Klitschko-Johnson prediction: Look for Vitali’s face to get mangled
December 12th, 2009
By Dave Lahr: With the bout between World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (38-2, 37 KO’s) and challenger Kevin Johnson (22-0-1, 9 KO’s) at the PostFinance Arena, in Berne, Switzerland, I think we’re about to see the 38-year-old Vitali get old tonight and lose. It’s bound to happen sooner or later, because Vitali is starting to look old and gray on top.
The cuts that Klitschko sustained in the Lewis fight were so bad that it required almost a 100 stitches to close the wounds around Vitali’s eyes and lips. Johnson has a lot of the same tools that Lewis has – a powerful long jab, a hard left hook and a mean uppercut. Additionally, Johnson has the longer reach than Vitali. This is an important factor that many boxing fans and experts seem to be overlooking. Since the fight with Lewis in 2003, Klitschko hasn’t faced a fighter with a longer reach than him.
Klitschko has been lucky to have faced entirely shorter fighters with less power and a much shorter reach. Tonight, Vitali will be facing a fighter that has a much better jab than him, is younger and has a better left hook. I really don’t see Klitschko winning this fight, and it’s going to be a huge shock for boxing fans when he losses. This is perhaps why I was slightly amused when I saw how cocky Vitali looked in his pre-fight weigh-in with Johnson.
Vitali seems to be acting as if this fight is in the bag. That may be a bluff on his part to try and psych Johnson out mentally or Vitali might be fool enough to really believe that he’s better than Johnson. Either way, it spells trouble for Klitschko. I think he doesn’t have the tools to beat Johnson at this point in his career. Johnson is beatable, there’s no doubt about it, but it will take youth and stamina to beat him.
Vitali doesn’t have either of those factors going for him in this fight. If Vitali bum rushes Johnson and unloads everything but the kitchen sink, then I think Vitali will beat him. However, if Klitschko fights as he always has since making his comeback last year after four years out of boxing, by fighting on the outside with his hands down by his sides, then he’ll lose to Johnson.
Klitschko doesn’t have a chance if he stays on the outside against the long armed Johnson. If Klitschko is smart enough to adapt early on to counteract Johnson’s jabs by going right after him, he can win this fight. I think Klitschko will. He’ll be too cocky and think he can bombard Johnson from long range and will end up getting what Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali’s brother, calls “pizza face.”
Prediction: Johnson by 12 round decision. Look for Vitali’s face to end up looking like hamburger.
Tags: 36 Responses to “Klitschko-Johnson prediction: Look for Vitali’s face to get mangled”
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Vitali had an off night to put it nicely, and still won every rd. You should write about something that you at least have a little knowledge about, tennis maybe.
WOW BET YOU FEEL LIKE AN IDIOT NOW?! YOUR CREDABILITY IS OFFICIALLY ZERO – TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT PERHAPS LIKE CLEANING TOILETS!!!
Almost everything you said about Johnson was so wrong…powerful jab? Fast maybe, but not powerful..he has no power and no game. The one thing he was good at was rolling and ducking from klitschko’s right hand, which probably saved him from getting knocked out. Dave, I don’t know you from Job, but please, get out of the arena of fight predicting. When I see somebody this way off base, it tells me that are emotionally invested in the fighter they have picked to win…in other words, you obviously really wanted Johnson to win. But you have to be smart and evaluate based on the facts, not your desire for a certain outcome.
Dave.wrong again. please send me ur last 10 fight predictions. I think you are 1-9.
Ye, Vitali really got mangled. Shows you really know what your talking about. Next time stfu please.
you brits are fruity. johson lost big time.
perko,
pretty bloody good for a blown up welterweight then dont you think pal!
mate check the guys highlights out, wouldnt be great for boxing to have a heavyweight champ that actually goes to ko people! come on man.
F**k lewis said i an interview after his fight that hes (tua) one tough mother.. he said he hit him with his best shot and he laughed!
Try another one? Although you were right klitchsko did have a bit of red on his face and body…
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAH YOU WHERE WRONG AGAIN KLITSCHKO WINS AGAIN 120-108 AHAHAHAHAHA KLITSCHKO 39-2-(37) TIME FOR HAYE TO GET PUT TO SLEEP
Johnson had no chance of winning with that negative attitude, shame he has a very effective jab which cut up Vitaly`s face and he has good movement but where was the follow up to the fast stiff jabs???? Plus his chin was strong, he should have gone all in, Haye wont let Vitaly cut the ring off like he did tonight and will certainly follow the jab with the right, ohwell too bad……
All f%$t no smell its seems with Johnson, not a boxer at all. Go home son with your red face, he should retire, he gave up after the first round when he lay over the ropes like a clown, byeeeeeeeeeeeee
Dont think so. Johnson has a mountain to climb and even an old Klitschko will probably be too much for him. He’ll have trouble with the jab. He’d better have a plan “B”.
david tua hasnt got a clue, say no more. tua is no more than a blown up welterweight. so got 2 disagree with you there mate.
hell yes boys, put david tua in with ANY of the current heaveyweights! none of them will want to fight him!
