By Eric Thomas: The last time that IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (57-3, 50 KO’s) faces the 6’5″ Tony Thompson (36-2, 24 KO’s), Wladimir had to struggle hard for 11 round in a bloody affair that finally ended when Thompson injured his a high knee in the 10th and was halted in the 11th.

But along the way, Thompson bloodied Wladimir and landed more shots than any other opponent before or since against the 6’6″ boxer/puncher Wladimir. It wasn’t that Wladimir wasn’t trying to stop Thompson, because he was working hard trying to get him out of there. However, he just couldn’t do it.

Thompson did a good job of taking away Wladimir’s jab and left hook, leaving only his right hand to do most of the damage. With Wladimir only fighting with one weapon, he was hit a lot by Thompson while trying to land his badly telegraphed right hand shots. I see the same thing happening in their rematch next month on July 7th at the Stade de Suisse, in Berne Switzerland.

Wladimir won’t be able to land jabs, because Thompson will pick them off easily with his high guard. Likewise, Wladimir’s left hooks will be completely useless because Thompson’s high arm will be held high to block those shots. If Wladimir wants to beat Thompson, he’ll have to do it once again with his right hand alone.

I suppose Wladimir could maybe take Thompson out if he threw some flurries to try and get the fight over with in the first four rounds. However, Wladimir has been so timid since his losses to Lamon Brewster and Corrie Sanders that he no longer flurries on his opponents. Instead of throwing combinations, Wladimir throws jabs, and pot shot right hands followed by ugly clinches.

The clinches are constant and badly in need of a referee to stop them from occurring so frequently. There are ways for Thompson to defeat Wladimir’s constant grabbing, but that’ll require for him to do some in fighting, and I don’t think Thompson as those kinds of skills.