The Klitschko’s are not to blame

By Boxing News - 03/04/2012 - Comments

Image: The Klitschko's are not to blameBy Marcus Sales: Yes I agree, the heavyweight division is rather dull. I watch DVDs of Ali’s classic contests with Joe Frazier and George Foreman and am saddened I was not alive to see such epic events unfold before my eyes. I am also a little young to have witnessed a prime, young Mike Tyson strike the fear of god into every man, woman an child in the late 1980’s. I am not however too young to appreciate what I have before my eyes right now.

Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko. Two mountainous, athletic and immensely intelligent individuals who continue to dispose of those put before them as if they were Manchester Utd playing in League 2. Forgive the footballing analogy but their dominance is of such comparison.

David Haye promised to topple the brothers, but the reality turned out to be as much of a mismatch as their other bouts. Wladimir was too quick, too strong and too good for Haye. Jean Marc Mormeck (unlike Haye) had done nothing to deserve this bout. He was made to look so inept it makes one wonder how he could have ever achieved the highest accolade in the cruiserweight division. This is not however, the fault of the Klitschko brothers.

In reality they have beaten every one of their challengers and up and coming heavyweights are righty cautious about sharing a ring with them. Tyson Fury believes he needs more time, personally I think he is not good enough to ever capture a version of the World Heavyweight Title, pre or post Klitschko. David Price is also not ready yet. He would be outclassed if he were to share a ring with either brother currently. He does however, possess the skills to get to the top and it is my belief he would have taken Fury out with relative comfort had Fury not relinquished his titles to pursue his world title dream by challenging….Martin Rogan. Work that one out. Seth Mitchell and Deontay Wilder look promising, in reality however, we know nothing about them. Mike Perez seems to have stagnated after an exciting prizefighter with a couple of points decision victories.

So how can you blame the brothers? Yes it would be a more competitive division without them but it would also be a far inferior one. Vitali showed his skill level when he took Lennox Lewis to hell and back through 6 rounds in 2003, and it is my belief that he would have one that contest had it not been for the unfortunate cut. That is not Lewis’ fault however. One performance for me does however, stop Vitali short of being an all time great. With 2 rounds to go against Chris Byrd he was leading comfortably but pulled out of the fight with a significant shoulder injury. That would not have stopped Muhammad Ali. Just ask Ken Norton about their first contest when Ali fought valiantly with a broken jaw the entire fifteen rounds. As for Wladimir I just feel that defining contest will elude him. If it is the Haye fight then fair enough, but it does not compare to fights of the past when heavyweights have bared their souls to win the Heavyweight Title. Make no mistake however, these two men would have been very hard to beat in any era of boxing, and they would have had success in any era. Criticism of the heavyweight division should be deflected from them and land on the shoulders of fighters who are just not good enough. Then again is it their fault that they are in an era with the Klitschko brothers?



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