That memories are short and subjective is the only rational explanation for the way even sports writers who ought to know better view Wladimir Klitschko, never mind fans. For myself, I must admit I like “Dr. Steelhammer.” Two of the qualities I most admire in a champion boxer are discipline and consistency, and Klitschko the Younger has a firm grip on both of those virtues. However, the winning streak the man has run up over the last six years has strangely skewed the perspective many have of the Ukrainian giant, and in the run up to this weekend’s bout with David Haye, I think it’s important to remind everyone that Klitschko is quite fallible.
A Different Era, a Different Klitschko
Rewind to September 2005 in Atlantic City. Wladimir Klitschko, who at the time was very much viewed as damaged goods in the struggle to fill the vacuum left by Lennox Lewis’s retirement, was squaring off with an undefeated, 24-0 Nigerian wrecking ball named Samuel Peter. Klitschko’s chin, stamina and tactical sense were all viewed as suspect, and he was not the consensus favorite to win that night. Peter, by contrast, was fit, confident and looking forward to a win that would lead to his first title shot.
The clash was a classic contest between a boxer and a puncher, in the sense that Klitschko won the decision on the strength of his jab despite being sent crashing to the canvas three times. “Dr. Steelhammer” showed considerable grit in getting back up, especially after the second knockdown of the 5th Round, and deserves all due credit for the win. However, it was the last time Klitschko was in the ring with a man who both physically threatened him and had a winner’s psychology.
Klitschko’s next opponent was IBF Champion Chris Byrd, who was one of the few fighters from Klitschko’s generation of heavyweights (other than the two Klitschkos) who had a strong work ethic. Unfortunately, Byrd was also a blown-up middleweight/light heavyweight who was even smaller than Evander Holyfield, and got by on slick defensive prowess and speed. Klitschko had already beaten him in the past, and defeated Byrd easily in the rematch. Byrd just wasn’t big enough to compete with a skilled giant like Wladimir.
Next came Calvin Brock, Ray Austin and Lamon Brewster. Brewster came to win and score some revenge for his cousin, Chris Byrd, but the others were more or less there for the paycheck. In any case, Brewster was never more than a fringe contender, and Austin and Brock were just journeymen. That Brewster owned a win over Klitschko merely underscored the big Urkanian’s tactical vulnerabilities, and Klitschko fought the return bout the way he should have fought the first encounter. Topping things off, Brewster had been on the shelf for 15 months due to a detached retina, so the rematch was held at a time that was most unfavorable to him.
Building the Reputation
Klitschko entered the period where the myth of his invincibility grew in 2008. It started with Sultan Ibragimov, an overrated Russian who hadn’t beaten a world class opponent prior to fighting Klitschko, and hasn’t fought anyone since Klitschko. Tony Thompson had the size to look formidable, but he too had not squared off with a world class heavyweight before fighting Dr. Steelhammer, nor has he met one in any of his fights since. Baltimore knucklehead Hasim Rahman was always among the least of Klitschko’s generation of heavyweights, and by their 2008 clash “The Rock” was crumbling badly.
Ruslan Chagaev was made of better stuff, but wields only average power. If he had somehow managed to get to Klitschko’s chin, I doubt he could have dented it, so he wasn’t much of a physical threat. Compounding that lack of hitting power is that Chagaev was probably suffering from Hepatitis B at the time. The 2010 fight with Eddie Chambers was like Chris Byrd all over again, only smaller.
Klitschko’s rematch with Samuel Peter last year brings us full circle. Unlike Klitschko, Peter does not have a strong work ethic. His weight ballooned wildly between fights, and he sometimes showed up on fight night with a pronounced spare tire around his waist. He also stopped acting like a winner, and skilled, little guys like James Toney and Eddie Chambers proved capable of befuddling him. Klitschko had undeniably improved over the previous five years, perfecting his style and becoming more confident. Peter, by contrast, allowed his conditioning to decline, his skills to stagnate, and stopped thinking like a winner.
The result of Klitschko vs. Peter II was a foregone conclusion, all things considered, but following the track of Klitschko’s career raises an obvious question: what if Peter, instead of declining, had improved at least a little instead? Peter could have laid off the cheesburgers and stayed in shape between fights, and he could have applied himself like a professional to learning how to parry and counter a jab like Wladimir’s. A winner with a work ethic would have done exactly that, which underscores the fact that Klitschko hasn’t fought a physically threatening winner with a work ethic during his entire winning streak over the last six years. All of that changes on Saturday, July 2nd.
Not Invincible
Wladimir Klitschko is one of two “last men standing” from his generation of heavyweights (the other is big brother Vitali). Everyone else has either self-destructed, become worn out or was a small heavyweight, and none of those men could truly compete with a 6’5″, 250 lbs man with talent and dedication to his sport. Most of the fighters from the current generation of heavyweights fall into the same category, but not David Haye. He isn’t a big heavyweight, but he isn’t a small one either, and he is both quick and a hard hitter. Haye is also confident. In other words, he is a physical threat and thinks like a winner. The last time Klitschko fought a guy like that, he was knocked down three times. Even Klitschko acknowledges this, since he refers to Haye as his toughest opponent to date.
Dr. Steelhammer has improved since then, but only in the sense that he no longer makes so many stupid tactical mistakes. Take a cautious, methodical fighter out of his game plan, and all kinds of things can happen. The internet is full of Germans and Ukrainians who think Klitschko is invincible, and even Sky Sports overstated things by saying Wladimir the Younger had held onto some version of the heavyweight title continuously for the last ten years. Make no mistake, Wladimir Klitschko is a world class heavyweight and a tough opponent. But invincible? Fortuitous circumstances might make a man look that way, but no one is truly unbeatable.
