Heavyweight kingpin Wladimir Klitschko (61-3, 51) once again showed why he is the boss of the division as he soundly defeated Russian challenger Alexander Povetkin (26-1, 18). Taking the Russian's unbeaten record in the process.
The fight started well for Povetkin who appeared to be showing the confidence of an unbeaten man looking to land big shots from the off on the jaw of the supposedly vulnerable Klitschko. The tactic seemed to work well with a claim that Povetkin could have taken the round on aggression even if it wasn't the most effective.
Unfortunately for Povetkin the good work of the opening round was undone quickly in the second as he was dropped for the first time in the fight. The knockdown, which seemed to be a delayed reaction to a sharp left hook from Klitschko was a flash one but still showed Klitschko's ability to hurt Povetkin.
Following the second round Klitschko began to really grow in to the fight and controlled the fight at range whilst holding, and leaning on Povetkin time and time again in the following round. Klitschko had, like he has through out his career, shut down Povetkin after just a few rounds. Povetkin still looked confident but was slowly being beaten mentally and physically. He was being out boxed and worn out by Klitschko's tactics.
By round 6 it appeared as if we were heading to a very simple and very boring looking unanimous decision. The holding had become the main part of the fight and Povetkin had been totally neutralised in a way that was far from friendly for the fans. Thankfully round 7 saw a serious change in Klitschko's mindset with the Ukrainian sending the Russian to the canvas 3 times. Unfortunately, perhaps, the knockdowns weren't the cleanest though referee Luis Pabon seemed happy to give Klitschko the benefit of the doubt on all 3 in what was therefore a 10-6 round.
After knockdowns in round 7 it appeared almost certain that Klitschko was going to to stop Povetkin, instead however he took his foot off the gas in rounds 8 and 9, rounds that again saw Povetkin have some success between the holding and stop-start action.
Thankfully Klitschko did move up a gear at the start of round 10 banging off some lovely free flowing jabs to keep Povetkin on the outside. This was stepped up again in round 11 as Povetkin was rocked hard and seemed set to go. Unfortunately rather than actually scoring a knockdown with punches Klitschko again pushed Povetkin down and was this time deducted a point in what was an somewhat meaningless deduction.
With a DQ perhaps in Klitschko's mind he did little of note in round 12, a round that Povetkin may have claimed with nicer judges due to Klitschko's total lack of aggression. Despite the negativity of Klitschko through the round none of the judges saw it fit to give it to Povetkin however as the final scores all read 119-104. Effectively the only point Klischko failed to take was the one he was deducted.
Showing posts with label Heavyweight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heavyweight. Show all posts
Saturday, 5 October 2013
Friday, 17 May 2013
Alexander Povetkin v Andrzej Wawrzyk
WBA "regular" Heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (26-0, 18) successfully retained his title thanks to an easy looking stoppage of Polish challenger Andrzej Wawrzyk (27-1, 13) who suffered his first professional loss.
The opening round was a very typical feeling out round with both guys utilising their jab well but landing little else of note as they tried to figure each other out. It was the much busier jab of Povetkin that seemed to steal the round with the Russian throwing, and landing, several times more than the challenger.
Povetkin put his foot on the gas in round two as he started to unload on Wawrzyk who was dropped midway through the round from a right hand. Wawrzyk got to his feet quickly after the knockdown but Povetkin then went on a seek and destroy mission hurting the Pole several more times before the round was over with Wawrzyk bloodied and visibly outclassed.
Wawrzyk managed to come out for round 3 and whilst he managed to land a number of weak looking jabs it started to look like Povetkin could finish him off any time with the Polish fighter wobbling after every right hand that landed. Rather surprisingly Povetkin would drop Wawrzyk with a left in round 3 before dropping him again and forcing the referee to wave the bout off.
Next for Povetkin is a bout with Wladimir Klitschko, a bout that sees both men receiving a major pay day, we expect that that will be a much more competitive bout than this one.
The opening round was a very typical feeling out round with both guys utilising their jab well but landing little else of note as they tried to figure each other out. It was the much busier jab of Povetkin that seemed to steal the round with the Russian throwing, and landing, several times more than the challenger.
