Apparently in a bid to keep the heavyweight class as interesting as the lower divisions, some bouts have been lined up for the month of December. Before I move on, I want to use medium to inform boxing fans here in Nigeria that the man who finally destroyed what was left in Mike Tyson (Danny Williams) lost his tune up fight to big underdog Albert Sosnowski from Poland.
Sosnowski sent Danny crashing with some thunderous headshots in the 8th round, and though Williams bravely beat the count he was soon under more fire and referee Richie Davies had no other option than to dive in and stop the contest. The official time was one minute and seventeen seconds of the 8th round, and Williams fell to 40-7(31). The jubilant Sosnowski, six years younger in age 29, improved his record to 44-2(27). Williams’s November 30th date with Francois Botha is now doubtful, I really wonder if he can get ready and in shape for that bout.
I also wish David "Hayemaker" Haye all the best. Congratulation to him, he showed great will and tenacity in knocking out Monte Barrett. The latter was stunned by Haye's tactics and kissed the canvass five times before finally given up.
Meanwhile, I find some these fixtures interesting; a clear sign of boxers trying to gain relevance hence today’s writing is christened “Fixtures of Revival”. The first pairing I want to look at is the fight between James Toney and Tony Thompson.
James Toney (70-6, 43 KOs) will be facing 6'5? Tony Thompson on December 13 for one of the lesser heavyweight title belts at stake. Thompson, 36, is coming off a disappointing performance against IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, who knocked him out in the 11th round on July 12th in Germany. Thompson fought poorly and was never able to get his high volume offense untracked against the giant 6'6? Klitschko.
This fight for me is Toney’s way of seeking relevance in the heavyweight class. Pundits believe that Thompson has the edge considering his size and the fact that he is a southpaw. At 40, Toney is probably at the very tail end of his career and it would seem unlikely that he can continue to perform well against the top fighters in the division. I foresee an interesting fixture, at least the Americans have something to cheer for and perhaps Thompson will be the new hope for America’s declining boxing state.
Klitschko-Rahman: How much of fame can one make out of a fight that’s long past. Hasim Rahman (54-7, 2D 36KO’s) has a chance to fight for the world heavyweight title. I have problem with boxing politics. The question is on what criterion was the Rock chosen? Was it for convenience or was it cause of recent form? For Rahman to be considered as a top replacement for Klitschko gives me lots of hope for our own Samuel Peter. No matter what anyone may say about the Nigerian pugilist, he still has a huge chance to dance and possibly wear that title once again. I get exasperated when I hear comment like "Hasim Rahman: is a tough and experienced fighter," says Klitschko. "I will definitely not underestimate him anyway. He is always talking big – I know that back from a fight when he was supposed to meet my brother Vitali. But that does not impress me remarks Klitschko. I am really looking forward to returning to the SAP Arena. There, I became world champion for the second time. The fans in the Mannheim region are just great and I am sure the atmosphere in the arena will be terrific”. Am not taking anything away from Wladmir Klitschko, The 32-year-old is in his 15th world championship fight when he steps into the ring in Mannheim.
The 1996 Olympic gold medalist, Klitschko was WBO champion from 2000 to 2003, and won the IBF and IBO belts in Mannheim in April 2006. In February 2008, he regained the WBO title at Madison Square Garden. His record is 51 wins, with 45 victories coming by KO, and only 3 losses. I see this fixture as an erratic one. Anything can happen, this is the heavyweight class, and one hard punch can change the whole picture. If a Rahman wins it could just be a huge fixture of revival.
Valuev-Holyfield: The question is how far can legendary, Evander “Real deal” Holyfield go. Now I can’t really figure why, he is still fighting. Is it cause of his debts or cause he is chasing the record of being the oldest heavyweight champion. Whatever it is, the fact is that come December 20th. The 46 year old Holyfield 42-9-2(27) will square up against the biggest and heaviest boxer in history, Nikolay Valuev (51-49-1,34KO’s and 1 no contest) The WBA king should have no problems handling the former four times heavyweight champion. Recently, Valuev showed how much he has improved by making good use of his reach and size. I expect to see a dull fight and most probably a one sided affair. A closer look at these fixtures shows an urge to revive ailing careers.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Samuel Peter lost before he entered the ring
12.10.08 - by Armstrong Okobia - On the 11th October 2008, the boxing world witnessed history in the making when Vitali Klitschko captured the WBC crown via a TKO in the 8th round. But had Vitali already won before the gloves were laced? Certain things seem to have been in his favour and hammered the forgone conclusion of many boxing experts..
The location
I hope that Samuel Peter got paid well for deciding to defend his title in Klitschko country. What were his mangers thinking, if they were thinking at all. Itʼs a known fact that its virtually impossible to come out of Germany with a decision and the odds of Samuel knocking Vitali out were as big as a Vitali Lennox rematch. Virtually zero. This was the first in a chain of events that made it a losing effort for Samuel right from the get go. When Samuel was introduced there was practically no cheering at all. That has to do something to your mind.
The PR machine
The Klitschko PR maching was in full effect. The last couple of days prior to the fight, saw more and more of indirect intimidation to make Samuel feel as less welcome as possible. In one particular photo shoot they incited that Vitali should take pictures with the WBC belt. A challenger taking pictures with the championʼs belt? Not heard off, till last week.
