Wladimir Klitschko Halts Danell Nicholson in Four!!

20.12.03 – By Micah Yonkoski: Not long ago, Wladimir Klitschko (240.5) was being hailed as the heir apparent to Lennox Lewis and the future of boxings glamour division. In fact, HBO had locked the former Ukrainian Gold medallist into a long-term deal and the Lewis-Klitschko collision course was full steam ahead.

However, a thought to be tune-up against perennial contender Corrie Sanders turned the heavyweight division upside down with a shocking second round destruction of Klitschko and boxing fans felt misled much the same way they were with fellow saviors such as Michael Grant.

Since that time, Klitschko has again become the hot name in the land of the heavies, but it’s not Wladimir that carries the banner, rather it’s his older brother Vitali who nearly lost his lip and a gallon of blood in his gutsy loss against Lennox Lewis.

Certainly Wladimir is thrilled with the success that his brother has found and has accepted the role of “brother-of” for now, but plans on proving that the loss to Sanders was nothing more than a learning experience and on Saturday night he took out the fruits of his knowledge on another former Olympian/prospect Danell Nicholson (232.5) in Kiel, Germany.

After four rounds and a Nicholson visit to the canvas, referee John Coyle had seen enough and ended the one-sided affair at the 1:44 mark. Nicholson showed a great unwillingness to feel the power of Big Wlad and had a point deducted for excessive holding.

This along with every other chance to step up proved too much for Danell, but Wlad was very happy to get the work and it’s onward and upward from this point and a rematch with Sanders is a likely possibility at some point in the year ahead.

Granted, four rounds of one-way traffic will hardly convince Wlad’s detractors, but this was a step-up from his last fight against Fab Moli and the boxing world will anticipate his next move.

With the loss, Nicholson watches his ledger fall to 42-5 and should seek another form of employment while Wladimir now sits at 42-2 and the future is again looking bright.