April 20th, 2010 Germany ~ IBF heavyweight title ~ ~ WBO heavyweight title ~ ~ IBO International Boxing Organisation heavyweight title ~
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?columnist=rafael_dan&id=5016066 Klitschko takes time to KO Chambers A roundup of the past week's notable boxing results from around the world: Saturday at Düsseldorf, Germany Heavyweight Wladimir Klitschko KO12 Eddie Chambers Retains unified heavyweight titles Records: Klitschko, 54-3, 48 KOs; Chambers, 35-2, 18 KOs Rafael's remark: Thank goodness for trainer Emanuel Steward. All fight long he was begging Klitschko, who was utterly dominant and in no danger, between rounds to pick up the pace, to put his punches together and to get rid of the undersized, noncompetitive Chambers. At one point, Steward likened the terrible fight we were seeing to Klitschko's horrendously boring fight against Sultan Ibragimov in 2008, one in which a tiny bit of aggression from Klitschko could have been enough for a knockout. Steward was so frustrated with Klitschko, who, by the way, had won every second of every round, before the beginning of the 12th round that he yelled what all of us who were watching (including the 50,000-plus at the soccer stadium) must have been thinking: "We don't need another bulls--- decision!" Thankfully, Klitschko finally got the message and went out there and put Chambers away for a spectacular knockout with five seconds left in the fight. He creamed him with a left hook that sent Chambers staggering backward into one of the corner pads before he collapsed sideways and came to rest facedown with his body hanging over the bottom ring rope. Referee Geno Rodriguez called it off without a count. He could have counted to 100 because Chambers, who had been punished for the whole fight, was gone. But what the hell took Klitschko so long? That is what is sooooo frustrating about the best heavyweight in the world. He totally dominates but doesn't thrill, which is what we want from the heavyweight champion. Klitschko, 33, of Ukraine but based in Germany, could have ended this mandatory fight just about anytime he wanted to. As early as the second round, he staggered Philadelphia's Chambers, 27, with a hard right hand. But Klitschko, who won his 12th fight in a row, didn't go after him. Chambers tried to rough Klitschko up, which was kind of funny. It was like watching a mouse try to rough up a lion. He picked Klitschko up during clinches in the first and second round and tried to slam him to the canvas both times. That was pretty much the extent of his offense. He simply had zero ability to get inside Klitschko's long and devastating jab. He talked like he had a great game plan in the buildup to the fight, and maybe he did. But outweighed by 35 pounds and 5-plus inches shorter, Chambers could not implement whatever plan he had in any way. Round after round, Klitschko rocked his head back with jabs and mixed in some heavy rights. Klitschko is so basic in the way he fights -- jab, jab, jab, jab, right hand, repeat -- but with his physical advantages, quick hands, smarts and skills, most opponents simply can't do anything against him. By the third round, Chambers' left eye was swelling after eating so many jabs. When Chambers' right glove broke in the ninth round, he had a rest while the glove was changed, but that didn't help change the momentum either. Steward, meanwhile, stayed on Klitschko after every round until his words finally got through. It was an exciting ending to Klitschko's eighth defense, but the first 11-plus rounds were dreadful and are exactly why he has been essentially banished by the American TV networks, relegated to bootleg Internet streams or his official Web site's pay-per-view. The way the fight with Chambers went just gave those TV executives more ammunition for why they avoid his fights and those of his brother, fellow heavyweight titleholder Vitali Klitschko. It's not their fault they are so dominant, but they could help their cause significantly with a little aggression, which was exactly the point Steward was trying to make. Chambers, who deserved the title shot based on recent wins, saw his five-fight winning streak come to a violent end. He hadn't lost since a decision to 2004 Russian Olympic gold medalist Alexander Povetkin in January 2008, a fight that was also in Germany. Povetkin, a long overdue mandatory challenger for one of Klitschko's belts, looms as his next opponent later this year. He may be slightly more competitive than Chambers, but it looks like another Klitschko wipeout.
