By Dave Lahr: In looking over WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko’s resume, I noticed that he’s never faced a top undefeated fighter before during his long 13 year pro boxing career. The closest thing that Klitschko has gotten to facing a top undefeated fighter is Timo Hoffmann who was 22-0 at the time that Vitali fought him in nine years ago in November 2000.

Hoffmann wasn’t a top fighter then, just as he isn’t now, so he doesn’t count. On Saturday night, Klitschko will have to deal with an undefeated fighter when he fights Chris Arreola (27-0, 24 KO’s), who arguably is Klitschko’s best opponent since he faced Lennox Lewis in 2003.

The bout comes for Klitschko at a bad time in his career, as he’s older now at 38 and has only fought twice in the past five years. To say that Klitschko is rusty would be putting it mildly. He’s more than rusty, he’s a relic. This is why Arreola has a great chance of scoring an upset on Saturday night when he faces the towering Klitschko at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles.

Klitschko has faced two really good fighters during his career, Chris Byrd and Lewis, losing to both of them by stoppage. Many of Vitali’s other fights have come against either lesser fighters or good fighters who were in the declining stages of their careers. While Klitschko rarely loses a round during his fights, most of his fights have come against good – but not great – opposition.

For this reason, you have to take many of Klitschko’s wins with a grain of salt and put them in perspective. Beating good fighters isn’t a big deal when they lack the tools to compete. I wouldn’t say that Arreola is a great heavyweight, but he’s a very good one and that’s a problem for Vitali. Arreola does everything good – punch, jab, move and block shots.

He’s not weak in any one area. I wouldn’t call him great in any of those areas, but he’s very good at all. Arreola is like a student who does well in every subject rather than just one or two. Being good in all parts of his game will give Arreola an excellent chance at beating Klitschko on Saturday night.

Arreola’s excellent chin will be the first factor that keeps him in this fight, because he’ll need to be able to take Klitschko’s occasional big right hand shots to be able to stick around until later in the fight.

However, Arreola should have no problem an occasional big right hand from Klitschko and firing back with his own shots. Arreola’s talent level is going to be a big jump up for Klitschko compared to what he’s been facing. People are saying that Arreola will be the one that will be making a huge step up in competition and I agree with them.

However, he’s young and flexible, and can adjust and adapt like young people can. Klitschko is old, a barely active fighter in the past five years with a history of injuries and stamina problems. Do the math. Arreola is going to win this fight and win it by knockout.