Vitali Klitschko vs. Manuel Charr on September 1st

By Boxing News - 06/06/2012 - Comments

Image: Vitali Klitschko vs. Manuel Charr on September 1stBy Jason Kim: WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (44-2, 40 KO’s) has settled on facing number #11 WBC Manuel Charr (21-0, 11 KO’s) in what could be the 40-year-old Vitali’s last fight of his career on September 1st at the Olympiyskiy National Sports Complex, in Kiev, Ukraine.

This is a pretty drab pick, but it’s a safe pick designed to ensure that Vitali finishes his career with a win. It’s also important that Vitali win this fight because he’s got the Parliament election coming up shortly after that in Ukraine and he wants to be elected. Perhaps this why the fight will take place in Ukraine instead of Germany where Vitali often in his 16-year career. Beating the undefeated Charr in Kiev could really help Vitali’s chances of being elected.

However, he’s be better off facing someone with some talent instead, because the German-based Charr is a pretty mediocre fighter. He’s unbeaten but he’s been carefully matched his entire seven year pro career, facing little more than 2nd and 3rd tier heavyweights. Charr’s best opposition have come against a past his best Danny Williams, Taras Bydenko, Marcelo Luiz Nascimento, Zack Page, Robert Hawkins, Owen Beck, Sherman Williams, Gbenga Oloukun.

In many of Charr’s fights, he’s not looked impressive and you have to wonder why his promoters have been hesitant to put him in with 1st tier opposition. He’s getting his title shot against Vitali, but he’s going to be hopelessly overmatched in this fight, and I don’t see how Charr can ever really improve if all he’s going to be pitted against is weak opposition and then thrown in with guys that are far too good for him.

Vitali didn’t look at all good in his fight with Dereck Chisora last February. Vitali injured his left shoulder in the second round and had to fight using only his right hand for the remainder of the fight. Although he really didn’t need his left hand in order to win the fight, he looked exhausted and stressed out in the fight from the constant pressure that Chisora was putting on him.



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