STEWARD HAS MADE KLITSCHKO LETHAL!
Landover, MD-Trainer Manny Steward has always had a thing for lanky punchers. Thomas Hearns, Gerald McClellan, Michael Moorer and Lennox Lewis were all lethal punchers, all made more so under Stewards tutelage. Saturday night in Mannheim, Germany, it appeared that Steward has found the latest model of his prototype. With better balance than he has ever shown in his career, Wladimir Klitschko (46-3-1, 41 KOS) gained the IBF heavyweight title and looked the part of being a heavyweight destroyer as he was originally billed to be. In the process, he likely ended Chris Byrd (39-3-1, 20 KOS) as a title contender, a final right hand in the seventh round shattering his hopes and splintering the flesh above his left eye.
KNOCKOUT POWER WAS ON FULL DISPLAY!, The shot in the seventh wasnt even the best of the night. Wlads fifth round right hand sent an echo that might be heard on Mars some day. It was a career best performance and, following Wlads survival against Nigerian house-leveler Samuel Peter last September, it appears that he may be entering a new phase as a fighter. Like Lewis before him, Steward took over Klitschkos career after disaster struck. Lewis, the better athlete, rebounded faster. However, the improvement from the losses to Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster for Wlad is remarkable. Those who point out that Wlad was impressive against Byrd when they fought in 2000 might not give credit to just how much more dominant he was this time. Steward, who calmly reminded Klitschko to pace himself after the fifth, deserves much of the credit.
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION GOES GLOBAL!
The bigger story may be the globalization of the heavyweight division. Once dominated by U.S. fighters, heavyweight since Lewis claimed the lineal title from Shannon Briggs in 1997 has seen a tide shift. Klitschko may be seen by most as the best contender to the vacant throne right now, but he is joined in the top ten by Samuel Peter, Sergei Liakhoivch, Niolay Valuev and there are names like Ibragimov and Chagaev that will need to be learned. As American heavyweights have opted more and more for the NFL instead of the squared circle, fighter from deeply impoverished nations in Asia, Europe and Africa are exporting the hunger and drive once found in the names Jack Dempsey, Larry Holmes and Rocky Marciano.
TITLE REMAINS VACANT AND MAY REMAIN SO!
In recent vintage, that has meant some pretty good fights. It has also meant confusion for the division. Unification of the four major belts is nearly impossible, and establishing a new, legitimate lineage may be as well. Multiple promoters and interests has harmed Boxing in almost every weight class but having the top of the field be mostly American at heavyweight forced big money fights even after the sanctioning bodies began to erode the sports credibility. Now, with television coverage scattered around the globe, the creation of big money fights (money being the best incitement for the best to fight the best) is getting harder. Few Americans will shell out pay event dollars to see Valuev-Klitschko for instance (even if it would be a big fight in Germany). The sport will pin its dollar hopes on Klitschko versus whoever emerges from the Hasim Rahman-Oleg Maskaev-James Toney muddle, but even then would we truly be able to point to a new best heavyweight without factoring in Liakhovich? Yupits a mess.
MESS IS AT LEAST INTRIGUING!
Its a mess that we can live with for now. Rahman-Toney and Klitschko-Byrd II were both entertaining; Brewster-Liakhovich is a fight of the year candidate. Klitschko against Calvin Brock this fall would be very good as well. If we cant have a king, the least we can do is get some good battles on the path to the throne. For today at least, that path has more clarity than it has since Lewis retired and will maintain it as long as Steward can continue to improve Klitschko and Wlad can keep foes away from his questionable chin.
24-KARAT NOTEBOOK…Super middleweight champ Joe Calzaghe is talking Peter Manfredo after first talking Markus Beyer. Notice no one at 168 talks the WBAs Mikkel Kessler…Damn good fight last week between Kermit Cintron and David Estrada and good win for Cintron. However, to be a force at welterweight, he needs some defense or his thrashing at the hands of Antonio Margarito last year will never be far enough away in the rear view mirror…So IBF President Marian Muhammad wants Zab Judah to have a third consecutive loss for their 147 lb. title? Her organization demanding a Mayweather-Judah rematch is just icing on the cake for why the IBF is consistently ridiculed. Judah has lost two fights in a row for your belt Marian; considering that you and yours cant keep any of your titlists (six have been stripped in recent months), you really should resign…2004 Olympian Vincente Escobedo suffered his first loss against Daniel Jimenez Friday night, but it could be the best thing for him. His lack of speed means he must find ways to compensate that dont involve sheer aggression. His teammate, Bronze Medalist Andre Dirrell went to 6-0, with 4 stops, that same night in South Carolina. No one seems to be able to explain where hes been for months (his last fight was in August) but hopefully well see more of this very talented young man.
Cliff Rold
Note: 24-Karat Rold is not just the best young boxing writer on the planet. He is also an award winning poet and recipient of a Masters degree in US Foreign Policy at the American University in Washington, DC. Comments related to this article can be left below.