Povetkin put his foot on the gas in round two as he started to unload on Wawrzyk who was dropped midway through the round from a right hand. Wawrzyk got to his feet quickly after the knockdown but Povetkin then went on a seek and destroy mission hurting the Pole several more times before the round was over with Wawrzyk bloodied and visibly outclassed.
Wawrzyk managed to come out for round 3 and whilst he managed to land a number of weak looking jabs it started to look like Povetkin could finish him off any time with the Polish fighter wobbling after every right hand that landed. Rather surprisingly Povetkin would drop Wawrzyk with a left in round 3 before dropping him again and forcing the referee to wave the bout off.
Next for Povetkin is a bout with Wladimir Klitschko, a bout that sees both men receiving a major pay day, we expect that that will be a much more competitive bout than this one.
Saturday, 4 May 2013
Wladimir Klitschko v Francesco Pianeta
Heavyweight kingpin Wladimir Klitschko (60-3, 52) again showed the world why he is widely regarded as the best Heavyweight on the planet as he stopped the previously unbeaten Italian Francesco Pianeta (28-1-1, 15).
The bout, as is typical for a Klitschko bout, started very slowly with very little activity in the opening round with Klitschko's jab being the most notable weapon, despite the fact the champion landed several straight rights.
Round 2 was the only round where Pianeta had any success at all as he appeared to tag Klitschko with a left hand though that was easily forgotten thanks to the number of jabs that Klitschko landed throughout the round.
The jab of Klitschko continued to be the key punch as he repeatedly landed it through the thir round before sending Pianeta to the canvas in round 4 with a solid looking right hand. Whilst Pianeta managed to get up from the knock down he appeared to have had his confidence shook and he really didn't throw much afterwards.
Pianeta was decked again in round 5 from a left hand and although he once again got up it appeared that the writing was on the wall. The challenger was visibly melting and in round 6 after Klitschko started a little quicker it really was a matter of time. After a more aggressive start to the round Klitschko dropped Pianeta for the 3rd time and this time the referee waved the bout off.
With the WBA "Super", WBO, IBF and Ring magazine titles still around his waist there really is little case to be made against Wladimir Klitschko being the #1 in the division. It now appears that he will look to further prove that point when he takes on WBA "regular" champion Alexander Povetkin later this year.
The bout, as is typical for a Klitschko bout, started very slowly with very little activity in the opening round with Klitschko's jab being the most notable weapon, despite the fact the champion landed several straight rights.
Round 2 was the only round where Pianeta had any success at all as he appeared to tag Klitschko with a left hand though that was easily forgotten thanks to the number of jabs that Klitschko landed throughout the round.
The jab of Klitschko continued to be the key punch as he repeatedly landed it through the thir round before sending Pianeta to the canvas in round 4 with a solid looking right hand. Whilst Pianeta managed to get up from the knock down he appeared to have had his confidence shook and he really didn't throw much afterwards.
Pianeta was decked again in round 5 from a left hand and although he once again got up it appeared that the writing was on the wall. The challenger was visibly melting and in round 6 after Klitschko started a little quicker it really was a matter of time. After a more aggressive start to the round Klitschko dropped Pianeta for the 3rd time and this time the referee waved the bout off.
With the WBA "Super", WBO, IBF and Ring magazine titles still around his waist there really is little case to be made against Wladimir Klitschko being the #1 in the division. It now appears that he will look to further prove that point when he takes on WBA "regular" champion Alexander Povetkin later this year.
Saturday, 10 November 2012
Wladimir Klitschko v Mariusz Wach
Ukrainian Heavyweight Wladimir Klitschko (59-3, 51) successfully defended his WBA "super", WBO, IBF, IBO and Ring Magazine Heavyweight titles as he thoroughly dominated the brave Polish challenger Mariusz Wach (27-1, 15) over 12 rounds.
The bout was one way traffic almost from the off as Klitschko used his exceptional jab and straight to bang against Wach's head not only keeping Wach at range but also keeping Wach behind his his guard. From the opening round Klitschko was immediately finding his range and timing and he really looked like a confident fighter dropping his hands and trying to goad Wach into opening up.
Although much of the bout was 1-sided, we did have some excitement in round 5 as Wach landed a really notable right hand that seemed to wobble the champion. The Pole tried to capitalise on wobbling Klitschko and unleashed a series of shots as he tried to finish off the champion, sadly however the bell stopped the challengers momentum.
