By Scott Gilfoid: IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (55-3, 49 KO’s) has selected one of arguably the weakest opponents he’s ever faced during his championship campaign in undefeated 2nd tier heavyweight Derek Chisora (14-0, 9 KO’s), who Wladimir will be facing on December 11th at the SAP-Arena, Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. I’ve seen four or five of Chisora’s previous bouts and I can’t say I was impressed at all.

I think he’s probably about the best that the UK has in terms of heavyweights, other than WBA heavyweight champion David Haye. However, Chisora is short at only 6’1″, slow, heavy for his limited height, weighing 244, and not a big puncher. He reminds me of a weaker, slightly slower and shorter version of Lamon Brewster. That’s not a good thing. Without the power to compete with Wladimimr, Chisora is going to get quickly knocked out.

I’d like to think that Chisora will have the chin to stick around for the full 12 rounds like Shannon Briggs did with Wladimir’s brother WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, but I don’t see Chisora being in the same class as Briggs. I think Briggs is a much more powerful puncher and an overall better fighter than Chisora. As such, I see Wladimir knocking Chisora senseless in four or five rounds depending on whether Wladimir wants to toy with Chisora or not. I think this is a good fight in one way. The British public will probably back Chisora to the hilt and paint him as someone that has a good chance of beating Wladimir.

This will make it all the more interesting when Wladimir dominates the short rounded Chisora with ease and knocks him cold. Chisora is a fighter that likes to come in slow throwing wide shots with average power. From what I can see, he does everything the wrong way. He’s going to be picked apart when he comes forward against Wladimir and because he’s seemingly unable or unwilling to throw straight punches, Chisora is going to find it nearly impossible to land anything in this fight.

In the recent press conference photos of Chisora and Wladimir, I was shocked at how short Chisora was standing next to Wladimir. I’m used to seeing Wladimir face smaller guys, but Chisora looked like he didn’t even belong next to Wladimir. He looks like a cruiserweight who has put on 45 pounds of flab. This is going to be a massacre of the first order. I wish I could give Chisora a chance because I’m tired of seeing Wladimir beat up on over-matched opposition but I can’t. He’s too limited, too small and too fat.