Rather than being an embarrassment, Klitschko should post a dominant performance that underlines his inherent superiority?
Wladimir Klitschko?s reasoning for meeting the hopeless Alex Leapai in defense of the legitimate and lineal heavyweight Kingship last month was tiresome to say the least, namely that one of the commissions that claims true ownership of one of the straps Wladimir carries told him to. The exhausting merry-go-round of belts and mandatory contenders, few of whom enjoy the #1 berth by virtue of quality of success is probably boxing?s biggest problem. The WBA?s highest ranking contender currently is someone called Luis Ortiz. Ortiz is a very decent prospect ? but his best win is over the crumbling Monte Barrett, and this represented a true step up in competition for the Cuban heavy.
The WBO will presumably remove their inexcusable choice for #1 contender, Alex Leapai, now that he has been physically tortured during glorified sparring (note: that would have been called off after a round in any responsibly managed gym) rendering their highest ranked contender Dereck Chisora. I?m a fan of Chisora, but that is obviously ludicrous. There is literally no legitimate reason to rate Chisora higher than British rival Tyson Fury, and no legitimate source does so.
The ethereal mysteries of how these unfathomable rankings come to pass is between Boxing.com and its lawyers, and barring any real evidence of actual corruption (at least this year) it?s probably best that we move hastily on ? to the good news, a rare bird if ever there was one, that one of the alphabet junkets has got something right. The IBF has ordered that Wladimir Klitschko is to meet Kubrat Pulev in his next engagement, and there is a chance that this will be an actual fight.
Where some fighters are concerned, the alphabet boys seem to cooperate and that seems to be the case with Klitsckho, who having done exactly what the WBO unreasonably told him to do, will likely now do what the IBF has more reasonably told him to do, namely fight the most qualified challenger. Whilst Pulev has hardly set the world alight with his rather pedestrian style, a very decent jab and very decent power has seen him string together a most respectable string of wins between his savaging of the overprotected European champion Alexander Dimitrenko in May of 2012 and his impressive defeat of American master-spoiler Tony Thompson last summer. Since, Pulev has been doing the necessary thing and treading water whilst waiting for his call. But Wladimir seems not to make many calls ? the ABC boys do that for him.
Either way it has come, or almost, as it seems almost unthinkable that having fought a near-indefensible defense against Leapai to hold onto one of his belts that Wladimir would dare to duck a legitimate threat and let another of his trinkets drop from his over-burderned waist. More than that, this is the type of opponent Wladimir should be dreaming of, as Ruslan Chagaev was. Pulev is highly rated across the board (#1 by the Transnational Boxing Board) but in terms of style, he is made for the champion every bit as much as Chagaev was, although, like Chagaev he will bring a plan and the toughs to hang in.
Rather than being an embarrassment, Klitschko should post a dominant performance that underlines his inherent superiority over the field.
And if Pulev climbs to 21-0 over the stricken body of a failed and now formerly great champion? Well, as the man once said, don?t get fooled again. Nor by the IBF, either. Their highest ranked super-middleweight contender is Cornelius White victim Dmitry Sukhotsky.