After landing his hard right hand in round 5, Wach seemed to look for the punch through out the rest of the fight, though Klitschko's ability to control the range and pace of the fight really neutralised the perceived threat of Wach's power. In fact as the fight went on Klitschko became more and more confident and started to unleash 6 and 7 punch combinations, especially in round 8, the bouts most 1-sided round (and likely a 10-8 round).
Although Wach took a real pasting, especially in rounds 7, 8 and 11 he managed to show real toughness and refused to go down, shocking myself with his ability to absorb numerous thudding right hands from the champion. Sadly however toughness alone doesn't win you rounds and Wach struggle to make a case for any of the rounds as he was out landed, out classed, out boxed and out fought by a fighter who was simply too good for him.
On this showing Wladimir is certainly a fighter who isn't showing signs of aging. Whilst he may not have been able to stop or even drop Wach, that was more a testament to Wach's chin than anything else as he took a real beating. Another defense early next year is almost a given and I'd be surprised if Klitschko could ever have an easier looking 12-round defense.
For Wach, who was nicely given a round by Canadian judge Pasquale Procopio, this shows his level and he's certainly not world level. He's tough and will be a handful for most, though his limitations were obvious through out and despite being the bigger, longer man, he couldn't make his size count. He'll certainly be able to mix it in the fringes of world level though he'll never be a genuine world level fighter.
The bout was one way traffic almost from the off as Klitschko used his exceptional jab and straight to bang against Wach's head not only keeping Wach at range but also keeping Wach behind his his guard. From the opening round Klitschko was immediately finding his range and timing and he really looked like a confident fighter dropping his hands and trying to goad Wach into opening up.
Although much of the bout was 1-sided, we did have some excitement in round 5 as Wach landed a really notable right hand that seemed to wobble the champion. The Pole tried to capitalise on wobbling Klitschko and unleashed a series of shots as he tried to finish off the champion, sadly however the bell stopped the challengers momentum.
After landing his hard right hand in round 5, Wach seemed to look for the punch through out the rest of the fight, though Klitschko's ability to control the range and pace of the fight really neutralised the perceived threat of Wach's power. In fact as the fight went on Klitschko became more and more confident and started to unleash 6 and 7 punch combinations, especially in round 8, the bouts most 1-sided round (and likely a 10-8 round).
Although Wach took a real pasting, especially in rounds 7, 8 and 11 he managed to show real toughness and refused to go down, shocking myself with his ability to absorb numerous thudding right hands from the champion. Sadly however toughness alone doesn't win you rounds and Wach struggle to make a case for any of the rounds as he was out landed, out classed, out boxed and out fought by a fighter who was simply too good for him.
On this showing Wladimir is certainly a fighter who isn't showing signs of aging. Whilst he may not have been able to stop or even drop Wach, that was more a testament to Wach's chin than anything else as he took a real beating. Another defense early next year is almost a given and I'd be surprised if Klitschko could ever have an easier looking 12-round defense.
For Wach, who was nicely given a round by Canadian judge Pasquale Procopio, this shows his level and he's certainly not world level. He's tough and will be a handful for most, though his limitations were obvious through out and despite being the bigger, longer man, he couldn't make his size count. He'll certainly be able to mix it in the fringes of world level though he'll never be a genuine world level fighter.
Saturday, 29 September 2012
Alexander Povetkin v Hasim Rahman
Russian Heavyweight Alexander Povetkin (25-0, 17) successfully defended his WBA Heavyweight title as he swiftly disposed of veteran American challenger Hasim Rahman (50-8-2-1, 41) in what can only be described as a waste of time.
The opening round was somewhat quiet however it was highlighted by the fact Povetkin did manage to wobble Rahman with the only meaningful shot of the entire round. The shot seemed to make Rahman wary of Povetkin's power however the Russian failed to connect with another one until the second round.
Having realised he could hurt the challenger, Povetkin started the second round quickly and detonated another right hand that staggered Rahman into the ropes. Povetkin swiftly swarmed on the Rahman and threw a number of hurtful shots, including 3 massive right hands that detonated one after the other on Rahman. From then on it was only a matter of time before Gustavo Padilla was forced to step in (however he really did take his time).
