Lewis vs Klitschko, two big fighters, one big fight?

By James McDonnell

11.06 - On June 21st Lennox Lewis will square off against the biggest big-time heavyweight currently fighting, Vitali Klitchsko.

Events have transpired to bring a fight that many wanted to see to fruition long before it was originally thought likely to happen.

Following an alleged training injury to Kirk Johnson, who subsequently pulled out of his scheduled fight with Lewis, Vitali Klitchsko has been given the opportunity for a crack at Lewis, the consensual heavyweight king, who even without the backing of the sanctioning bodies and their tawdry baubles, remains king of the hill.

The fight with Johnson was hardly hotly anticipated, ticket sales had been mediocre, and HBO had pulled the plug on the PPV options for the fight, following Tyson's defection from the fight card.

This fight is the one that had been talked about for some time by insiders and fans alike, as representing a sterner test, than a fight against a fighter as timid as Johnson, who turned in a very lacklustre display against the rugged and awkward, but mediocre heavyweight champion Ruiz.

Wladimir of course was in line for a defence against Lewis, but his swift and merciless drubbing by heavy-handed journeyman Corrie Sanders put pay to that, removing Wladimir from status of heir apparent to overhyped and under-prepared pretender.

So, does the giant Ukrainian have a chance against the man who has been considered the best since 1996?

The simple answer would seem to be no, but as Lewis himself has found out to his cost in previous losing title fights McCall and Rahman, sometimes in boxing, the formbook is suddenly and callously torn up.

Lewis although a formidable fighter in most respects, reflexes, technical ability, physical strength, and of course punchpower, has always been fallible in one respect. If not feet of clay, some would certainly say, with some justification at least, that he has a chin of china.

Lewis has been decked and stopped on two occasions, by men with less punchpower than the physically formidable Vitali, who like his brother has built his somewhat spurious reputation, with KO's over the re-treads of the heavyweight division.

If Vitali's opponents are largely b-grade, the same could be said of Lewis' chin, who has won his fights quite simply, by not getting caught by the shots of the biggest punchers.

Lewis has of course beaten big men before, Golota, Grant, and Ruddock, were all known as big punchers, if little else, and all of them weighed in the region of 240lbs plus, much like Vitali. In all cases, Lewis jumped on them and took them out before they had time to establish a gameplan. There is of course another big man who gave a better account of himself, Shannon Briggs, who rocked Lewis to the soles of his

Lewis' most shaky performances have been those where he has made an ultra-cautious start against dangerous foes, or shown too much respect, a lesson he has learned the hard way against Rahman. Lewis is at his worst when retreating from an opponent, when on occasion he displays a trait which is normally associated with novice professionals, moving backward in a straight line. Against dangerous bangers of limited boxing ability, Lewis has met their fire with his own, and emerged an emphatic victor.

So, what does Vitali bring to the fray. Aside from a high KO percentage, and a statuesque physical presence, in truth not a lot. Serious question marks have to be asked about a fighter who quit against physically dwarfed and feather-fisted Chris Byrd, a man who couldn't knock the skin off a rice
pudding.

In their contest, Vitali was a country mile ahead, when he quit, supposedly as a result of a torn rotator cuff, though others suggested that his poor stamina was also a factor. Whatever the reason, I don't think he displayed the heart of a champion.

Vitali was the current WBO champion at the time, and while that is hardly the most prestigious of belts, it's still regarded as the next most credible after the 3 major sanctioning bodies' belts.

have seen fighters in non-title fights display far more gumption than Vitali showed that night. A fight that springs to mind is Danny Williams, who was fighting for only a British title, against (name). Williams fought on with a dislocated shoulder, with his arm dangling shockingly from it's socket. He rallied with one good arm and incredulously knocked his opponent out.

Williams isn't a world champion calibre fighter, but he certainly displayed world championship calibre determination that night. Boxing is not all about technique and physical attributes, it's about the mental component, the will to win, the desire to overcome all impediments to success. Even the training fighters endure is designed not just to stiffen the sinews and toughen the musculature, but to prepare the fighter for the physical and mental trauma suffered in the ring.

Vitali was in the biggest fight of his career to date that night, and by my reckoning failed to display the heart of a champion. He had only 3 rounds to hold on, and could have won by sticking and moving with the jab. Byrd wouldn't have been able to knock him out, and in 12 minutes, it would all have been over, and Vitali would still have been champion.

