11.09.07 – By Ron Hansen: With his fight fast approaching against WBC heavyweight boxing champion Oleg Maskaev, I thought it would be a good chance to take a look at how Samuel Peter (28-1, 22 KOs) stacks up against the rest of the top heavyweights in the division. I realize, of course, that my top 10 differs slightly from most of the alphabet top fighters, however, I think my picks are more realistic, free from any political conflicts and other such problems..
(Samuel Peter, pictured here moments after his bout with Wladimir Klitschko ended on September 24, 2005)
First of all, let me start by saying, I like Peter as a fighter. He’s actually quite good for a fighter that relies on mainly knocking out his foes. However, with that said, I don’t believe he deserves to be the WBC #1 challenger for a shot at Maskaev’s title, not with Peter’s more insignificant boxing resume.
Interestingly enough, of the few quality opponents Peter has faced during his career, he’s lost a 12-unanimous decision to Wladimir Klitschko, a fight in which Peter knocked Wladimir down three times, and beaten James Toney – an undersized heavyweight – on two occasions, although Peter struggled badly in the first fight with him and barely escaped with a victory. I was not impressed by his performance, I considered the fight a draw.
Peter, 27, was hit often by Toney, who if he had perhaps been in better shape, might have caused Peter big problems and, perhaps, beaten him. Peter did, however, do much better in the 2nd bout with Toney. Though, the victory was made less impressive when I learned later that Toney had come into the bout weight drained from having lost a huge amount of weight while in training camp.
Wladimir and Toney, unfortunately, are the extent of Peter’s record against A-grade opposition. The rest of his record is littered with victories over exclusively B-grade opponents, such as Taurus Sykes, Charles Shufford, Robert Hawkins, Julius Long, Yanqui Diaz, Gilbert Martinez, Jeremy Williams, Jovo Pudar, Dale Crow and many others of similar talent. They’re all very good B-grade fighters, but not the kind that you’d expect to help catapult Peter into the #1 ranking in the WBC. Where are the victories over top level fighters, like Alexander Dimitrenko, Tony Thompson, Alexander Povetkin, Ruslan Chagaev, Hasim Rahman, Chris Byrd, Sergei Liakhovich, or Sultan Ibragimov?
Certainly, if all it takes is one victory over a top #10 fighter – James Toney – to land Peter a shot at the title, then there’s something terribly wrong with the ranking system. Naturally, can’t count Peter’s loss to Wladimir as something that would earn him points towards an eventual title shot because of the fact that Peter lost the fight, not to mention the numerous fouls that were never called against Peter. As far as I can tell, Peter has been given a shot at the title for beating one top level fighter – Toney. Not good. I don’t honestly consider Toney a top 10 heavyweight, and clearly not someone that should give Peter a #1 ranking for having beaten him. Seriously, if Peter was to get a shot at the title, he should earned it by beating one of the names from my list of the top fighters in the heavyweight division. If Peter could beat one or two of them, I would give him credit and feel that deserved a shot at the WBC title. He hasn’t done that, however.
I’ve listed in numerical order below the fighters that I consider to be the best in the heavyweight division, and I’ve given a brief summary of how I feel Peter would do against them.
1.) Wladimir Klitschko (49-3. 44 KOs) – Klitschko has already beaten Peter by unanimous decision on Septermber 24, 2005. Wladimir came close to knocking Peter out in the 12th round when Wladimir wobbled Peter with a left hook and had him on the verge of being knocked out. However, Wladimir, following instructions from his corner, didn’t go after Peter and try for the knockout. Wladimir, 31, has improved considerably since then, more than enough perhaps to stop Peter next time around. The difference here, though, is that Wladimir would be able to control the bout with his left jab, and slowly tenderize Peter’s face round and after round. Once the fight gets in the later rounds, Wladimir would open up with powerful left hooks and overhand rights, which would put Peter out of his misery.
