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The Klitschko Brothers & The Heavyweight Division – Boxing News

By Geno McGahee

Wladimir & Vitali Klitschko has ruled the division for quite some time. Wladimir, 56-3, 49 KO’s, first captured a heavyweight title in 2000. It’s hard to believe that he’s been on top of the sport, for the most part, for 12 years. Vitali, 43-2, 40 KO’s, first won a heavyweight world title in 1999. The brothers will go down in history as two of the best heavyweights, but probably not the most exciting.

Wlad is the holder of the WBA, WBO, and IBF titles. Vitali owns the WBC title. Both men have defenses coming up in the near future where they are both believed by most to be incredibly heavy favorites to win. At this point, it’s hard to imagine either one losing.

The heavyweight division is confusing to some with all of the titles and the lack of American input at the top level. To clear up some of the confusion, I have broken down the division into categories: The Champions, The Contenders, The Ones to Watch, and The Ones That Should Retire…

The Champions

On March 3rd, Wlad will defend his titles against former cruiserweight champion, Jean Marc Mormeck, 36-4, 22 KO’s, in a fight that I consider to be one of the, if not the, biggest mismatch in heavyweight history. Mormeck was a good cruiserweight, but at 39 years old, 5 feet, 11 inches, he has to pray that Wlad throws his shoulder out or falls up the stairs on the way to the ring. Mormeck’s heavyweight fights have not been impressive. In 2009, he struggled to beat journeyman Vinny Maddalone by decision, followed by a gift decision over Fres Oquendo and a questionable split decision win over Timur Ibragimov. Those judges that have given Mormeck the benefit of the doubt in prior performances will not have to do so here as they watch him carried out of the ring.

In defense of Wlad, he was owed an easy one. He has taken on the division’s best, including the highly touted David Haye. Mormeck is ranked and is a name and will not make it out of the first round.

On February 18th, Vitali will defend his WBC Title against Dereck Chisora, 15-2, 9 KO’s. Now this is a fight that could be interesting. Chisora was all but written off after losing an embarrassing decision to the mediocrity, Tyson Fury. Chisora, let down after two fights with Wlad fell through, came in unfocused and weighed 261 pounds, twenty pounds over his normal fighting weight. An opportunity would arise against a guy that many contend will replace the Klitschkos as the ruler of the division, Robert Helenius in December. Chisora pressed the fight and lost a highly controversial split decision. Most people, including Vitali, believe he won the fight, which is why he is here in this title opportunity. Chisora is 28 years old, has a punch, is ambitious, and knows that this is for all the marbles. Can he penetrate the defense and fighting style of Vitali? That’s the question here and if he can and can move him backward, we may have some surprises.

There is another heavyweight champion in Alexander Povetkin, 23-0, 16 KO’s. When the WBA looked over the division and made the decision that none of their contenders had a chance to beat Wlad, they made him a “super champion” and put a “regular title” up for grabs. Povetkin would overcome Ruslan Chagaev, a former champion, to take it. Under the guidance of Teddy Atlas, Povetkin has done quite well, stopping fringe contender Cedric Boswell in his last fight. On February 25th, he takes on former cruiserweight titlist, Marco Huck, 34-1, 25 KO’s, in an interesting fight…far more interesting then the other two opponents that they had in mind: Hasim Rahman or Evander Holyfield.

The Contenders

The most talked about contender is Robert Helenius, 17-0, 11 KO’s, and with good reason. He’s huge at 6 feet, 7 inches, and has been on a streak of knockout wins, stopping 10 out of his last 12 opponents. He has knocked out former champions Sam Peter (KO-9) and Sergei Liakhovich (KO-9), both in spectacular fashion. His last fight with Chisora has raised some eyebrows, but a hand injury may have explained his mediocre performance. He is a man to watch and is on the verge of superstardom. He could be the future of the division.

Tyson Fury, 17-0, 12 KO’s, gets a lot of attention and is marketed incredibly well, and even though he is very limited, he does have a lot of heart. In his last fight, he was dropped by Neven Pajkic and got up to stop him in return. He does have the win over the uninspired Chisora, but he shouldn’t be taken seriously as a true top guy in the heavyweight division. He will make more money than most fighters that are better than he is but don’t expect him to wear the title. He’s the modern day Lou Savarese.

Tomasz Adamek, 44-2-1, 28 KO’s, is just too small to be an effective heavyweight. He moved up from 175, won cruiserweight gold, and now fights as a heavy, but he cannot compete with the true giants like the Klitschko brothers. He is gritty and tough and will not quit, but he was exposed in his fight with Vitali. He doesn’t possess the punch to worry a true heavy and isn’t savvy enough to confuse them. He’s a good stepping stone for a true up and coming big man.