I know what some of you think, who is this lily-livered wimp, who probably cries when he stubs his toe, who is he to judge. Well, that's right, but it's also why I'm a writer and not a fighter, I wouldn't have the will to overcome such pain, but a championship fighter should, and I'll defend my right to criticise till my hands drop off.

In addition to that he suffers from the same flaws as his (slightly) smaller and younger brother Wladimir, once thought to be the more talented sibling, who was designated to become literally the next big thing in the division.

These are, slothful movement around the ring, poor handspeed, and lack of variety in their work. Both fighters in addition fight in a methodical, nay robotic style, reminiscent of a rock'em sock'em robot kids toy. Jab-jab right, jab-jab left., Jab-jab right, and so on. He isn't an instinctive fighter, but rather a big man whose physical tools are too much for all but the best fighters to overcome. Vitali isn't a talentless bum, as some people have asserted, but he does the lack the versatility of a complete fighter like Lewis.

Another interesting factor in the fight, is that although Vitali is significantly taller than Lewis at 6'7 ½ , he actually has a shorter reach by 4 inches, a situation that will prevent Vitali from utilising one of his major weapons, his stiff jab, which is certainly one of the best in the division.

In order to lands his own jab, he will have to be within range of Lewis' own, and as he is not an inside fighter, who closes the gap rapidly on opponents, this leaves him open to the best jab in the business in Lewis left jab.

Anyway, there's all the negatives, and I've made it clear what I think about him as a fighter, but having said all of that, I think Vitali has a better chance than anyone since he turned up in awful shape.

This is boxing, not chess, and the one attribute that Vitali does possess, power can level all those negative aspects out.

Lewis is 37 years old, a fact which is brought into perspective when we consider what stage other Illustrious fighters of heavyweight history were at by this age.

Ali by the age of 37, was totally washed up as a fighter. He about to embark on a final attempt at the title against Larry Holmes, and on this 38th birthday displayed a heartbreakingly shambolic parody of the fighter he had once been.

Lewis unlike these men, is not a used up fighter, he hasn't been seriously beaten on in his career, and aside from his fight with Mercer and two flash knockdowns against McCall and Rahman, and being staggered briefly by Brigg's hasn't really been in any wars.

He also has the benefit of modern training, nutritional and physiotherapy techniques, which have enabled him to maintain a level of fitness and strength most 37-year-old athletes can only dream of.

But Lewis is still human, he isn't immune to the ravages of time, and small chinks in his armour have appeared. His reflexes aren't quite what they were when he was a lithe 16 ½ stone 25 year old.

Lewis' movement around the ring has lessened with age and his increase in weight, and he has come to rely less on reflexes and flexibility and more on ring savvy, defensive nous, and his undeniable power.

At 37, fighters have a habit of ageing seemingly overnight, especially with the level of inactivity Lewis has displayed

In addition, Lewis hasn't has a hard fight since his 2nd fight with Holyfield, which was close enough to suggest to some Holyfield deserved a draw, or even the win, and that against an aged and somewhat shop-worn Holyfield.

Lennox Lewis' physiologist was recently heard to state that he believed that Lewis is in the 2nd best shape of his life, and it is quite possible that Lewis has trained his very hardest for this fight, knowing he is now perhaps only two fights away from his retirement, with a possible showdown with Jones the natural fight to make if Lewis wins this contest.

My prediction, despite all possible misgivings about Lewis advanced age, lack of activity, and lack of hard fights not withstanding, remains the same.

If Lewis connects with Vitali's chin with a big right hand early in the first round, I really do expect Lewis to lower the boom very quickly. I suspect that the advice he gave to Corrie Sanders regarding his opinions of Wladimir's inability to cope with pressure, will be applied to his older, bigger sibling too. We could see the kind of first round knockout that Golota was on the receiving end of.

If Lewis takes a couple of rounds to warm up, which my gut instinct tells me he will, I see Vitali lasting 5 maybe 6 rounds, anything over that will be a surprise to me, though not a major one. There is just a chance that Lewis will tire as the fight progresses, and over the long haul, Vitali's chances improve.

As an interesting footnote. It will be interesting however to see Lewis' reaction when he first stands face to face with Vitali, It's a disconcerting feeling surely for a fighter who is used to physically being at least on a par with his opponents to suddenly be faced with a fighter almost three inches taller than them. I cannot imagine that this is going to be enough to turn the tables in Vitali's favour.