By Marcus Richardson: WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (44-2, 40 KO’s) will be fighting on September 8th in what could be the last fight of the 40-year-old Vitali’s career against German based fringe contender Manuel Charr (21-0, 11 KO’s) at the Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex, in Kiev, Ukraine.
Choosing the unbeaten 27-year-old Charr as an opponent is a controversial move for Vitali, because Charr has done very little to earn a title shot and he’s pretty much a complete unknown outside of Germany. It’s not as if Vitali didn’t have other options available for him. He could easily face one of the following heavyweight contenders: Kubrat Pulev, Dereck Chisora, David Haye or Bermane Stiverne and he’d have few fans displeased with the choice. But Charr is someone that you would even dream of seeing in a title fight at this point in Charr’s still early seven year pro career, because he hasn’t fought anyone that you can consider worthy of a title fight..
Charr’s best opponents have been as follows: Danny Williams, Zack Page, Marcelo Luiz Nascimento and Taras Bydenko. In other words, all 2nd tier heavyweights and none of them a true test for Charr. I watched Charr against Danny Williams and I thought Charr looked absolutely terrible. Charr has decent power, but he’s not a big puncher. He’s someone that bludgeons his mostly stationary opponents into submission. I haven’t seen him in with anyone that can move around a little and make hi use his feet. I haven’t seen him face anyone that can jab, and or throw anything back at him.
Former WBA heavyweight champion David Haye, who was hoping to face Vitali in September, thinks that Vitali is choosing a soft touch for his next fight because he feels Vitali wants to look good before the Parliament elections in Ukraine. Haye thinks Vitali doesn’t want to be seen struggling like he was in his last fight against Dereck Chisora last February. Vitali won that fight by a lopsided 12 round decision, but he injured his left hand early and he really looked bothered by Chisora’s constant pressure that he put on him. Haye thinks Vitali is afraid to fight him for fear of getting beaten. So instead of fighting him, Vitali has taken on the easily beatable Charr.