American Tony Thompson, 36-2, 24 KO’s, is looking for one final hoorah and at 40 years old, he’d better hurry up. He froze like a deer in the headlights in his loss to Wladimir Klitschko in 2008, but remarkably, he did better than most do even in his terrified state. Since that defeat, he has put together five straight knockout wins, including stoppages of top 20 guys like Chazz Witherspoon and Maurice Harris. He could give Povetkin hell but would have to really bring his A game to have a chance to upset one of the Klitschko brothers…if he ever gets the chance to fight one again.

Eddie Chambers, 36-2, 18 KO’s, is another American heavyweight that had the misfortune to meet up with Wlad, losing by late stoppage as well. His other defeat was to the current “regular” champ, Povetkin. He is a gutsy fighter that is still a viable contender and could find his way into another title shot. He is another one of these guys though that just seems too small to worry the Klitschkos. His normal fighting weight now is just over 205 pounds. A move down to the cruiserweight division could prove successful but probably not profitable.

The 33 year old Canadian, Bermane Stiverne, 21-1-1, 20 KO’s, is very untested, but in his one medium test against journeyman and tough guy, Ray Austin, he came up big, stopping the “Rain Man” in the 10th round. His record, other than Austin, is filled of no-hopers and career losers. Stiverne has a way to go before he can take a crack at a title.

Chris Arreola, 34-2, 29 KO’s, has to be one of the most disappointing heavyweights in recent history. His talent is huge but his dedication has not been there. In his two biggest opportunities against Vitali Klitschko for heavyweight gold and in an eliminator against Tomasz Adamek, he came in grossly overweight and paid the price. He now fights at his normal weight of 235 to 240 and if he can maintain the focus and stay in shape, he may still find his place at the top of the division.

Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell, 24-0-1, 18 KO’s, has made early work of most of his opponents but it wasn’t anything to really be proud of. Most of his opposition was used to finding warm spots on the canvas and taking the 10 count. In his last fight, however, Mitchell was very impressive, knocking out legitimate contender, Timur Ibragimov in 2 rounds.

Alexander Ustinov, 25-0, 19 KO’s, out of Russia, is an unknown in the United States, but he is slowly creeping his way up the rankings. He is currently #4 in the WBA with some victories over the usual suspects: Monte Barrett (W-12), Paolo Vidoz (W-12), and Julius Long (KO-1). A ranking of #4 seems a stretch at this time, but he is certainly moving along quite well.

Denis Boytsov, 29-0, 24 KO’s, is ranked #5 in the WBA and #4 in the WBC and is also out of Russia. He’s another curiosity in the rankings list. He has defeated Taras Bydenko by stoppage, but overall the list of beaten opponents isn’t that impressive. He’s been a fighter that I’ve heard about for quite some time. At 25 years old, he has some time to develop into a force, but he still needs to prove himself.

Johnathon Banks, 27-1-1, 18 KO’s, is another cruiserweight that has found his way to the heavyweight division. As a heavyweight, he has put together a record of 7-0-1, 4 KO’s, but has not been overly impressive. His sole defeat was a KO loss to Adamek at cruiserweight. A fight with veteran, DaVarryl Williamson will be a good step forward for Banks.

The Ones to Watch

Deontay Wilder, 20-0, 20 KO’s, is making some noise in the division with his explosive punch, but his level of competition has been mediocre at best. At 6 feet, 7 inches, he towers over most of his opponents. He has stopped 13 of his 20 opponents in the first round, but he has not found an opponent that belongs in the ring with him yet. He is being spoon-fed at the time, but is certainly a guy to watch.

David “Nino” Rodriguez, 36-0, 34 KO’s, is a big strong heavyweight out of Texas that just recently survived a knife attack. He will be returning to the ring after he heals up but the hope is that he will fight somebody that has a pulse. Rodriguez has been so carefully matched that it’s painful. If they have ANYTHING left, they are not allowed into the ring. What does this mean? It means that his team doesn’t have confidence that he can make it beyond destroying D level fighters.

Bowie Tupou, 22-1, 16 KO’s, is a heavyweight out Tonga that was caught early in his career after a highly profiled start. Since a knockout loss to Demetrice King, he has put together four straight wins, including one over the fringe contender, Donnell Holmes. He has a ways to go, but he has power and is improving.

Mike Perez, 18-0, 12 KO’s, is a Cuban southpaw that has made a name for himself in the Prizefighter Tournament. He knocked out Tye Fields in 42 seconds and just dominated trial horse, Friday Ahunanya, taking the decision win. Perez is 26 years old and ready to make a move.