after lennox defeated david by wide points decision, tua has had an on off again court battle with his former managers, cribing him of valuable years probably ther better part of 6 or 7 of his best years! and im sure during that time he would have at least held one of the four major titles.
i mean look at some of the muppets that have! tua knocked john ruiz out in 17 f**kin seconds…hasim rahman,maskev, moorer… this guy has a bigger punch than tyson and has never been hurt let alone knocked down. (rahman was more of a slip as tua was laughing when he got up).
only thing with tua is his height, at 5 10 guys like lewis, chris byrd etc.. kept him away with good jabbing and powerful right crosses, but believe me if he lands against ANy of the current heaveys they are going sleep! just look at what he did to no. 6 ranked shane cameron in new zealand the other month.
tua is back and badder than ever so beware all you heaveys…
Thank God for David Haye, round 3 in the fight so far and I just cant believe how boring and useless of a fight this is. Just terrible Vitali is so close to him I think he is trying to dry hump Johnson.
This is not boxing, atleast Haye will have a go, Vitali as the most boring style in boxing history, with any luck haye will knock him out when they meet. If Johnson doesnt stop leaning out of the ring here then he has no chance
Embarrassing this fight so far, both of them
Thank God for David Haye, round 3 in the fight so far and I just cant believe how boring and useless of a fight this is. Just terrible Vitali is so close to him I think he is trying to dry hump Johnson.
This is not boxing, atleast Haye will have a go, Vitali as the most boring style in boxing history, with any luck haye will knock him out when they meet. If Johnson doesnt stop leaning out of the ring here then he has no chance
Embarrassing this fight so far, both of them
Thank God for David Haye, round 3 in the fight so far and I just cant believe how boring and useless of a fight this is. Just terrible Vitali is so close to him I think he is trying to dry hump Johnson.
This is not boxing, atleast Haye will have a go, Vitali is the most boring style in boxing history, with any luck haye will knock him out when they meet. If Johnson doesnt stop leaning out of the ring here then he has no chance
Embarrassing this fight so far, both of them
deano i agree with you, sick of reading the rubbish these people write, me and you know much more than them
what a total missmatch!!!i hear there trying to lure george foreman out of retirement to fight vitali.what a joke fight,honestly how can anyone with half a brain predict johnson will beat vitali let alone knock him out.johnson couldn’t punch his way out of a wet paper bag!!!!vitali to win 2nd rnd ko.
im always right
klitchko 2 win in 1st round, then fight winner of pacman mayweather
i know everything about boxing and am never wrong thats y u idiots should listen 2 me, sick of hearing rubbish on this site. klitchko 2 win 1st rnd ko, any 1 who disagrees know nothing about boxing and shouldnt come on here.
Klitchkos will so totally win!!!!
well put some big money on johnson davey boy to back up your prediction , words and reputations are cheap these days – too many so called experts on here giving predictions that never back their words up with the only thing that counts – money.
Johnson will get Klitsch-KO’d! Lewis had the power to cut Vitali, Johnson has an apalling KO% especially for a heavyweight, he has virtually no chance!
VITALI IS THE BEST HEAVYWEIGHT OF THIS DECADE! I NEVER HAVE SEEN JOHNSON JUST A CLIP ON YOUTUBE BUT HE LOOKS TO SLOW- KO FOR VITALI!
Klitschko the best…..he WIN
Johnson has a lot of the same tools Lewis has? Yeah only without the skill, the experience, the massive power and the huge overhand right that made the cut… Have you even seen the fight? I’m a huge fan of Lewis, but he was lucky and retired because he knew that he problably wouldn’t win a rematch. Even his trainer admitted that. Johnson has no chance. I would be surprised if he is still standing at the end of round 6.
Dave That is your prediction.I don’t think anyone in their right mind really listen to you. We will soon see the outcome. Dave u are not a nostradamus. Listen to Jamesy put david tua tua tua tua in with haye.
Vitali will knock him into next week.
ha ha a bum will be ko in round 1
haha…sorry but no. i’d love it if johnson won…but be serious. no. & the idea of a klitschko “bumrushing” anyone…have you ever seen either of them box? particularly vitali…i mean c’mon…
I will go with a Vitali win but you can never can tell.
BUT the logic of this article is questionable. Vitali has grey hair on top, well that’s it then he is clearly finished. Trouble is look at his physical conditioning and one gets a different picture, all muscle, no waste.
Age! well yes 8yrs is one hell of a gap, if one was 8 and the other 16 but not at this jucture of life, it means nothing. Ask Holyfield or Foreman.
Johnson has a chance but not much.
i disagree with this prediction, vitali will win then i can say told you so. vitali is a pound for pound monster who will smash johnson into oblivion. 8th round tko for vitali, amir khan fighting maidana or edwin valero is slim and none. david haye should fight solis or arreola then we can see if he is the real deal. i remember solis ko’d haye in amatuers and would be a top match
hahahhaha Johnson stuggled against a 41 year old figher in his last fight.Johnson will lose virtually every round or be ko’ed inside 5 rounds.
I think the Klitschko brothers use the advantages that they have available. A lot of people find their styles boring but its about winning and they do what they need to do to win.