Outcome: Wladimir by 10th round KO
2.) Alexander Dimitrenko (26-0, 16 KOs)- Of the top heavyweights, Dimitrenko, 25, is a diamond in the rough. Ranked #2 in the WBO, #7 in the WBC and #9 in the WBA. At 6’7 245, Dimitrenko, also Ukrainian like Wladimir, has the size and reach that enables him to dominate shorter opponents. Unfortunately, he’s fought exclusively in Germany, where he now lives and trains. He’s got an excellent jab, and fights similar to Wladimir. In fact, it’s almost like seeing a carbon copy, only that Dimitrenko likes to fight on the inside much more than Wladimir, and has an excellent uppercut. For a fighter the size of Dimitrenko, it’s rare to find one that can throw uppercuts with superb form. However, Dimitrenko uses it as one of his main weapons. His right hand, however, isn’t in the class of Wladimir, and neither is his left hook, but they’re close enough to make him a very dangerous puncher.
Dimitrenko does, however, move especially well around the ring and seems as light on his feet as mobile light heavyweight. He’s incredibly athletic for a fighter of his size. For example, on several occasions in his last bout with Malcolm Tann, Dimitrenko threw leaping right hands, which seemed both graceful and stunning because of his huge size. However, best of all, Dimitrenko seems to have a good chin. He’s capable of controlling about with his jab alone much like Wladimir.
Against Peter, I think Dimitrenko would dominate him in the early rounds of the fight. Although, if Peter fouled him with a few rabbit punches, I think Dimitrenko would perhaps lose his cool and try to slug it out with Peter. If that happens, I’d give Peter a decent chance at stopping Dimitrenko. Yet if Dimitrenko fights under control and doesn’t let his temper get the best of him (a problem he sometimes has), he’d easily pitch a shut out against Peter and win every round of the fight. Dimitrenko is the real deal, believe me.
Outcome: Dimitrenko by 12-round unanimous decision
3.) Alexander Povetkin (13-0, 10 KOs) – A former gold medal winner in the 2004 Olympics, in the super heavyweight division, Povetkin, 28, has breezed through his opposition since turning professional. Unlike some of the heavyweights, he’a heavyweight who generally throws a lot of punches, most of which are combinations. Though he doesn’t have the kind of one-punch power that Wladimir or Peter possesses, he makes up for it by sheer accumulation of punches. He’s very good and slipping punches on the inside and outside. His best asset is his counter-punching ability, which enables him to take advantage of opponents when they miss a shot. He’s got a good chin, which he’d need against Peter because he’d be tested often. At 6’2,” Povetkin isn’t a particularly tall heavyweight, but he’s good at controlling the distance between him and shorter opponents.
Like Peter, Povetkin has faced limited opposition at this point in his career. He did, however, recently win a unanimous decision over Larry Donald, a good heavyweight with excellent boxing skills. Povetkin made it look easy, winning every round of the fight and having little trouble with Donald’s jabs. Against Peter, I predict that Povetkin would easily outbox him, and make him look like an unskilled fighter. Peter’s only chance would be for him to land a knockout, but barring that, he loses every round of the fight. I don’t see him knocking out Povetkin, I have to say. As such, I see this as an easy win for Povetkin in a lopsided bout.
Outcome: Povetkin by 12-round unanimous decision.
4.) Tony Thompson (30-1, 18 KOs) – Possibly one of the best fighters of the bunch, Thompson, 35, has won 25 consecutive fights, and has recently defeated Timor Ibragimov, Dominick Guinn and Luan Krasniqi in a row. At 6’5,” Thompson has excellent size and reach, which he uses to keep his opponents at the end of his jab. He throws hooks with decent power, although he most often tends to overwhelm his shorter opponents with a mass accumulation of punches. Due to his size, and his avoidance of trying to slug it out with opponents, he’s able to take advantage of his size advantage to win against more powerful fighters. He’s a smart fighter, who doesn’t make many mistakes in the ring. I think he’d present big problems for Peter, who would have just as difficult time trying to hit him as he did Wladimir. Thompson wouldn’t stand in front of Peter, instead he’d jab and move all fight long, and not present a stationary target for long. Ranked #4 in the WBO, Thompson’s hoping to land an eventual shot at the title against Sultan Ibragimov. I’d pick Thompson over Ibragimov and Peter, at this point. He’s a very skilled fighter with all the tools that a future champion needs.
