Just when you thought the heavyweight division couldn’t get any more confusing and ridiculously lame, get ready for Wladimir 
Klitschko versus Ruslan Chagaev next Saturday. Last month, Chagaev was forced to cancel his proposed bout with Nicolay Valuev for the second time due to a bout with a very personal health issue. I’ll spare you the details.
Last week, David Haye was forced to cancel his fight with Klitschko due to a back injury. And even worse, a third fight between Valuev and John "the Quiet Man" Ruiz has been mandated by the WBA.
Got all that?
I do not nor do I want to. What I want to see is the colorful and powerful David Haye facing Wladimir Klitschko as soon as possible. Instead we are left with Klitschko fighting a largely untested fighter in Chagaev (no health pun intended) with very little chance of springing an upset. To tell you how much HBO thinks of the fight, they are not picking it up.
As a matter of fact, the only picking up will be Chagaev’s body off the canvas after Klitschko knocks him out in round seven. Somewhere, Lennox Lewis is laughing about the sorry state of the heavyweights. The problem is that no one else is. Actually, we’re sleeping.
I am not saying Ruslan is great..but he is more tested at heavyweight then Haye..and he is a good fighter..he has beaten Valuev and Ruiz..i know not great fighters..but better then Haye..and he has been ranked at THIRD at heavyweight for a good long time..this is a very legitimate fight.
@youareamoron: you know what, you make a valid point. But the gulf between number 1/2 (Klitschkos) and the rest is fairly wide. I think this fight will confirm that. Damn the heavyweights! 🙂
I am not sure why you think this Ja.
Chagaev has fought some credable fighters and knocked most of them out. He has never been stopped. Klitschko has been knocked out 3 times against journyman fighters. Vlad does not handle pressure that well. If Chagaev can get to him, I think Vlad might be in trouble. I guess the 5:1 odds would suggest Chagaev is in trouble. I hope this is only for his questionable health issues. 60,000 people in Germany. Chagaev needs a knockout.
@Jeff Dooley, I guess I am just not that impressed by what I have seen from Chagaev on-screen, he does not impress me too much. I mean, he’s no bum, but I don’t think he has the overall athleticism and/or strength to trouble Wlad. Even given Wlad’s shaky whiskers.
I think is quite aparent of the resemlance of Wladamir Klitschko to Lennox Lewis at this point in his career. Manny has trained him well. He pretty much has the same style. Maybe not as wild, and risky as Lewis was, but he controlls the fight with his jab, does not get overly agressive. If the knockout comes, it comes, but he does not change his style or take more chances when he gets his opponent hurt. He follows the same path that got him there. Very controlled agression and very impressive. I am not sure there is any heavyweight that is going to give Wlad a fight.
@Jeff Dooley…I tend to agree, his brother is the only man who would likely trouble him and we know they will never fight. As per usual, the heavyweight division is being dominated by basically one man (in this case, two brothers) with a ton of mediocre competitors…it’s often been that way going back to Joe Louis to Larry Holmes. The problem with Wlad is that even compared to those guys there is nothing really dominant about him per se. I guess he has great power…but nothing like a prime Tyson or Foreman. Holmes had the jab. Louis had it all. Rightly or wrongly, Wlad will be remembered as a dominant big man without a dancing power nor anything thrilling about his style. It is what it is.