Leading into his world heavyweight title bout, Alex Leapai promised the world he would show his championship heart. He lived up to his claim on Saturday night in Oberhausen, Germany, refusing to take a backward step even when it would have been wise.
From the outset, the world heavyweight title fight followed the predicted formula. Leapai’s opponent, Wladimir Klitschko aka Dr Steelhammer, was looking to use his reach advantage behind a stiff jab and jarring right hands. Leapai was looking to use his low centre of gravity, keeping his shoulders low, to give Klitschko an elusive target.
The first round was tentative, Leapai rushing in low behind a flicking jab, and Klitschko mainly pawing with his left and tying Leapai up when he got too close. Apart from a flash knockdown, which was as much a product of Leapai being off balance as it was of two left hands, it was largely uneventful.
By the second round, Leapai had begun to engage in the worrying habit of standing flat-footed in Klitschko’s strike zone, allowing Klitschko to get off with numerous long, crisp jabs and the occasional right hand.
The pattern continued through the third and, by the fourth, Klitschko was looking to do damage with his right. Leapai was plodding after him, unable to cut off the ring, and mainly reduced to swooping in with the occasional wild haymaker. Despite being visibly buzzed by several rapid fire combinations from the champion, Leapai made it to the bell at the end of the fourth.
The writing was on the wall by the start of the fifth. Even those fabled words, “puncher’s chance”, seemed long forgotten. Leapai’s attack had been entirely neutralised by Dr Steelhammer’s pulverising offence and was now standing in front of him, ready to be hit.
Leapai first went down from three right hands, was up by the count of eight, and then dropped again by a six-punch flurry. Leapai fell under the ropes and Eddie Cotton waved it off. Klitschko won via fifth round TKO.
Klitschko’s record now improves to 62-3, while Leapai’s drops to 30-5-3.
Earlier in the evening, South Auckland heavyweight prospect Joseph Parker prevailed in seven rounds over Brazilian Marcelo Luiz Nascimento. The fight was stopped with Nascimento sustaining heavy punishment while remaining upright. Parker improves to 8-0 with seven KOs. His previous opponents include former Kiwi heavyweight champ Afa Tatupu and multiple world title challenger Francois Botha.
Also in action was London 2012 Olympic heavyweight gold medalist Oleksandr Usyk of the Ukraine, in his third professional bout against Ben Nsafoah. Usyk stopped Nsafoah in the third, while Nsafoah switched between orthodox and southpaw stances 29 times.
Rik J
Roar Rookie
Yes, I agree that a strong American contender would give heavyweight boxing a much needed shot in the arm in the United States, but I think one of the main problems with the heavyweight division in boxing is that there is generally just so little competition. I'm sure the entire western world would pay attention if the Klitschko brothers finally decided to fight each other (we all know that will never happen, of course). That would be the only thing that could match the spectacle of the old heavyweight superfights that we were lucky enough to have in years gone by... Lewis vs Tyson, Holyfield vs Bowe, Lewis vs Holyfield... even the contenders of the era were exciting. In the last generation alone you had Tua, Ibeabuchi, Rahman, Maskaev, Byrd (who was, in fact, the last American heavyweight champion, beating Vitali but losing to Wlad, although his style was considered boring by most fans). Couple that with the thriving heavyweight division in MMA, where excitement is delivered in spades. Between the fierce competition of the Couture, Emelianenko, Mir era, to the grand spectacle and notoriety brought by Brock Lesnar into the current era of Velasquez, Dos Santos, Overeem, etc.... MMA has created the new heavyweight glamour division, and that just spells more trouble for boxing. Particularly in regards to future generations of fighters, and particularly in the United States, where wrestling is a major competitive sport at school level.
Graham Sanyo
Guest
1.5 mill for that farcical pie eater. Agree with Glen Innes; 62-3, unbeaten in a decade, as dominant as anyone bar Tyson in his early years, an Olympic gold medal; if from the US and dare I say it, black and fighting in Vegas he'd be up there amongst the best ever. US media self absorbed and inward looking and unfortunately we follow them. His brother was just as good.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Turnover - His purse was either 1.5 or 1.6 million (I have read two different figures) and I assume that is US dollars.
Turnover
Roar Guru
Any idea if Leapai earned some decent cash from this?
Glenn Innes
Guest
Metoo - As Mike Tyson once said "everyone has a plan and then they get hit".You are right though he is just too lead footed...he is just not light enough on his feet and is going to get hit far too much when he fights the top blokes and up in the weight divisions they hit so hard that anyone will get knocked out if they get hit enough.
