Berlin Cracker

The heavyweight class will erupt with solid excitement, when two former heavyweight champions clash in Berlin, for the vacant WBA title.

In their first meeting, it was Nikolay “The Russian Giant” Valuev that came out tops.This time is its going to be a battle of redefinition and a platform to stamp supremacy. The outcome of this encounter will reshape the structure of the heavyweight division. This is true when you consider that any of the man that comes out as winner will be the new WBA king. Before I continue let me refresh our memory. The battle for the WBA title became possible because Ruslan “White Tyson” Chagaev pulled out of his schedule title defense with Nikolay Valuev due to an injury he sustained during training. The WBA in a smart move named Chageav “Champion in Recess” and asked Nikolay Valuev, the number one contender to battle John “The quiet man” Ruiz. Note also that the winner of this bout will have to defend the title against Chagaev at least by mid next year.

However, closer looks at the fixture suggest to me that Valuev is favourite to win but in heavyweight boxing a punch can actually change predictions. The Russian pugilist is delighted that the fight would be staged in Germany. “I am happy my team won and the fight will be held in Germany. Berlin is a special place to me. That is where I defeated Ruiz in 2005 to become world champion. Fighting in Max Schmeling Halle again will be like home match”. The comment of the Russian Giant proves to me, that he is fired up ahead of the clash. This becomes true when you consider the fact that he had trained and prepared on two occasions for the title shot. This is not suggesting that Ruiz is not battle ready. He is an experienced boxer and understands what it takes to fight for a heavyweight crown. This underscores the reason behind tagging the fight “Berlin Cracker”. I believe it’s going to be an explosive encounter filled with all the ingredients of heavyweight boxing. So who will come out victorious? The answer is just a day away. A concise look at the gladiator may also provide some answers.

Nikolay Valuev: Nikolay “The Russian Giant” Valuev (48-1,34KO) is the tallest and heaviest boxer in today’s heavyweight category. Standing at 7ft and weighing 147kgs, he last fought on February 16th 2008, against Sergei Liakhovich and won by a convincing unanimous decision. By that victory the Russian pugilist became the number one contender for the title. In that bout the 7ft tall Valuev showed tremendous improvement, making sound use of his height and size. He kept his opponent at bay and made good use of his long range jabs, which proved vital to his victory over his opponent. In tomorrow’s encounter, I expect him to stick to the same game plan: use his jabs and ensure the opponent does not come inside to either work on his body or try to throw a surprise punch. I don’t really expect a knock out but in boxing someone may just pull a trigger and the unexpected will just happen.

John Ruiz: John “quiet man” Ruiz (43-7-1,29KO’s) a Puerto-Rican-American boxer, is a re-occurring name in WBA. A former heavyweight champion, he lost his title to Valuev when they first met in December, 2005. He is an experienced pugilist but has not earned the name he desires. This encounter, perhaps will grant him the much needed respect he seeks. In his last fight against Jameel “Big Time” McCline, he showed great skill, zeal, determination and experience. He comprehensively weighed down his opponent who incidentally caused a lot of problems for Nigeria’s Samuel Peter, the current WBC heavyweight champion. To this end both boxer will be stepping into that area as victors from their previous encounter. Another fact that should also be put under consideration is that both men want the title badly this I hope will translate into the cracker we all long for.
Pundits believe the Russian should have the upper hand but personally I think that the man with the stronger will, determination, skill and experience will carry the day. In all I expect a solid cracker: the Berlin Cracker.