Klitschko: Standing tall above the division

By JE Grant

The speed and power of Wladimir Klitschko, exhibited on the head and shoulders of a previously undefeated American Calvin Brock, put an emphatic end to any talk of a muddled heavyweight picture.

Klitschko provided the convincing performance in the latest series of heavyweight title encounters that featured his fellow belt holders. He is now in a class above the field.

Despite the notion that the division is withering, there has been plenty of knockout action of late.

Starting in August Oleg Maskaev’s delivered a crushing final round knockout of Hasim Rahman, the man seen by some as the top campaigner in the division.

In October, the giant Nicolay Valuev stopped Monte Barrett in 11 rounds in a fight that was not exactly exciting but did end with the Russian pounding Barrett into a heap.

Shannon Briggs added his own bit of drama with a last second knockout of the talented Serguei Liakhovich in Phoenix to win an alphabet belt in November.

It was, however, the talent of Wladimir Klitschko that was the most obvious. He made it clear that whatever his history he has come into his own. The combination of speed, power, and athletic ability – something long recognized – is now combined by something missing in key fights --- resolve.

Calvin Brock presented an odd look and better power than almost all the other top 10 heavyweights. He also entered the ring with the confidence of an undefeated heavyweight. He expected to win.

Klitschko had to use his complete arsenal to put together the punctuating right hand that left Brock on his face and the audience in Madison Square Garden fully aware that they had just witnessed the work of the world’s best heavyweight fighter.

He also proved – though cynics will disagree – that the changing of the guard is now complete. We can say goodbye to the skilled fists of Lennox Lewis with the assurance that the division is now firmly in new and equally skilled hands in the form of Wladimir Klitschko.

There is talk of a tournament to unify the titles but the real question is this: Why worry about it?

Klitschko is clearly at the top and the others should at least go through the motions of forming a line to his throne.

Briggs seems to recognize this reality and to his credit there he was in the Klitschko post-fight presser insisting on a shot. Real heavyweight champions do not have to press for fights because the world is supposed to come to them. Briggs knows who the champion is and he wants a chance.

Yes, it’s true that the alphabet title that Klitschko holds is by itself nothing better than the titles held by Maskaev, Valuev and Briggs.

It is his talent along with the clear willingness to take on only the best available opponent that separates him from the crowd.

It is not all that obvious that any of the other three belt holders really represent the best in the division. Maskaev and Briggs certainly have above average power, but both have been dominated by competition that is, generously, less than world class.

Maskaev has elected to take on the unknown and far below world-class Peter Okhello in the first defense of his belt. The fact that many in the sport will not be surprised by an upset tells us all everything we need to know.

Valuev, though undefeated at 45-0, has handlers that do not believe their charge is the best of the bunch. Defending his title against Owen Beck and Monte Barrett, both fighters with recent and clear losses, does nothing to suggest otherwise.

Of course Shannon Briggs has long been seen as a fighter with plenty of talent but not the drive to be a champion. Before the Liakhovich bout, he could point only to his highly controversial win over a 48 year old George Foreman as a victory over a rated fighter.

Assuming Briggs’ talent level was what many thought it was, he did not capitalize on it until his 53rd fight.

Klitschko has his own baggage but his resume is now replete with rated fighters: Chris Byrd (twice); Jameel McCline; Samuel Peter; Monte Barrett; Axel Schulz; DaVarryl Williamson; Frans Botha; and of course Brock.

None of us will likely forget his blowout loss to Corrie Sanders or his puzzling collapse against Lamon Brewster, but in the full context of a 50-fight career, it is he who stands at the head of the class.

Of course discussions of that class today often begin with a lament for the mythical good old days of heavyweight boxing lore.

At the bottom of this myth, however, is something that is just a bit more sinister.

There is a belief --- spoken but never written --- that because there is no great American heavyweight that no further proof is needed to indicate the sorry state of the division.

After all, American’s have dominated the heavyweights since the dawning of the gloved era. Precious few fighters --- regardless of race or ethnicity --- from countries other than the United States have laid claim to dominance.

The list is short: Tommy Burns; Max Schmeling, Primo Carnera, Ingemar Johannson, and Lennox Lewis have held universal recognition. If we’re generous we could add alphabet title-holders such as Gerrie Coetzee, Vitali Klitschko, and of course one-time Wladimir conqueror Corrie Sanders.

In fact some sports talking heads have resorted to a secondary argument that suggests that America’s best athletes end up in the NBA, NFL or Major League Baseball hence the lack of current American boxing talent.

Such talking heads no doubt see history as having started yesterday. The NBA, NFL, etc… were in full-scale existence in the 1960s right through today.

No one suggested that Muhammad Ali held the heavyweight championship only because Jim Brown was a running back for the Cleveland Browns.

No one even thought that Lyle Alzado would have dominated Larry Holmes had it not been for his selection to play for the Denver Broncos.

The difference, of course, is that with the opening of the east following the fall of the Berlin Wall, athletes from eastern European countries who were culturally guided to sports and desperate to partake in the spoils available in the capitalist world have finally made the transition from amateur to professional status.

Klitschko, Maskaev, Valuev and the recently deposed Liakhovich quite possibly represent only the tip of what is to come.

Young fighters toiling in current obscurity will likely become well-known worldwide with names such as Dennis Boytsov; Alexander Dimitrenko; Alexander Povetkin; Albert Sosnowski; Ruslan Chagaev; and Vladimir Virchis to name just a few are on the march.

For now, suffice it to say that Wladimir Klitschko is king, whatever his country of origin.

The dispute is over.