Rik J
Roar Rookie
After the Toney/Couture farce a few years back, I wouldn't put anything past Dana White.
Rik J
Roar Rookie
Despite losing, Vitali's slugfest with Lennox Lewis was actually one of his best performances in my opinion, and one of the better performances anyone's had against Lewis. Had him hurt a number of times, just a shame the fight was stopped due to a cut. It's also a shame to think that that was the last legit heavyweight superfight we've had.
Simoc
Guest
This W Klitschko isn't as good as his brother V Klitschko who needing better opposition, went into politics. These guys look like Superman fighting a midget. All their fights look like mismatches despite both losing on occasion. It seems you can earn $1.5m by getting good enough to get in the ring with them.
Simoc
Guest
This W Klitschko isn't as good as his brother V Klitschko who needing better opposition, went into politics. These guys look like Superman fighting a midget. All their fights look like mismatches despite both losing on occasions. It seems you can earn $1.5m by getting good enough to get in the ring with them.
Me Too
Guest
Didn't seem to have a plan. Simply stood there as a punching bag. He was never going to land his trademark on a much taller opponent, too smart to ever present an open target. I expected a lot of movement, weaving inside those long arms, like Tyson used to. Not even close. Amazed he landed ten punches.
Glenn Innes
Guest
I don't follow boxing much these days either but is the Heavyweight division really that weak or is it simply that because it is now dominated by Eastern Europeans rather than Americans the American media and by extension media throughout the English speaking world have simply lost interest. Remember back in the so called glory days American Heavy weights didn't have to fight Eastern European fighters to win their titles because there was no pro boxing in communist Eastern Europe. It is interesting the author mentions how good the lighter divisions are and then immediately mentions three American fighters,,,because they are the ones that get the media hype in the English speaking world. klitshco is unbeaten for ten years and has defended his title twenty five times if he was American everyone would be saying he is one of the great heavyweights but because he is Ukranian everyone just shrugs their shoulders and talks about Ali Frazier Tyson etc . Even a casual observer such as myself can see the centre of gravity in world boxing has been moving away from the United States for a a good while now and that is why the sports popularity there has slipped so much .Indeed the hispanic audience is about all that is left for Boxing stateside these days. But outside of the English speaking world and especially in Eastern Europe and Latin America boxing is still going very well indeed it's just because the best fighters are usually not Americans the English speaking world has lost interest..
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Klitschko in a cage vs Cain Velasquez would be great ;) As an aside, the Jon Jones vs Teixeira fight on Sunday was one of the best I had seen for a long time. I love both MMA and boxing but have to say boxing rarely brings me the emotions I sometimes still get with MMA. Klitschko is in a league of its own at the moment and this type of fights wont help boxing regain its aura.
Rik J
Roar Rookie
About 50 dollars, the going rate for a title fight. Leapai was the mandatory challenger for Klitschko's WBO belt, which he secured by beating Russia's Denis Boytsov last year. I'm sure some expected it to competitive, but there was probably a great amount of interest from people who just wanted to show support.
Alan
Roar Guru
How much did it cost to watch this fight on MainEvent? Those who paid to watch would have been expecting a competitive affair...how did Leapai get a shot against this guy in the first place?
Rik J
Roar Rookie
To be fair, it's mostly the heavyweight division that has gone under. The Klitschko brothers would have made quite a strong showing in any era, but Wlad is so far above the rest of the pack, his fights often lack excitement. There is still a wealth of interesting fights in the lower divisions with the likes of Mayweather, Andre Ward, Bernard Hopkins, Manny Pacquiao and Danny Garcia holding championship belts.
Rod
Guest
I don't follow boxing anymore but what has happened to boxing. I don't know klitschko is he good,very good or even great. Fair dues to Alex, but he would have been destroyed by Tyson in about 15 seconds back in his heyday.
Rik J
Roar Rookie
It was a terribly lopsided mismatch, absolutely outgunned physically and completely outclassed technically. The term "puncher's chance" has always been a fancy way of saying a fighter stands a snowflake's chance in hell. I do however feel that due credit should be given to Leapai for putting himself in the WBO mandatory challenger position, fair and square. He earned his shot.
Plainsman
Guest
I am sorry but 147 punches to 10 says it all. Leapai had no place in that ring.