Although this was a mandatory title defense it was a mismatch from the day it was announced and it showed in the ring as Rahman failed to land a notable punch in the 286 seconds it took Povetkin to stop him. Hopefully this loss will force Rahman into retirement rather than on the verge of being recycled for another title fight.
Whilst it was another win for Povetkin it really did little to answer the questions surrounding his stamina, durability or world level credentials. He did the job but it was against a very poor opponent, and hopefully he'll be out in a more meaningful bout either later this year or very early next year as he puts the memory of this farce behind him.
The opening round was somewhat quiet however it was highlighted by the fact Povetkin did manage to wobble Rahman with the only meaningful shot of the entire round. The shot seemed to make Rahman wary of Povetkin's power however the Russian failed to connect with another one until the second round.
Having realised he could hurt the challenger, Povetkin started the second round quickly and detonated another right hand that staggered Rahman into the ropes. Povetkin swiftly swarmed on the Rahman and threw a number of hurtful shots, including 3 massive right hands that detonated one after the other on Rahman. From then on it was only a matter of time before Gustavo Padilla was forced to step in (however he really did take his time).
Although this was a mandatory title defense it was a mismatch from the day it was announced and it showed in the ring as Rahman failed to land a notable punch in the 286 seconds it took Povetkin to stop him. Hopefully this loss will force Rahman into retirement rather than on the verge of being recycled for another title fight.
Whilst it was another win for Povetkin it really did little to answer the questions surrounding his stamina, durability or world level credentials. He did the job but it was against a very poor opponent, and hopefully he'll be out in a more meaningful bout either later this year or very early next year as he puts the memory of this farce behind him.
Saturday, 8 September 2012
Vitali Klitschko v Manuel Charr
Although Vitali Klitschko (45-2,41) may now be 41 years old he managed to once again prove that he's one step ahead of father time as he made the 9th defense of his WBC Heavyweight title (since reclaiming it from Samuel Peter) by stopping Syrian born challenger Manuel Charr (21-1,11) in the 4th round.
Whilst Charr had talked the talk in the build up to the bout his didn't ever appear to be walking the walk. Whilst he started the bout well landing a right hand early on he was mostly forced to shell up thorugh much of the opening round as he was forced to take the unorthodox offense of Klitschko which both hit the guard and the split the guard of the challenger. Although Charr let his hands go late into the opener, it almost seemed as if he was there to survive the rounds and hope that Vitali was going to tire himself out hitting gloves, arms and Charr's forehead.
The second round was much like the opening round in that Charr was fighting behind his guard, rarely letting his hands go. Whilst he did land when he did throw punches Charr simply was doing enough to put Klitschko under any pressure at all and the champion did as he pleased. The round ended with Charr on the canvas suffering the first knockdown of his career. This showed that Klitschko had the power to get to Charr even if he was struggling to land clean on a regular basis.
Round 3 was Charr's best as he finally started to let his hands go and was starting to show some effectiveness with his pressure. Whilst he was certainly not winning the round he was starting to show some desire and seemed to force Klitschko onto the back foot more than once. Although Klitschko was able to land counters it seemed as if Charr had finally realised he needed to throw punches to win a fight.
After having his best round in round 3 Charr seemed to have grown in confidence slightly by the start of round 4, this confidence was however misplaced. After coming forward and letting his hands go early in the 4th round he was caught by a counter left hand which opened up a cut that bled, badly from the off from around his right eye. Although it took the referee a few seconds to spot it he soon walked Charr over to the ringside doctor who deemed the cut to be too serious for the bout to continue.
Having lost due to the cut Charr showed his anger at the decision by shouting and screaming whilst punching the ropes. Sadly however it was hard to sympathise with Charr, who suffered his first career loss, as he had done little to suggest that he was able to turn around a fight he had been clearly losing. Had he come to actually fight from the off rather than turtle up it may have been easy to feel sorry for the challenge.
With the champion may be on the verge of retirement he may well feel it's time to bow out with his head held high. He may have won and been totally in charge but he didn't look at his best and until the cut he looked to be in for a long (and rather tedious) night. Having been a 3-time world champion and one half of the most dominant boxing brothers in history he has his place in the hall of fame secured and really has little to add to his legacy by continuing to fight on
Whilst Charr had talked the talk in the build up to the bout his didn't ever appear to be walking the walk. Whilst he started the bout well landing a right hand early on he was mostly forced to shell up thorugh much of the opening round as he was forced to take the unorthodox offense of Klitschko which both hit the guard and the split the guard of the challenger. Although Charr let his hands go late into the opener, it almost seemed as if he was there to survive the rounds and hope that Vitali was going to tire himself out hitting gloves, arms and Charr's forehead.
