Will Arreola take Out Old Man Klitschko?

By Manuel Perez: Big heavyweight Chris Arreola (27-0, 24 KO’s) will be attempting to make boxing history when he faces WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (37-2, 36 KO’s) in two weeks time on September 26th at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California. If successful, Arreola, 28, will be the first Mexican to win a heavyweight world title in the history of boxing.

It’s not going to be easy, though, because few boxing experts are giving Arreola much of a chance to pull off the win against the big 6’7″ Klitschko. One reason why people aren’t giving Arreola much of a chance is because of his huge bulk. Arreola has had a recent weight problem that has plagued him in his past three fights since last year.

Arreola, for some reason or another, has steadily gained weight despite fighting better and better opposition. It seems like the reverse of what should be happening, given that Arreola has worked so hard during his six year pro career to get to the point where he is now.

No one can understand then why Arreola would all of a sudden start putting on weight. The good thing though is that the weight hasn’t seemed to have any effect on Arreola’s performances in the ring because he’s looked almost as good being fat than he did before he started putting on weight. The weight won’t likely be a problem on September 26th against Klitschko, because Arreola looks to be in good shape and ready to go toe-to-toe with the 38-year-old Klitschko for 12 rounds, if need be.

The weight won’t likely be the issue in this fight. What will matter in this fight is whether Klitschko will be able to stand up to the heavy shots and the fast pace that Arreola sets out in this fight. Forget about Klitschko standing back and controlling the fight with his jab, because that won’t be happening in this fight.

You can pretty much throw that idea out the window, because it won’t happen. Arreola won’t let him happen that way, because he intends on crowding Klitschko and bombing him with huge over hand rights and left hooks. Klitschko hasn’t been in with a big power puncher the size and weight of Arreola for many years, perhaps since Klitschko was stopped in the 6th round by Lennox Lewis in June 2003. Lewis, 6’5″, roughly about the same size as the 6’4″ Arreola, went right at Vitali, forcing him to fight hard, expend energy and take big shots.

Lewis had problems with Klitschko in the first four rounds, but by the 5th round, Lewis was teeing off on Klitschko with big uppercuts and had his face already torn to shreds. The fight was stopped after the 6th round. However, Vitali looked exhausted and hurt at the end of the fight from Lewis’ uppercuts and fast pace.

Arreola, no doubt, will be taking a page from Lewis’ game plan and will make the big Ukrainian work harder than he has in years. Klitschko has never had good stamina to begin with, and usually is gasping like a fish out of water by the 6th round in many of his fights.

And this is with Klitschko dictating the pace of the fight. Arreola is going to make sure that Klitschko is pushed to the ends of his physical limits in the fight and won’t be giving him any breaks so that he can rest and restore energy. I think Arreola wears Klitschko down by the 8th or 9th round and then takes him out with a brutal right hand shot to the head that will topple big Vitali over.

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