Outcome: Thompson by 12-round unanimous decision.
5.) Oleg Maskaev (34-5, 26 KOs) – Although he’s 38-years old, WBC heavyweight champion Maskaev shows few signs of slowing down with age. In fact, he appears to be a better fighter now than he was in his youth. His famed powerful right hand, which has enabled him to knockout 26 of his opponents, is just as dangerous as it always was. At the same time, Maskaev has seemed to finally learn how to protect his weak chin, which has been his biggest problems in knockout losses to Oliver McCall, David Tua, Kirk Johnson, Lance Whitaker and Corey Sanders years ago. Maskaev has learned to rely on his boxing ability, rather than his right hand, to win his battles as he’s aged. This was the case against Rahman, whom he wore down with his jab and fast combinations, eventually moving in for the kill late in the fight and stopping Rahman when he tired out. To be sure, most boxing experts predict that Peter will defeat Maskaev, in large part because of Maskaev’s history knockout losses in addition to his age.
However, what most of the experts are ignoring is the fact that Maskaev is a much more skilled fighter than Peter, and with many more bouts against top level opponents. Maskaev, even now, is the more versatile fighter with the ability to box or slug at a moment’s notice. Peter, unfortunately, is limited to being only able to slug and absorb punishment. Maskaev’s job will be made easier by the fact that he knows exactly what Peter will be trying to do against him. Really, Peter will be trying to attack from the opening bell, swinging for the fences with every punch. Maskaev will be ready for these aggressive attacks and will pick Peter apart, jabbing him and landing right hands as he comes forward.
Outcome: Maskaev by 12-round unanimous decision.
6.) Hasim Rahman (43-6-2, 34 KOs) – Of the top 10 fighters, Rahman, 34, had the most experience against top level opponents than any of this bunch. A two-time former heavyweight champion, Rahman has both boxing skills and good power, which makes him a tough opponent for any of the top fighters in the division. With wins over Lennox Lewis and knockout artist Corrie Sanders, Rahman shows what kind of power he has. Unfortunately, he sometimes doesn’t come into bouts in the best of shape, which hurts him. He also, like Liakhovich, tends to try and slug it out with too many of his opponents rather than using his jab to control the fight. When Rahman wants to, he’s capable of out-boxing many of the fighters in the top without needing to resort to attempting to trade shots. However, that’s the problem – he tries to hard for knockouts.
In his title loss to Oleg Maskaev in August 2006, Rahman could have played it safe and used his long arms to win a comfortable decision. However, he chose to try and trade shots with Maskaev, allowing Oleg to land his powerful right hand and eventually stop Rahman. However, as time has shown, Rahman fights best when his back is against the wall and nothing is expected of him. I think Rahman is more than capable of winning a decision over Peter. Rahman’s chin is strong enough, and his boxing skills are much more advanced than what I’ve seen from Peter. I see Rahman winning an easy decision without hitting the canvas as Wladimir did on three occasions.
Outcome: Rahman by 12-round unanimous decision.
7.) Serguei Liakhovich (23-2, 14 KOs) – A former WBO heavyweight champion, Liakhovich, 31, has been inactive since losing his title by 12th round TKo to Shannon Briggs on November 4, 2006. It’s unclear whether Liakhovich, from Belarus, will be the same fighter when he does decide to finally come back. However, if he came come back to the form that he showed in his winning effort (12-round decision) against Lamon Brewster, in April 2006, the 6’4: Liakhovich would be a very tough opponent for Peter. Unafraid to slug with anyone, Liakhovich wouldn’t back down from Peter, and would likely trade with him at close quarters at times in the bout. For this reason, I’d give Peter a good chance at knocking Liakhovich out early on. In some of Liakhovich’s bouts, for example, against Brewster and Briggs, Liakhovich has shown a tendency to ignore his corner’s advice when they’ve told him to stay on the outside, even though he was clearly winning both fights while fighting on the outside.
