Wladimir Klitschko of the Ukraine took on the Bulgarian challenger Kubrat Pulev for the Boxing Heavyweight title on the weekend.
Klitschko came into the fight with a remarkable record and was the favourite. Pulev’s record was not to be sneezed at (20-0, 11 KO) and he had every right to be in the ring with the champ.
Klitschko turned up in shape and ready to fight. Pulev likewise was fit and ready.
Like many others I thought this fight was to go the distance. How wrong we were.
Round one was mostly an unattractive wrestling match until Klitschko got under Pulev’s eye line, landing a very good jab at 1.51, which sent Pulev to the canvas. To his credit Pulev quickly recovered and resumed the fight only to be immediately met with another left jab, this time above the shoulder, sending him to the canvas again.
The remainder of the round was lackadaisical. Klitschko having done enough to win the round dropped his guard and danced around Pulev who was not able to land a scoring blow (10-8 Klitschko).
The second round was disappointing from both fighters as neither made any real attempt to structure combinations or attempt to dominate. Ring craft was poor and tactics were nonexistent. The referee got the biggest workout separating the pair (10-10 draw).
The third round started comically, with both boxers doing nothing more than touching gloves for over two minutes, but with 40 seconds to go Klitscko began to dominate and sent Pulev to the canvas following a series of scoring blows starting with a killer right and then a left-right combination followed up with a quick and devastating jab which unbalanced the Bulgarian.
As soon as Pulev got to his feet and got through the eight count, Klitschko landed a series of telling blows which saw him ride out the round a clear winner (10-8 Klitschko).
Pulev began the fourth round the aggressor. He attempted to dominate Klitschko with a flurry of punches but the champ withstood this and replied with quick counter punches before Pulev could recover his stance. Pulev kept coming at Klitschko, attempting to exploit the champ’s habit of dropping his left, and he did land a few scoring blows. However he was simply not quick enough to break Klitschko’s composure. The round ended with a close win to the champ (10-9).
The fifth and what was to be the final round replicated the previous four with neither boxer dominating early. Both boxers made some attempts to put combinations together but with little effect until, with 40 seconds to go, the champ landed an exquisite trademark jab that took Pulev to the canvas. Pulev attempted to get up but the referee called the fight, realising that the stuffing had been knocked out of the challenger.
So Dr Steelhammer maintains his record and Pulev records his first loss. The fight was not a great one by any standard but the Champ maintains his dominance, having defended his title 17 times, and there does not seem to be a genuine challenger to his crown anywhere in the boxing world.
One day Klitschko will be beaten, but I am at a loss as to whom the successful challenger will be.
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