko was in poor condition. It was just that he fought ins such a “tight’ manner that he would fatigue. He just couldn’t seem to relax in the ring.

But since that loss to Brewster, Klitschko has become much more stress-free and patient in the ring. He knows now he can keep a stiff jab in an opponents face and there is not much they can do about it. He has learned pacing and picks his spots when he’s comfortable. Steward has done a masterful job with Klitschko – perhaps his best success in my view.

And it’s very hard for opponents to get to him because there is always the danger of walking into a fight ending blow. So now that Klitschko isn’t fighting to get out of the ring as fast as he can, he is calm, collected and more effective than he has ever been in his career.

There have been loud complaints regarding Klitschko’s safety first but effective style of fighting. But Klitschko is too smart to give the naysayers any credence. He knows what works and I don’t ever expect him to deviate from that again.

It will take  a very tough pressure fighter with some skill to beat Klitschko at this point. Chagaev is known as a solid technician and boxer but that was part of the problem for him in this fight. He held no physical advantages over Klitschko and while a good boxer, he’s somewhat slow, predictable and methodical. He’s not one to bring unbridled pressure and recklessness that can sometimes make Klitschko uncomfortable. He comes forward, hands high, looking to slip his way in. But Klitschko was simply too sharp, too fast and too precise for Chagaev to get anything going.

Chagaev ate many heavy jabs and when Klitschko felt like it, he would slam a clean right hand home for good measure. Klitschko scored a knockdown in round two and simply won every round with the jab. Chagaev tried to make a run in the 6^th and 7^th rounds and Klitschko appeared to be slowing down ever so slightly. At the end of the 7^th, off of a clinch, Chagaev slammed home his best punch, and practically only shot of the night – a crackling left cross. It certainly rattled Klitschko but the round ended and Klitschko caused a cut that seemed to derail Chagaev’s modest progress.

Klitschko was taking target practice late in the 9^th round and Chagaev was not coming forward anymore. He took some tough shots right at bell and while on his stool, his corner smartly pulled the plug on his night.

Chagaev is a tough guy and may have even made it the route but it was fruitless and he most likely would have taken more punishment than was necessary. I was upset with Chagaev’s exit because I thought the fight would go over 9.5 rounds. And while it probably could have, I understand why Chagaev’s team opted out.

So where does Klitschko go from here. He can still take on formerly scheduled David Haye. Haye is moving up from cruiserweight but that fight does have some appeal because Haye is a legitimate KO puncher with lightning fast hands. And he seems like he’d be willing to take chances against the robotic, yet athletic, Klitschko.

While Haye has only beaten one heavyweight, Monte Barrett, I’d have to say he’d probably be Klitschko’s fastest opponent to date and perhaps the most explosive with the possible exception of Sanders.

It’s so hard to land on Klitschko these days for the rudimentary heavyweight but I have no doubt that if a puncher could land a clean blow, they could do major damage.  That’s the intrigue with this fight. It seems with Haye’s style one of them will leave the ring on their shield.

Another potential opponent is Alexander Povetkin. Povetkin is young, tough and busy. He was an Olympic gold medalist in 2004 (Klitschko won Gold at the 1996 Games) and is undefeated. He eats a lot of punches but he has a rock head and may be able to bring the type of pressure that could get Klitschko off his game and perhaps find his weaknesses which are very hard to bring out.

The best American hope in my view is Mexican-American Chris Arreola from Southern California. Arreola is a heavyweight that fights like a featherweight. And that’s a  good thing. He brings punches in bunches and has deceiving reflexes and skills. He’s more than a crude brawler. Arreola seems to have a solid chin and excellent stamina in spite of a non-bodybuilder physique. He has good vision in the ring and if he comes in great shape, he’s had struggles with the scales, he may just be the guy to break Klitschko’s heart.

I look forward to Klitschko’s future challenges. I don’t begrudge him for finding a style and attitude that works for him. He has to do what keeps him winning and a champion. I still find it dramatic when he fights and to beat him an opponent is simply going to have to force Klitschko’s weaknesses out of him because he just doesn’t give them away anymore.