Photo credit: Jan Sanders/Goossen Tutor Promotions. By Sean McDaniel: Big heavyweight Chris Arreola (27-0, 24 KO’s) is being thrust into a title match against WBC heavyweight Vitali Kitschko (37-2, 36 KO’s) in a sink or swim situation on September 26th, at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles. I like Arreola as a fighter and think he’s probably easily the best heavyweight that America has got to offer at this time.
I don’t think Arreola should have taken the fight at this time. Because he still looks much too fat in the recent press conference to be fighting for a title next month. Arreola, 27, appears to need at least another three months of serious double days to take off the remaining lard from his body to get down to a presentable weight so that he could stand a better chance against the giant 6’7” Klitschko.
After all, this isn’t Jameel McCline or Travis Walker that Arreola will be fighting on September 26th. This is an important fight for Arreola and he can’t continue to come into his fights in poor physical condition like he has in his last three fights.
Arreola was able to get by in those fights because he was facing inferior opposition but that won’t be the case on September 26th against Klitschko. Arreola might think he can come out firing his big haymakers and score a quick knockout like he’s grown accustomed to.
However, that’s not likely to happen. Vitali won’t fold like Arreola’s other opponents and then Arreola is going to be faced with a situation where he will need a back up plan to use. In other words, a plan ‘B’ to fall back on against Klitschko.
Since Arreola probably can’t box his way out of a paper bag, it will be all or nothing with him. Either he knocks Klitschko out in the first few rounds, or else Arreola will tire out and fall apart in the process. I have a lot of respect for Arreola for taking this fight, because he really has very little experience against top level opposition going into this fight.
Klitschko, 38, has fought a number of quality opponents during his 13 year pro career such as Chris Byrd, Lennox Lewis, Corrie Sanders, Kirk Johnson, Danny Williams, Samuel Peter and Juan Carlos Gomez. In contrast, Arreola has only faced Chazz Witherspoon, Travis Walker and Jameel McCline, three B level fighters. Arreola was able to walk over those fighters with his power, but that doesn’t really say much because of the quality of his opposition.
Klitschko will be able to answer Arreola’s shots with hooks, uppercuts and jabs and won’t be at the mercy of Arreola’s power. It fact, it will be Arreola who will be the one that has to worry about Klitschko’s power. He’s going to have to come up with some kind of strategy to move around the ring a little, because Klitschko will batter him ceaselessly if Arreola just stands in one place or tries to walk him down.
That kind of one pace, one direction kind of approach works against the limited fighters but not against a boxer/puncher like Vitali, who has excellent overall boxing skills and can do everything really well, include move laterally.
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