Albert Sosnowski: Can the Underdog Upset WBC Heavyweight Champion Vitali Klitschko?
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By Geno McGahee
(Photo Credit Klitschko Management)
Muhammad Ali defeated Sonny Liston. He was a 7-1 underdog. James “Buster” Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson. He was a 42-1 underdog. Now we have a reported 12-1 underdog in Polish heavyweight Albert Sosnowski, 45-2-1, 27 KO’s, vying for the WBC Heavyweight title against the towering and powerful champion, Vitali “Dr. IronFist” Klitschko, 39-2, 37 KO’s, on May 29th.
When this fight was announced, many chuckled and some were disappointed. Nobody has ever heard of this heavyweight and his opportunity on American TV when he fought journey Zuri Lawrence ended in embarrassing defeat, losing every round en route to a decision loss. Since that fight, he’s been 2-0-1, 1 KO, in his last three fights, knocking out the completely shot Danny Williams and defeating Paulo Vidoz by decision. There are no name value opponents on his record to speak of and he is taking a leap up when he takes on the champion in late May.
So what chance does the 12-1 underdog have of shocking the boxing world? Let’s examine the showdown.
Albert Sosnowski, 45-2-1, 27 KO’s
EBU Heavyweight Champion
Former WBF Heavyweight Champion
Padded Record?
When you peruse the career record of Sosnowski, a couple of names stick out. Danny Williams and Orlin Norris are recognizable names, but both were well beyond their primes when they faced Sosnowski. He struggled to get the nod over Norris (MD) and stopped Williams, but it could be argued that Williams was a zombie with boxing gloves by the time he faced Sosnowski. Even though you do not see a Ray Austin, Dominick Guinn, Jameel McCline, or any of the other usual suspects connected with a contender, you do see the majority of his opponents bringing in winning records.
He’s Got Style?
Although he doesn’t carry the qualifications that the majority of contenders do, he does bring in a style that could give Vitali problems. He knows when to hold, when to move, and should be inspired by Kevin Johnson, a heavyweight that confused Vitali in his last fight. The style of the Polish hopeful, if utilized and combined with some of the tactics of Johnson, could lead him to a surprising decision win.
Fair Shake?
Can Sosnowski win in Germany? It has been proven that there is home cooking in Germany and the Klitschkos love fighting there. They have not needed the help of the officials for the most part, but if Sosnowski wins the fight, will he win the fight? I cannot foresee his knocking out Vitali, so the hope has to be a decision win.
Overlooked?
Sosnowski is an afterthought by most. Most are looking ahead to Vitali taking on the winner of Odlanier Solis – Nikolay Valuev and see the challenger as an easy mark. Does Vitali see him the same way and can he capitalize on that? If Vitali thinks little of Sosnowski and elects to fight outside of his game to score the quick KO, it may give this underdog a better chance than many give him to win.
Sosnowski is not a top contender by any stretch of the imagination and looks like an easy mark, but there are some things that Team Klitschko should concern themselves with as they head into this showdown in late May.
Vitali Klitschko, 39-2, 37 KO’s
2-Time WBC Heavyweight Champion
Former WBO Heavyweight Champion
Time Not on His Side?
At 38 years of age, Vitali is no spring chicken, but no fighter has been able to test him or rattle him as he followed the game plan and systematically destroyed his opposition. He has been on a good run lately stopping Sam Peter (KO-8), Juan Carlos Gomez (KO-9), Chris Arreola (KO-10), and got the nod over Kevin Johnson (UD-12). Johnson was the only one out of the four that showed some of the weaknesses in Klitschko and if he is a step slower due to his age, it could play a factor in the fight. Very few fighters stay on top of the game at this advanced age.
Clunky?
Vitali is very effective, controlling range and pace inside the ring. He is, however, not as smooth as his younger brother, Wladimir, and against a quicker and more defensive minded fighter, it may show. When he fought Chris Byrd in 2000, he tried to catch the smaller and quicker fighter and threw his shoulder out in the process, losing by TKO. Against Johnson, he didn’t know what to do with an uncooperative opponent. He will be facing a quick, presumed defensive minded opponent. It should be interesting to see what happens should Sosnowski not follow Vitali around the ring as Peter and Arreola did.
Overconfident?
What is the element that you see in most upsets in boxing? Overconfidence by the favorite usually leads to defeat. Mike Tyson hardly trained for Buster Douglas when he was stopped because he didn’t see him as a legitimate threat. Here we go again. I don’t believe that Vitali would ever come into any fight out of shape, but after his last four fights against top contenders, will there be a mental let down, leading to a much rougher fight than he or anyone else could envision?
Vitali is a very tough guy to face, utilizing his size, dictating the pace and range, and beating his opponents into submission, typically winning via TKO late in the fights. He is heavily favored to win this defense and rightfully so, but there is a risk.
The Prediction
From what I have seen of Sosnowski, I don’t foresee him as an easy walkover for Vitali. I think that we are going to see some of the same ugly confusion that we saw when he fought Johnson. The thing that we have to await and see is how Sosnowski deals with the power of the champion. If he can absorb the punches and keep with the plan, we may have an interesting night on our hands. I suspect that we will have an interesting night with a courageous challenger winning a couple early rounds but eventually beaten down, stopped late in the fight. Vitali should win this by late TKO as Sosnowski slows down and becomes a more stationary target.