By Dave Cacciatore – How many times have you heard someone utter the line, ‘the heavyweight division is wide open these days?’ This is complete nonsense lacking any correlation with reality. The fact is that love them or hate them, the heavyweight division is shut tight unless your last name is Klitschko. Both brothers have distinct physical, skill, and conditioning advantages over almost everybody they fight. They fight smart, they fight the best out there, and their methods have been brutal. Taking a brief survey of the current heavyweight scene I think it is safe to bet that they are going to occupy this position collectively for the foreseeable future. This is not so much an indictment of the current heavyweight challengers as it is a testament to the fighting pride of the Ukraine..
Eddie Chambers
Fast Eddie is the best American heavyweight out there and possibly the best heavyweight outside of the Klitschkos. As his name suggestions, his game is built around his great speed, fine boxing skills, and surprising power. The knock though on the fast fighter from Philadelphia is size. Either Klitschko will tower over the modest 6-1 fighter. Further though he maybe faster than Vitali, it is not clear that the same could be said of Wladimir. Wladimir has a history of making even fast fighters look slow like he did in his two demolition jobs of a similar fighter in Chris Byrd. I think that the enormous size, weight, and power disadvantages will be too much for Eddie to overcome. Eddie is also skilled and tough but the Klitschkos are his equal in those departments as well.
Tomasz Adamek
The mountain man from Poland is arguably the best fighter that country has ever produced. He has racked up a very nice resume at light heavyweight and crusierweight before making the jump up to the unlimited weight class. He captured titles at both of those lower weight classes including a Ring Magazine belt at crusier. In his first true foray into heavyweight boxing, he took apart fellow countrymen Andrew Golota in five rounds. Granted Andrew was well past his prime and coming off of injury, the victory was still impressive. He showed power and that he could take a punch at this new weight class. Like Eddie Chambers, size and skill would be just too much for Goral to overcome. Adamek is quick but he is not fast like Mr. Chambers, he has had problems with faster fighters like in his one loss to Chad Dawson, and Wladimir in particular is faster than he is despite being much bigger. While the size differential is about the same as with Mr. Chambers, the one possible big adavantage Eddie has is not there. Either Klitschko will pound on the too brave fighter until the fight is stopped.
Alexander Povetkin
Tough as they come and highly skilled the 6-2 orthodox fighter can give anyone a good scrap. In what to this point has been the defining fight of his career, he out-willed Eddie Chambers for a hard fought points win. Despite the inherent physical disadvantages that almost every fighter has against the Klitschkos, I think Povetkin has an additional problem in his choice of trainer. Teddy Atlas has a bright mind and knows plenty about boxing. However, at times he is a little too in love with himself and the way the words sound that come out of his mouth. Fewer speeches and a little more coaching are usually called for with Teddy. Teddy also harbors some shallow bias against the Klitschkos. He can’t unconditionally credit them for their accomplishments in the ring and he appears to be in constant search of a detraction. I imagine that Teddy’s mission is simply to see the Klitschkos beat and that is why he has come out of the TV studio to train Mr. Povetkin. A trainer with an ax to grind isn’t likely to be the most levelheaded. The sometimes hot tempered Atlas will likely blow before Povetkin faces either brother. However, I am not sure how much it would matter. Alexander seems to lack the power to really hurt either Klitschko or the speed to outpoint them.
Nikolai Valuev
One thing the now former WBA champ does not lack is size. The biggest heavyweight champion in history is one of the only fighters that would sky over either brother and probably be able to outmuscle them as well. Valuev has also displayed excellent conditioning especially for a big man, he has gone 12 rounds in several fights and it is hard to ever recall him looking tired and out of breathe in the ring. Which cannot be said for most of the division. However, what holds Valuev back from truly being the Beast from the East is the lack of a huge punch. It has been evident especially in his two losses that though he punches hard, he is not as devastating as his size suggests. Wladimir at times in his career has shown a suspect chin but not recently. It is hard to believe that the big Russian who never really hurt the thin chinned David Haye would be able to do the job on Wladimir. And Vitali with his legendary chin would almost assuredly be able to walk through the best Valuev has got. Further against either brother Valuev’s deficiency in both hand and foot speed would be on display. I think Wladimir with his more dynamic offensive style would likely stop him in the mid to late rounds, and Vitali would either stop him late or win a decision.
David Haye
The current holder of the WBA trinket has never been short on talk though he has been on deed. Haye put on his track shoes and did his best not to engage Nikolai Valuev in winning a majority decision over the paper champ. Haye did have one moment in the Valuev fight where he did display heavyweight power in wobbling the big Russian in the 12th. Haye also has flashed power in disposing of the badly shopworn Monte Barrett and Tomasz Bonin. It is uncertain whether Haye still possesses the devastating one punch power that he used to grab the Ring belt at the cruseirweight ranks. Further, Haye has a well-documented china chin and despite his statuesque like body his conditioning has been suspect at times. These problems would be tremendously magnified if he ever actually stepped in the ring with either Klitschko. Despite his talk he has twice walked away from fights with both brother citing a myriad of excuses. This is some evidence that Mr. Haye does not believe his own BS, because the decision to duck-out of the fights with the Klitschkos are probably the only thing that kept him from being humiliated in front of the world.
While there are other potential challengers to the Klitschkos I intentionally did not discuss any of their past victims including the very dangerous yet rotund Cris Arreola. That decision eliminates a great part of the top of the heavyweight food chain as the resume of both brothers reads like a whose who of recent heavyweight boxing. I also declined to mention Kevin Johnson because he is scheduled to fight Vitali very soon and we will all see first hand if he has what it takes.
The most difficult active opponent is probably the other brother. The size and skills would be roughly negated and it would probably be a question of whether Vitali could deal with Wladimir’s superior hand and foot speed. And whether Wladimir could handle the pounding that Vitali would put on him. Interesting questions that the both men have repeatedly assured us we will never see the answers to.