As the crowds at The Staples Center in excess of 14,100 people clamored at the prospect of their contender Chris “The Nightmare Arreola there was much to be said. The prospect of the first Mexican-American Heavyweight gaining the championship of the world loomed loudly. The people wanted to see a fight; a fight that would mark the end to Vitali Klitschko’s reining championship. However that would come way too late.
Weighing 251 pounds, the heavy fisted Arreola promised victory in the ring, believing he had the edge against the bigger fighter in Klitschko. During the first few rounds, many hoped Arreola would break down his larger opponent. Vitali moved around the ring in a flawless manner, while the frustrated Arreola could not mount a tactical game. During the fourth round, it seemed that Arreola was finding the depth he needed.
It was only the fourth round that the judges gave to Arreola, as Klitschko’s punch count dropped dramatically. Arreola managed to land several decent shots that earned him the points he deserved in the fourth. During the fifth round we saw Klitschko picking up the pace once again, landing several hard shots. Arreola was effective to some extent, absorbing the unusual punishment; however gaining the shot to fire inside. As they say…too late and in some aspects to soon. The heavyweight challenger could not work his inside game with the bigger fighter in Klitschko.
By the seventh round, it was clearly a one-sided fight as Klitschko continued to dominate, and set the pace of the match. While Chris Arreola had the support of the fans, the excess was too little to overcome the odds of the great Vitali Klitschko. Both fighters deserved all the accolades that transpired. The frustrated Arreola went to his corner shaking his head trying to figure out a way to land the heavy shots that Klitschko was ultimately blocking.
As the tenth round came to close, referee Jon Shorle stopped the fight. Chris Arreola clearly was not ready to stop; the angry Arreola protested briefly, and marched into his dressing room.
During the post fight press conference, Vitali Klitschko was recorded saying, “I was shocked after his left hook! Chris shocked me a little bit; I’m very surprised of his chin.” The confident Klitschko addressed the crowd with the utmost respect for his opponent. When it was Chris Arreola’s turn to speak, he cried, apologizing to the fans for losing, and cursed many times on live television. In regards to Klitschko’s performance, Chris Arreola was quoted, “Klitschko did everything he was supposed to. Vitali Klitschko just beat my ass.”
Interesting enough, Chris Arreola’s performance deserves credit in many ways. Chris has the heart of a lion, and he showed that in his losing effort. It’s rumored that Dan Goossen wants to get Arreola back again into the title picture first thing next year. As far as Arreola, his performance as a top contender gave way to many dilemmas. Who can beat Klitschko now? Dan Goossen, from Goossen Tutor promotions was quoted saying, “The only way to beat Klitschko, is for him to retire.” While this may seem probable, we still have hope in the heavyweight division.
Towards the beginning of next year, Eddie Chambers will face off against the younger brother of Vitali, in Wladimir Klitschko. However, there are many speculations regarding the potential outcome of this fight; can Eddie overcome big Wlad? Is the size difference an issue with the faster opponent being Chambers? Either way, we will see soon enough.
As for Chris Arreola, he was able to do all that he could against Vitali Klitschko. His great chin produced 10 rounds; more than a lot of Vitali’s victims have endured. So what is Chris Arreola’s next move? Will he ever meet Vitali Klitschko again in the ring? There are a lot of questions, which we can’t answer. However, I’m sure Chris would love to square off and avenge his first professional loss against Vitali Klitschko in years to come.
Quotes from the Klitschko Arreola Post Fight Press Conference
Dan Goossen (Arreola’s promoter):
“The one way to beat Vitali Klitschko is to have him retire.”
Vitali Klitschko:
“I was shocked after his left hook! Chris shocked me a little bit; and I’m very surprised of his chin.”
Chris Arreola:
“Klitschko did everything he was supposed to. Vitali Klitschko just beat my ass!”
See a full photo gallery from the Klitschko Arreola post fight press conference.
And if you haven’t seen it yet, take a peek at our Klitschko Arreola round by round results.
