Klitschko-Pulev

By Allan Fox: Johnathon Banks, the trainer for IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (62-3, 52 KOs), likes what he sees from Wladimir in his training camp as he gets ready for his September 6th title defense against his unbeaten IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev (20-0, 11 KOs) at the O2 World Arena in Hamburg, Germany.

Wladimir has 15 sparring partners in his training camp in beautiful Going, Austria. British heavyweight Anthony Joshua and American journeyman Kevin Johnson are two of the sparring partners that Wladimir has to help him get ready for the 6’4 ½” Pulev.

Wladimir doesn’t have anyone that fights exactly like Pulev, but with Wladimir’s trainer having them imitate Pulev’s fighting style, they’re going the best they can to impersonate him. Wladimir is sparring as much as 14 rounds of continuous sparring with different sparring partners.

read more

By Greg Harris: Over the past decade, there has been only one name worth mentioning when speaking about the heavyweight division. that name is, Klitschko. Whether speaking about Wladimir, or his older brother Vitali, you were speaking about the best two heavyweights in the division.

Some have stated that their talents exceed far beyond any other heavyweight in the division. Others have stated that their lack of quality opposition, and robotic boxing style has turned fight fans off from the once glamorous heavyweight division. But with the retirement of Vitali Klitschko, the surge of new, fresh, up and coming heavyweight prospects, and the reemergence of older veterans, could this be the breakout moment for Wladimir Klitschko?

read more

By Allan Fox: Alexander Dimitrenko thinks that #1 IBF, #6 WBO Kubrat Pulev (20-0, 11 KO’s) is stepping out of his lane in challenging IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (62-3, 52 KO’s) in their fight scheduled for September 6th at the O2 World Arena, Altona, in Hamburg, Germany.

Dimitrenko, who was stopped by Pulev in the 11th round in a competitive fight in May of 2012, thinks that Wladimir is just a step too far for the 6’4 1/2” Pulev, and he sees him going down to defeat in this fight.

“I respect Kubrat, but it just is not the class of Klitschko,” Dimitrenko said to Russian news agency ITAR-TASS. “As for our fight, he knocked me out because of an injury I received.”
It would seem that Pulev is going to have some problems against Wladimir unless he can show some improvement over the way he’s performed in his previous fights.

read more

By Scott Gilfoid: Looking considerably smaller than IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (62-3, 52 KO’s), the 6’4 ½” Kubrat Pulev (21-0, 11 KO’s) droned on about wanting extra drug testing for his title challenge on September 6th at the O2 World Arena, Altona, Hamburg, Germany.

read more

By Anthony Mason: Wladimir Klitschko will be fighting Kubrat Pulev in a few months time. Once again, Klitschko is able to pad up his title defenses against a weak heavyweight. Pulev may very well be the best option available, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is a weak option. As always with Klitschko, he is the beneficiary of a watered down era where he can accumulate meaningless and worthless title defenses against weak competition.

Unlike Joe Louis, who actually fought in a legitimate heavyweight era, Wladimir’s competition epitomizes a Bum of the Month club. At least when Joe Louis lost, he was losing to the likes of Max Schmeling, Ezzard Charles, and Rocky Marciano. Who did Wladimir lose to? Three D-level boxers in Corrie Sanders, Ross Purrity, and Lamon Brewster.

read more

By Scott Gilfoid: IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (62-3, 52 KO’s) will be making his next defense against 6’4 ½” Kubrat Pulev (20-0, 11 KO’s) on September 6th at the O2 World Arena, Altona, in Hamburg, Germany. Pulev is the IBF mandatory challenger, so he gets to be the next guy that the 6’6” Wladimir faces.

Pulev has been bellyaching about wanting a title shot against Wladimir for a while now, and finally has his shot. Unfortunately the odds of him doing any better than Wladimir’s last opponent Alex Leapai are virtually nonexistent, due to Pulev’s complete lack of punching power. At least with Leapai, there was a slight chance he might land one of his big power shots to knock Wladimir out. But with Pulev, he just jabs and slaps with his shots, and he doesn’t have the power to make it a decent fight.

read more

By Dan Ambrose: K2 Promotions won the purse bid on Tuesday and will be in control of the September 6th fight between IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (62-3, 52 KO’s) and his IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev (20-0, 11 KO’s). K2 won the purse bid with a $7,250,131 bid in beating the $5,250,144 offered by Pulev’s promoters Sauerland Event.

The fight now must be made within 90 days. The day that K2 is interested in staging the fight is on September 6th in Hamburg, Germany, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.

read more

By Allan Fox: IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (62-3, 52 KO’s) can forget about a unification fight against WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne, because the International Boxing Federation has ordered a purse bid on June 17th between Wladimir and the Sauerland Events promoted #1 IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev (20-0, 11 KO’s), according to Germany news publication Bild.de.

Wladimir had been hoping to face Stiverne in order to try and capture his older brother Vitali Klitschko’s old WBC heavyweight belt. This is the only remaining title that is not in the possession of Wladimir, and he was hoping to take on the much smaller 6’2” Stiverne to pick up the strap. With the IBF ordering the purse bids between Wladimir and Pulev’s management, it complicates things for Wladimir, because he now has to take on the formidable 6’4 ½” Pulev next in a fight that is tentatively scheduled for September 6th at the O2 World Arena, Altona, Hamburg, Germany.

read more

By Bradley Dee: Yesterday I received a clarification letter from the president of the WBC stating that Bermane Stiverne must face his mandatory challenger unless Deontay Wilder agrees to step aside money.

Today, the WBC Website has the following statement on their news page:
——————
The desire of Wladimir Klitschko to become the absolute heavyweight champion of the world will have to hang fire… for the moment.

WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán, said that Wladimir will have to wait for the title shot against current champion Bermane Stiverne, because he first has to face his mandatory rival.

read more