(Picture Credit: KMG/Michael Sterling Eaton) By Allan Fox: Sherman “Tank” Williams, one of the sparring partners for IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (61-3, 51 KO’s), is advising challenger Alex Leapai (30-4-3, 24 KO’s) to throw body shots if he wants to beat the tall 6’6” Wladimir this Saturday night in their fight at the Koenig Pilsener Arena, Oberhausen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.
Williams noticed that Wladimir had problems with his body punching when they sparred together, and he sees Leapai being able to take advantage of Wladimir in the same way if he focuses his shots downstairs.
“I can only advise Alex that as soon as the first round bell sounds, go courageously straight at Klitschko,” Williams said via Die Welt. “Hit him with left and right shots to the body and then hit him on the chin with the right. I guarantee that if Alex fights the way I tell him to, Klitschko will throw his arms around him like an octopus.”
Williams didn’t need to tell Leapai that Wladimir would wrap him up like an octopus. That kind of goes without saying, because all you need to do is watch some of Wladimir’s recent fights to know that he’s going to be clinching constantly. Wladimir doesn’t let his opponents throw punches, and he’s able to get away with this tactic because of the referees letting him.
Sooner or later there will eventually be a referee that will take points off from him for the clinching, but it’s one of those things where even the loss of 2-3 points for clinching likely won’t keep him from continuing to hold. There’s too much of an advantage Wladimir gets for being able to hold. It saves him from taking punishment and from having to use his legs to move around the ring like he used to do at point in his career.
Leapai can still win this fight if he’s able to keep working while being held. That’s not going to be easy to do because Wladimir’s puts all of his weight on his opponents while clinching, and Leapai will need to be able to hold Wladimir up while still throwing punches.
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