Ring Introduction
The ring introduction was the final nail in the coffin. They used computer simulated images of past champions (Frazier, Holyfield, Lewis and Tyson) who each wished Vitali success and said that they knew he could do it. Even his nemisis Lennox Lewis had inspiring things to say, with Iron Mike closing out to say that he was always a fan of Dr. Iron Fist. Strange and practically unprecedented such an entrance. Im sure that it must have gone a long way in boosting Samuelsʼ moral (not) when past champions are wishing the challenger luck. I even spotted Riddick Bowe in the crowd waving a Ukranian flag.
In the Air
The fact that Vitali was being touted as the new champion was in the air so thick that there should have been a humidity warning. I pondered within myself what effect this would have on the judges. How would they score a close round, as this would usually go to the champion. Somehow I didnʼt see the judges doing that. Vitali however solved that issue for us.
Conclusion
Now donʼt get me wrong, I also favoured Vitali for this fight and felt that if anything, the person who would depict the outcome would be Vitali. If the long lay off had taken its toll in the form of lost technique and general ring rust, then Samuel Peter could squeak out a decision. But a B grade Vitali beats an A+ Samuel Peter any day. He is just that good and without a doubt the better of the Klitschko brothers. What I am saying is that based on the above, Samuel Peter had no chance. He was a defeated fighter even before he entered the ring and he fought the same way during the fight. For those who saw the fight, saw a fighter who had no spirit to fight and got pounded into this realisation. Samuel quit not because he was hurt. He quit because he realised with all the odds against him he couldnʼt win.
Future
To the point, there is none at this moment. Vitali will hold on to the belt like a child cuddling his teddy bear before going to bed and his parents at the WBC find it such a cute sight that they are not willing to break this intimate union. This is heartbreaking for true boxing fans. What makes it worst, is that the HW division was already in shambles. I would love to see him fight a David Haye, simply because it would be good for the division and boxing. Heck, I would like to see him fight, period. For those labelling Vitaliʼs showing as superb better look again. I saw many flaws in his technique. This was not the same guy who made Lennox dig deep to win. I saw a Vitali whose timing was off and for a large part of fight was off balance when going back. Whenever Samuel jabbed him to the chest, which is what he should have been doing to set his timing and balance off, you saw him jostle to find his footing. Now there will be those who say its rings rust, could be, but I donʼt buy it. The question is, was Vitali that good or was Samuel that bad? I think it was the latter.
The location
I hope that Samuel Peter got paid well for deciding to defend his title in Klitschko country. What were his mangers thinking, if they were thinking at all. Itʼs a known fact that its virtually impossible to come out of Germany with a decision and the odds of Samuel knocking Vitali out were as big as a Vitali Lennox rematch. Virtually zero. This was the first in a chain of events that made it a losing effort for Samuel right from the get go. When Samuel was introduced there was practically no cheering at all. That has to do something to your mind.
The PR machine
The Klitschko PR maching was in full effect. The last couple of days prior to the fight, saw more and more of indirect intimidation to make Samuel feel as less welcome as possible. In one particular photo shoot they incited that Vitali should take pictures with the WBC belt. A challenger taking pictures with the championʼs belt? Not heard off, till last week.
Ring Introduction
The ring introduction was the final nail in the coffin. They used computer simulated images of past champions (Frazier, Holyfield, Lewis and Tyson) who each wished Vitali success and said that they knew he could do it. Even his nemisis Lennox Lewis had inspiring things to say, with Iron Mike closing out to say that he was always a fan of Dr. Iron Fist. Strange and practically unprecedented such an entrance. Im sure that it must have gone a long way in boosting Samuelsʼ moral (not) when past champions are wishing the challenger luck. I even spotted Riddick Bowe in the crowd waving a Ukranian flag.
In the Air
The fact that Vitali was being touted as the new champion was in the air so thick that there should have been a humidity warning. I pondered within myself what effect this would have on the judges. How would they score a close round, as this would usually go to the champion. Somehow I didnʼt see the judges doing that. Vitali however solved that issue for us.
Conclusion
Now donʼt get me wrong, I also favoured Vitali for this fight and felt that if anything, the person who would depict the outcome would be Vitali. If the long lay off had taken its toll in the form of lost technique and general ring rust, then Samuel Peter could squeak out a decision. But a B grade Vitali beats an A+ Samuel Peter any day. He is just that good and without a doubt the better of the Klitschko brothers. What I am saying is that based on the above, Samuel Peter had no chance. He was a defeated fighter even before he entered the ring and he fought the same way during the fight. For those who saw the fight, saw a fighter who had no spirit to fight and got pounded into this realisation. Samuel quit not because he was hurt. He quit because he realised with all the odds against him he couldnʼt win.
Future
To the point, there is none at this moment. Vitali will hold on to the belt like a child cuddling his teddy bear before going to bed and his parents at the WBC find it such a cute sight that they are not willing to break this intimate union. This is heartbreaking for true boxing fans. What makes it worst, is that the HW division was already in shambles. I would love to see him fight a David Haye, simply because it would be good for the division and boxing. Heck, I would like to see him fight, period. For those labelling Vitaliʼs showing as superb better look again. I saw many flaws in his technique. This was not the same guy who made Lennox dig deep to win. I saw a Vitali whose timing was off and for a large part of fight was off balance when going back. Whenever Samuel jabbed him to the chest, which is what he should have been doing to set his timing and balance off, you saw him jostle to find his footing. Now there will be those who say its rings rust, could be, but I donʼt buy it. The question is, was Vitali that good or was Samuel that bad? I think it was the latter.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)