Klitschko – Peter, the year’s most important non-title bout

All the analysis and inside-boxing talk about the upcoming Wladimir Klitschko - Sam Peter fight will not do justice to the relative magnitude of this non-title fight. In the last few decades, big name heavyweight fighters have only rarely faced each other without a title of some kind on the line. In fact, it seems that with the proliferation of the alphabets, their bizarre ratings committees, reluctant promoters, and fighters who seem to care more about belts than real championships, heavyweight bouts with two highly truly talented fighters is becoming a scarce commodity. Klitschko and Peter are among the youngest of the division’s elite and each needs this fight not only to land a title shot, but also to erase substantial question marks and gain wide respect.