David Price, 11-0, 9 KO’s, is a big Brit at 6 feet, 8 inches, and has easily mowed down his opposition thus far. He faces John McDermott in a British heavyweight title eliminator this Saturday.

The Ones That Should Retire

Hasim Rahman, 50-7-2, 41 KO’s, ranked, amazingly at #1 in the WBA rankings, and #62 by Boxrec (which is more like it), the former champion has not looked good of late. In his last fight, he battered the hopeless Galen Brown down in 6 rounds. Rahman came in at 284 pounds. He has put together five wins since a defeat to Wladimir Klitschko in 2008, but the collective record of his recent opposition is 128-65-2…not exactly top competition, but it has convinced the WBA to rank him #1, above guys like Robert Helenius and Chris Arreola. Amazing! I guess the theory is: “But he’s the guy that beat Lennox Lewis!” Rahman will get Povetkin next most likely and he will be stopped and then he will probably be ranked #1 somewhere else.

Evander Holyfield, 44-10-2, 29 KO’s, is 49 years old and still going. He has not looked good as of the last 10 years, but that doesn’t stop him from saying that he’s going to unify the titles again. He got beat up by Frans Botha for seven rounds before finding the left hook, quit against Sherman Williams, but benefited from some hometown officiating and got away with a NC, and then beat up fat and shot Brian Nielsen. Holyfield wants Povetkin too, but he couldn’t beat Williams. In fact, Williams beat him to a pulp for three rounds. Povetkin would beat the hell out of him with ease.

Frans Botha, 48-6-3, 29 KO’s, is 43 years old, charismatic and has been underappreciated in his career, but recent outings suggest that he should not go on. He lost by stoppage to Holyfield and recently, Michael Grant. His weight is consistently an issue. Against Holyfield, it looked like he didn’t train at all. Botha is not a force in the division any longer and should not be allowed to take on the young lions of the game.

Oliver McCall, 56-11, 37 KO’s, is one of the toughest guys ever to lace up the gloves, but at 46, it’s tough to see him going on successfully. He did upset Damian Wills in his last fight and won recently against Fres Oquendo, but he is so slow now that you can only imagine what would happen should a young, powerful and ambitious heavyweight matches against him. He had his run, beat Lennox Lewis, and gave Mike Tyson hell in the gym. If it weren’t for his drug problems, he would have ruled the division for a longer period of time, but it’s time now to end it.

David “TuaMan” Tua, 52-4-2, 43 KO’s, is such a disappointment. At nearly 40 years old, he could have easily been a former world champion, but he let his lack of desire stop that. He has beaten future champions in John Ruiz and Hasim Rahman and should have held a title at some point, but he doesn’t have it anymore. He lost to Monte Barrett in his last fight and just can’t pull the trigger anymore. They were trying to push him into a Klitschko fight…it’s a good thing they didn’t.

Samuel Peter, 34-5, 27 KO’s, is another Tua. He had a world of potential and then just couldn’t keep his weight under control. He gave Wlad hell in 2005, won the WBC title in 2008, but immediately after lost his footing. He was beaten into submission by Vitali, outworked by Eddie Chambers, destroyed by Wlad in a rematch and then obliterated by Helenius. He it taking every shot solidly and with the monster punchers we have in the division now, I can only imagine just how many highlight reel knockouts he’ll be at the wrong end of if he continues.

Monte Barrett, 35-9-2, 20 KO’s. OK, he beat Tua, but other than that, his career as of late, has been sad. His last six bouts have been 1-3-2. At 40, he will prove just to be a “name” on the record of one of the rising prospects. Expect David Rodriguez to come knocking in a year or so. He can retire knowing that he overcame the odds many times and proved a lot of people wrong.

An Over 40 Tournament (Vitali not invited)

OK, one final note here…Mike Tyson’s idea. What about the group listed above getting together in one final tournament? Rahman, Holyfield, Peter, Barrett, McCall, Tua, Botha, and we’ll throw Michael Grant in there too, and have this 8 man tournament. It would be interesting, competitive, and those of you that know my dirty little secret (I rent Holyfield PPVs), will understand that there are plenty of guys out there like me, nostalgic, that will put down 40 bucks to watch these older guys go at it.

The most likely scenario is that the Klitschko brothers retire with the belts and the new wave comes in and stirs things up a bit. Helenius is the frontrunner, but there are plenty of other capable guys out there ready to try their luck and skill to fill the gap left. The future of the division isn’t that bleak.

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