By Allen Fox: IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (56-3, 49 KO’s) is taking what he hopes will be an easy title defense on March 3rd against former cruiserweight champion Jean Marc Mormeck (36-4, 22 KO’s) in a battle at the Esprit Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Wladimir has dominated most all of his opposition since capturing the IBF title in 2006, and his WBO strap in 2008. There’s really been no one that’s even come close giving Wladimir a competitive fight other than 6’5” Tony Thompson, who was able to land a lot of shots against Wladimir in a 2008 fight. However, Thompson was taken out in the 11th with a storm of punches and there’s been no one since that could give Wladimir a real test.

In choosing 5’11” Mormeck, Wladimir is facing a smaller heavyweight but one with more power and speed than a lot of the guys that he’s been facing lately. Mormeck isn’t as fast or as powerful as Wladimir’s last opponent former WBA heavyweight champion David Haye. But Mormeck is a lot more courageous and won’t be shy about taking the fight to Wladimir to try and take him out.

In terms of size, Mormeck is roughly the same height and weight as Wladimir opponent Ruslan Chagaev, a fighter that Wladimir was able to easily dominate and take out in the 9th round in June 2009. Mormeck is faster and stronger than Chagaev and he could give Wladimir a great deal of problems if he’s able to get in close and land one of his big left hooks. Wladimir will likely be able to get out of the way of Mormeck’s right hands without too many problems but it’s the left hook that could be Wladimir’s undoing if he doesn’t keep Mormeck on the outside as much as possible.

Mormeck didn’t bowl over his last three opponents at heavyweight but that mostly due to them having good chins because he landed some really big shots in each of his last three fights against heavyweights Vinny Maddalone, Fres Oquendo and Timur Ibragimov. Wladimir can’t afford to get hit with the big shots that those guys got hit with because his chin is more fragile.