Das Phantom: Still Haunting Opponents (And Fans)
By Ingo Tepes
18.03 - Sven Ottke is a fighter that fans outside of Germany either dislike or hate. Ever since he seized the IBF Super Middleweight Title from Charles Brewer back in late '98, he's been a controversial champion to everyone but his fellow Germans. He's been called "boring," "dirty," "weak," a "local hero," a "protected European champion," a "German fraud," etc. And despite Sven's growing list of accomplishments, those labels have stuck. Exactly what is it about "Das Phantom" that draws such barbs? Let's take a look...
Many complain about his style; a combination of nimble footwork, endless stamina, quick (yet harmless) counterpunching, quality defense, and LOTS of holding. In an era where the term "KTFO" pretty much sums up the average fan's impression of boxing, Sven hits with bland intentions. Ottke has a mere six knockouts in 30 fights; four of which have come in the last two years. While that may not make for exciting highlight reels, Sven's uncanny ability to make his opponents miss DOES. You should see the trouble he's given skilled bangers like James Butler and Thomas Tate. Ottke made them look like they were shadowboxing! That kind of missing wears fighters down, allowing Sven to slap his way to decision after decision. If you're a fan of actual BOXING, this shouldn't bother you. If you're another bloodthirsty Tyson disciple, you're better off renting "Faces of Death" than buying an Ottke tape. I'm not saying that Sven HAS to be your cup of tea, but to say that he's a "fraud" because you don't like his style is childish.
There's also been a great deal of whining about the "hometown decisions" Sven has supposedly received. According to some, Ottke picked up "gift" decisions twice against Brewer and once against Tate. While the first Brewer match could have gone to Charles, the second one was a clear victory for Sven. In Ottke's first bout with Tate, he dominated the fight before being cut badly enough to force a stoppage. Many Americans who haven't even seen the match cling to the notion that Ottke was losing and got cut by a punch; leading to a stoppage and a "hometown" decision. Here's what really happened: Sven was winning, received a cut under ambiguous circumstances, it went to the cards, they reflected Ottke's control of the match. Hardly a case for Amnesty International. And whether you agree with the decisons or not, you shouldn't ignore the fact that both Brewer and Tate were given rematches.
The "hometown decisions" imputation is tied to another constant criticism of Ottke: His "refusal" to fight outside of Germany. This rebuke is absurd. Everyone agrees that Sven is a hero in Germany, right? Everyone also agrees that Sven's style would never go over in America, right? Why then should Sven leave his lucrative German base to pursue a non-career in a country that would unequivocally reject him? Doesn't make sense, does it? As long as Ottke is able to entice fellow champions like Byron Mitchell to meet him in Germany, there is no reason for Sven to take his show on the road.
Even other fighters have lashed out at Ottke. Roy Jones has gone on record many times offering to teach other boxers how to beat Sven. Why Roy cares about Ottke's career is anyone's guess, since Sven has never even challenged Jones. Aboriginal aberration Anthony "The Man" Mundine has trashed Ottke in the press at length; even going so far as to say that Sven "hits like a girl." When they finally met in the ring, "The Man" was knocked UNCONSCIOUS by one of Sven's "girl" punches. Talk about poetic justice. Joe Gatti accused Ottke of "having something in his gloves" when he stopped Joe in the ninth round of their 2002 bout. Sven DID have something in his gloves that night; HIS FISTS, which battered Gatti's weak chin. It seems that every boxer who faces Sven claims he has the formula to beat him, then proceeds to lose badly. To cover their failure, these also-rans concoct excuses about "hometown decisions" and "glove-tampering." And because so many observers want to believe that Sven is a phony, each allegation is accepted as an unqualified fact.
Ottke probably won't have to endure these jabs much longer. He claims he'll be retiring soon, and I believe him. Sven is almost thirty-six, and had over 300 amateur fights before turning pro. That's a lot of mileage, even for a German-built machine. With Das Phantom on his way out, it's time to put his career in perspective: Sven is 30-0, and holds the IBF and WBA Supermiddleweight Titles. He's defended the IBF belt 17 times, and has defeated Charles Brewer, Thomas Tate, James Butler, and Byron Mitchell. That's hardly a "boring" career. And unless Eric Lucas and Joe Calzaghe step it up in a big way, the history books will show that Sven Ottke was the top Super Middleweight of his era. Of course, the Germans have known that all along.
