24.08.04 – By Scoop Malinowski – Boxinginsider.com – “I still think he can be the champ – WBC, WBA, IBF, any one of the champs, you know, because he has that power. He has that power.” -Phil Jackson
Many people have given up on Wladimir Klitschko after his two recent losses to Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster. HBO abandoned the former Olympic gold medalist and WBO Heavyweight champion and will not televise his ring return on October 2nd against DaVarryl Williamson (rival network Showtime will). But at least one heavyweight out there still has great faith in Wladimir Klitschko as a prizefighter…former opponent Phil Jackson. Jackson fought Klitschko in November 1999 in Las Vegas and was stopped in two rounds. (Jackson also unsuccessfully challenged Lennox Lewis for the WBC title in 1994 – KO 8 loss in Atlantic City).
Here’s the unique perspective of Wladimir Klitschko from Phil Jackson:
Malinowski: What do you remember about the experience of fighting Wladimir Klitschko?
Phil Jackson: “Well, Wladimir…I also worked with both of the Klitschko brothers. The experience that I got from Wladimir…he’s a tough cookie. These last couple of fights he had – I don’t know what happened to him. To me, Wladimir – he’s a good fighter, man.”
Malinowski:He’s better than he showed?
Phil Jackson: “Yeah, yeah, most definitely. He is. Something went wrong…somewhere down the line. To me, I still think he can be the champ – WBC, WBA, IBF, any one of the champs, you know, because he has that power. He has that power.”
Malinowski: What else does he do well?
Phil Jackson: “Jab. He’s not a mover like his brother – his brother moves extremely well. He wears you down with that power, man.”
Malinowski: More powerful than Lennox Lewis would you say?
Phil Jackson: “Yeah, most definitely. Yeah.”
Malinowski: “What hand? Right hand?
Phil Jackson: “Both. Both. Put it this way…if it would have been him in there when his brother fought Lennox Lewis, I think he would have dropped Lennox Lewis. I honestly do. I think he would have dropped Lennox Lewis – if he would have been in the best of shape.”
Malinowski: How do you know Wladimir punches harder than Vitali? The general opinion out there is that Vitali is the more powerful puncher of the two brothers?
Phil Jackson:“Because I sparred both. The older brother – he’s a good mover, a good combination puncher. He has power, don’t get me wrong. But not the kind of power that his brother posesses. Wladimir’s punches – you could feel it. But the older brother, like I just walked through him. He hits you with more good combinations than his brother does. But to me, the younger brother punches harder than the older.”
Malinowski: Vitali is the one who moves and sways and leans back – I just want to make sure you’re not getting the two brothers mixed up like many other fighters do…
Phil Jackson: “Right, right. And the younger brother…he just don’t give a damn. He just comes forward. He just throw ’em at you.”
Malinowski: Where and when did you spar with them? How were they to work with as people?
Phil Jackson: “We sparred right here in Atlantic City, about two years ago. When he fought Ray Mercer. They were real good people. Real down-to-earth. They don’t treat you no differently…you would think people of that status would treat you differently, as far as talking to you when you’re not training. They’re just real polite, real good people, man.”
Malinowski: How about Lennox – what made him such a great champion?
Phil Jackson: “Lennox Lewis’ jab. He works behind that jab real well. And he set everything up by the jab. To me, he’s not a one-punch knockout artist, but he wears you down with the jab. I think that’s what made him a great fighter.”
Malinowski: How did Lennox treat you before and after the fight?
Phil Jackson: “He treated me with respect. Because I could look back now. He treated me with respect, he respected my power, he trained well for me. And after the fight, he treated me the same. He respected me after the fight as well as before.”
Malinowski: Any other outstanding memory from the experience of boxing Lennox Lewis for the world heavyweight championship?
Phil Jackson: “Yeah, I should have won it [smiles]! I should have won it.”
Malinowski: What would you do differently?
Phil Jackson: “I would have went inside more. I would have basically tried to stay inside and work that body a bit more. And come up. Instead of trying to stay outside – and try to jab with a jabber that’s 6-5, a giant.”
Scoop Malinowski is a Boxinginsider.com contributor.