Samuel Peter twice, Eddie Chambers, Ruslan Chagaev, Hasim Rahman, Sultan Ibragimov, Calvin Brock, Chris Byrd: Wladimir Klitschko has dodged a lot of bullets in the seven years since his last defeat, and he avenged that loss to Lamon Brewster, too.
Klitschko?s reign as the true heavyweight champion the past five years has been boring, partly because he hasn?t been seriously threatened since Peter knocked him down three times in their first fight. The reign has been rather stately, though, all the more so as he has sort of shared it with his older brother Vitali since the latter?s return from a four-year layoff.
But Wladimir?s IBF, WBA and WBO titles are definitely in peril Saturday (mid-afternoon in California) against David Haye, (25-1, 23 knockouts) an Evander Holyfield-sized Briton who will be one of the fastest opponents Klitschko, 35, has faced. Haye is 30 and has fought only four times in the three years since he vacated the cruiserweight division. But he was one of the most spectacular cruiserweights ever, and he will not be so terribly overmatched physically despite three-inch disadvantages in height and reach and about 30 pounds in weight. Advertisement
Yes, Haye, who is charismatic, bright and obnoxious, is the real deal, so this match is a fair test of where Klitschko (55-3, 49 knockouts) should stand in the all-time pantheon of heavyweight champions.
Wladimir has always been the more spectacular Klitschko brother, a more classic jab-oriented boxer with a more lethal right cross. Then he became the brother with the lesser moxie who couldn?t get past Brewster and Corrie Sanders. But with trainer Emanuel Steward in his corner, Wladimir?s Achilles? chin has become an afterthought.
Yet it?s largely the reason he?s only a 3-2 favorite Saturday (on HBO) to ward off Haye in the summit match that?s been brewing nearly three years. It?s the most exciting heavyweight matchup since Lennox Lewis won back-to-back in his final two bouts, against Mike Tyson and the older Klitschko.
The younger Klitschko is very similar to Lewis, which made Steward?s connection with the 1988 Olympic gold medalist a selling point for the current alliance.
Wladimir will not stack up with Lewis, Holyfield, or Tyson if he doesn?t beat Haye. But I believe Klitschko will win by early knockout, and then let?s resume this discussion about the pantheon.
