By Dave Lahr: WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko will be returning to action on December 12th against number #6 ranked WBC heavyweight contender Kevin Johnson (22-0-1, 9 KO’s) at the PostFinance Arena, in Berne, Switzerland. Klitschko, 38, is coming off an impressive 10th round stoppage of previously unbeaten heavyweight Chris Arreola on September 26th, at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles.
Although Johnson is undefeated, he lacks any kind of power to trouble Vitali and this fight will probably end up as one-sided as Klitschko’s recent fight with Arreola. Johnson is faster than Arreola and has a much better jab, but he won’t be able to beat Vitali by jabbing him from the outside like Johnson has done with most of his opponents during his six year pro career.
By choosing Johnson as an opponent, Vitali is likely not going to interest many of the mainstream boxing fans because Johnson isn’t well known and not considered to be a dangerous puncher like Arreola. It will be interesting to see if the American cable networks – HBO or ESPN – will decide to show Klitschko’s bout against Johnson. HBO is mostly interested in putting on fights that they see as competitive and ones that will interest the casual boxing fan.
A fight between Vitali and Johnson would seem to be anything but competitive. And with Johnson having little power, it’s hard to see how he’ll have any chance against the towering hard punching Klitschko. Vitali may have been better off seeking out the number #7 top contender in the WBC Odlanier Solis instead.
Solis, a former 2004 Olympic heavyweight Gold Medalist, has the hand speed and punching power to make it interesting while it lasts with Klitschko. Solis may be a tad overweight at 6’1” 271, but he would be more of a threat to Klitschko than Johnson.
Despite being four and half inches shorter than Klitschko, Johnson will have a two inch reach advantage over Klitschko in their fight. If only Johnson had some power to go along with his slight reach advantage. He won’t be able to jab or slap his way to a decision against the power punching Vitali. That’s the problem with Johnson. He tends to slap too much with his punches and doesn’t have much punching power.
His work rate is also a problem nowadays. Johnson doesn’t throw a lot of punches like he used to when he was younger. Johnson’s weight has gone steadily up since 2007, a time when Johnson weighed in at a slender 229. In his last fight, Johnson weighed 246 against Devin Vargas and looked chunky. Hopefully, Johnson trims off the fat off his frame for his bout against Klitschko because he’s going to need to be in top shape if he’s to have any hopes of lasting 12 rounds against him.
I don’t give Johnson much of a chance of surviving for long against Klitschko, not without any power to speak of. Basically all of Johnson’s opponents during his six year pro career have been B and C class fighters. Perhaps his best opponent to date is Devin Vargas, a former amateur star with only 17 fights under his belt at the time that Johnson fought him.
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