The second round was much like the opening round in that Charr was fighting behind his guard, rarely letting his hands go. Whilst he did land when he did throw punches Charr simply was doing enough to put Klitschko under any pressure at all and the champion did as he pleased. The round ended with Charr on the canvas suffering the first knockdown of his career. This showed that Klitschko had the power to get to Charr even if he was struggling to land clean on a regular basis.
Round 3 was Charr's best as he finally started to let his hands go and was starting to show some effectiveness with his pressure. Whilst he was certainly not winning the round he was starting to show some desire and seemed to force Klitschko onto the back foot more than once. Although Klitschko was able to land counters it seemed as if Charr had finally realised he needed to throw punches to win a fight.
After having his best round in round 3 Charr seemed to have grown in confidence slightly by the start of round 4, this confidence was however misplaced. After coming forward and letting his hands go early in the 4th round he was caught by a counter left hand which opened up a cut that bled, badly from the off from around his right eye. Although it took the referee a few seconds to spot it he soon walked Charr over to the ringside doctor who deemed the cut to be too serious for the bout to continue.
Having lost due to the cut Charr showed his anger at the decision by shouting and screaming whilst punching the ropes. Sadly however it was hard to sympathise with Charr, who suffered his first career loss, as he had done little to suggest that he was able to turn around a fight he had been clearly losing. Had he come to actually fight from the off rather than turtle up it may have been easy to feel sorry for the challenge.
With the champion may be on the verge of retirement he may well feel it's time to bow out with his head held high. He may have won and been totally in charge but he didn't look at his best and until the cut he looked to be in for a long (and rather tedious) night. Having been a 3-time world champion and one half of the most dominant boxing brothers in history he has his place in the hall of fame secured and really has little to add to his legacy by continuing to fight on
Thursday, 12 July 2012
Wladimir Klitschko v Tony Thompson II
Wladmir Klitschko may well be regarded as the best Heavyweight on the planet but on this performance he did little to distill the idea of of him being one of the most boring Heavyweight champions in the history of the sport. Klitschko started the bout slowly, wary of Thompson's size and this lead to a very dull opening round. Klitschko came out for the second round looking more offensive but still didn't really do much offensively other than land one or two solid right hands. It was the right hands landed in round 2 that effectively killed any excitement the bout could have had as it scared the challenger back into his shell.
Thompson's defensive shell and mindset saw him getting through rounds 3 and 4 with out too much trouble but he was then dropped in round 5. This knockdown effectively ended the resistance of Thompson who was stopped the previous round after being dropped and on unsteady legs at the end of the bout.
These two men fought previously in 2008 with Klitschko needing 11 rounds to eventually put away Thompson who appears to have aged significantly since that bout. Whilst Klitschko didn't look his sharpest against Thompson this time around he did look significantly better than the American who simply couldn't live with the Ukrainian when he stepped on the gas.
This was the 16th straight victory for Klitschko and his 12th successive IBF and IBO title defense, he also defended his WBO, WBA Super and Ring Magazine Heavyweight titles.
Note-This card also saw the 8th professional bout of promising American Light Middleweight Tony Harrison (8-0, 8)
Thompson's defensive shell and mindset saw him getting through rounds 3 and 4 with out too much trouble but he was then dropped in round 5. This knockdown effectively ended the resistance of Thompson who was stopped the previous round after being dropped and on unsteady legs at the end of the bout.
These two men fought previously in 2008 with Klitschko needing 11 rounds to eventually put away Thompson who appears to have aged significantly since that bout. Whilst Klitschko didn't look his sharpest against Thompson this time around he did look significantly better than the American who simply couldn't live with the Ukrainian when he stepped on the gas.
This was the 16th straight victory for Klitschko and his 12th successive IBF and IBO title defense, he also defended his WBO, WBA Super and Ring Magazine Heavyweight titles.
Note-This card also saw the 8th professional bout of promising American Light Middleweight Tony Harrison (8-0, 8)
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