Vitali Klitschko will have to be on high alert at all times against the hard-hitting American Shannon Briggs, for several reasons.
Briggs is absolutely desperate to save his career which will surely end if he?s knocked out by Vitali.
I personally know Briggs has very high respect for Vitali as a champion (as evidenced by the superb condition the New Yorker has trained himself into). Briggs understands what he?s up against and will fight with an element of ?fear?, where adrenaline and urgency could enhance his performance. Like Mike Tyson says, ?A scared fighter is a very dangerous fighter.? Like Lennox Lewis says, ?Sometimes a fighter can suddenly fight at a level above what he?s ever fought before.?
Briggs has the punch power and hand speed that could deliver his bombs to the target. If he does hit the champion solidly, anything can happen. Vitali has not experienced the sensation of extreme adversity since the Lennox Lewis fight in 2003 ? and now at age 39, we do not know if he is equipped to deal with it. Or if he has the will and drive to overcome such a situation.
Jack Dempsey once said that taking one punch too many can do permanent damage to a veteran boxer?s health, it can alter his being. Briggs has the kind of explosive power that could be extremely troublesome.
The problem for Briggs is his stamina and leg work. He often tires early in fights and his maneuverability/movement is not very good. Briggs will likely he a sitting target in front of Vitali who I expect will control the fight with his key punch ? the left jab, and his superior footwork. That jab and movement will allow Vitali to dissect Briggs and break him down.
But if there?s one mistake, one misjudgement or lapse in concentration, and a full force left hook or right hand from Briggs finds the target, Vitali could find himself in a precarious position ? one that he?s never been in before in his entire 14-year career.
That?s what makes this fight so interesting ? both gladiators have the firepower, the arsenal, the experience and motivations to obtain the victory. Vitali Klitschko is the superior fighter for sure
