I really only have one question about this heavyweight title fight. Which Wladimir Klitschko (50-3, 44 KO) w
ill show up? Will it be the passive Klitschko, who pawed his way to a sleep-inducing win against over-matched Sultan Ibragimov (22-1, 17 KO)? Or will it be the cold and calculated destroyer who beat the snot out of the game Lamon Brewster (33-3, 29 KO) last summer? Either version of Klitschko will emerge victorious, but which one shows up will go a long way in solidifying his claim as the baddest man on the planet or establishing him as the biggest paper tiger in captivity.
For the record, Tony "the Tiger" Thompson is no cartoon mascot. He is a legitimate contender. Although his "hit list" is no murderer’s row, his solid resume includes clear-cut decision wins over former prospect Dominick Guinn (28-6) and the slick Timor Ibragimov (22-2). He also owns a knockout of Luan Krasniqi (30-3) – ironically, in the same arena where he will be facing Wladimir Klitschko (Color Line Arena in Hamburg, Germany).
Thompson’s problem in this fight will not be the fight venue though. He’s simply fighting a man with more big-fight experience, speed, and power. To add insult to injury, Klitschko is one of the only fighters who is actually taller than him (6’7" to 6’5"). Looks like a Klitschko landslide, right? Well, it depends on which Klitschko shows up. If Doctor Steelhammer is toting aluminum this Saturday, he’ll be in for a fight. If he’s toting the heavy metal, Thompson does not survive six rounds. My guess is that the result will be somewhere in between.
The outcome: Klitschko by late TKO over Thompson.