If Liakhovich is able to apply the advice that he’s getting from his corner, he beats Peter easily by decision. Liakhovich has tremendous skills and can outbox most of the top fighters, if he so chooses. However, he’s got to stay focused at all times, otherwise he’ll lose. I think in this case, Liakhovich wouldn’t make the mistake of trying to slug with Peter, knowing perhaps that it would be a huge mistake by letting him in close where he can land his huge shots.
Outcome: Liakhovich by 12-round unanimous decision.
8.) Sultan Ibragimov (21-0-1, 17 KOs) – The southpaw Ibragimov, 32, is the current WBO Heavyweight Champion, and probably the weakest of the heavyweight champions. Like Peter, he’s beaten few named fighters in his career. His biggest victory is a 12-round unanimous decision over Shannon Briggs on June 2, 2007. Before that, Ibragimov had beaten and old Lance Whitaker and fought to a draw with Ray Austin. Ibragimov was knocked down by Austin in the 10th, and barely escaped with a draw. He has little power to speak of and tends to win by hitting and running.
Ibragimov is undersized at 6’2, and not the type of fighter that will overwhelm his opponents with his size. However, he makes up for his lack of talent by fighting smart and making the most of his limited skills. I think he’d easily beat Peter, because mainly he would use his feet to stay away from the Nigerian, and frustrate him with his movement. Ibragimov moves well in the ring, more than enough to fight circles around a slow fighter like Peter. I see Ibragimov jabbing Peter, staying out of his power alley and avoiding getting hit with any of his wild shots.
Outcome: Ibragimov by 12-round unanimous decision.
9.) Ruslan Chagaev (23-0, 17 KOs) – Called the “White Tyson,” though he’s not a particularly hard puncher, Chagaev, 28, is the current WBA heavyweight champion. He defeated Nikolay Valuev to capture the title by majority decision on April 2004. It was one of the weakest victories I’ve seen from a challenger in all the time I’ve been following boxing. In fact, Chagaev did little to distinguish himself other than slapping at Valuev’s gloves, chest and occasionally landing a shot.
Mostly, Chagaev ran around the ring and looking like someone trying to run out the clock. He’s listed as 6’1, but seems more closer to 5’11. His lack of size could be a big problem against Peter, who would have little trouble landing shots against him. However, Chagaev is an excellent runner, as he showed against Valuev and would likely hit and run as he did in that bout. He seems to have a good chin, so if he’s able to whether the storm on the few occasions that Peter catches up to him, I think he’d beat Peter.
Outcome: Chagaev by 12-round split decision.
10.) Chris Byrd (40-3-1, 21 KOs) – A former IBF/WBO heavyweight champion, Byrd, now 37, is clearly on the downside of his career. In April 2006, Byrd was badly beaten by Wladimir Klitschko, losing by 7th round TKO, and in the process losing his IBF title. Since then, Byrd took a year off from boxing and then returned in April 2007 with a 7th round victory over B-level fighter Paul Marinaccio. However, Byrd showed that he still has good ring movement, boxing circles around Marinaccio, while making him repeatedly miss. Byrd may not be as fast as he once was, but he’s more than quick enough to outpoint Peter.
Indeed, Peter is made to order for Byrd, who jab him and make him look bad. Though Byrd was once stopped in the 5th round by another Nigerian fighter, Ike Ibeabuchi, in March 1999, Peter is not in Ike’s class. Ike was a much more busier fighter than Peter, which is why he was able to eventually catch up to Byrd and knock him out. Peter, however, would be unable to trap Byrd for long enough to hit him with anything significant to stop him. in the meantime, Byrd would jab at him, land quick flurries and then escape before Peter would have the opportunity to land. I doubt seriously that Peter would ever step foot in the ring with Byrd unless he absolutely had to, knowing that he’d be in for a tough time against the defensive-minded Byrd.
Outcome: Byrd by 12-round unanimous decision.