Klitschko and Johnson look good on the scales
by Scott Christ on Dec 11, 2009 5:03 PM EST
in Boxing News Analysis
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Vitali Klitschko and Kevin Johnson meet tomorrow in Switzerland, and nobody will be accused of being out of shape in that fight.
Klitschko came in at just under 247 pounds, five pounds below his weight for Cristobal Arreola in September, and matching his lowest weigh-in since his 2008 return to the ring. Johnson weighed in at 242 1/2 pounds, right around his usual fighting weight, and four pounds less than his career-high weigh-in in May against Devin Vargas.
Klitschko's trainer Fitz Sdunek says Vitali is in "top form":
Sdunek is adamant the 38-year-old, who reclaimed his belt in October 2008 following a four-year injury break, is "physically and mentally in top form" for the clash. "If Kevin Johnson does what he promises, at least the fight will go the full 12 rounds," said Sdunek. Meanwhile, David Haye is slagging the fight as a mismatch and not worth watching:
"It's one of the weaker heavyweight fights of recent times. It's unlikely that I'll even watch it," Haye told The Daily Telegraph.
"On paper, it's an absolute mismatch. There is nothing special about Kevin Johnson and nothing on his record that suggests he's going to threaten Vitali. The guy doesn't even have a unique name."
Overall, hard to say he's wrong. Johnson's best wins are guys not even close to Klitschko's level, and while you can argue Haye didn't have to work too hard in the division to get his heavyweight title shot, that ignores that Haye already had a name and had conquered the cruiserweight division.
As I said in the preview, it probably isn't a competitive fight. My favorite thing about it is that it shows how eager Vitali Klitschko is to defend his title, and how willing he is to take on younger guys who are hungry, instead of the WBC's picks, guys like Juan Carlos Gomez who fight as if they're just excited they'll be getting that paycheck and do their best to avoid getting smashed.
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Klit may lose again, but this is not the guy who wll do that. Too small, too pwerless, and too inexperienced. It will take more than a sharp jab to keep the Doctor off him.
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant"
---Vernon Forrest 2006
by The Midnight Rambler on Dec 11, 2009 6:22 PM EST reply actions
Haye is full of spit.
I think “Klit-Johnson” is very interesting… I also feel Kevin Johnson is much more fluid and skilled as a boxer than rugged brawler Chris Arreola is or ever will be…. Therefore Klit will indeed be in a totally different mold / style come tomorrow night then he was for Arreola back in Sept… Once again, I see V.K. going on the offense and will hunt down the ever moving Kevin Johnson in Swissville via HBO tape-delay…. Speed will aide Johnson, but strength and power will prevail….. GO KLIT!!!
MR.BILL
Bill Petersen
MR.BILL
Raleigh, N.C.
Boxing reviewal tonight....
I’m kickin’ back tonight warming up for “Klit-Johnson” by reviewing my old tape from ’93 featuring Michael Moorer & Bonecrusher Smith…………… This fight was called / aired on ABC television with Dan Dierdorf and Alex Wallau…… This might be the last regular TV fight I have taped with them two guys calling the action……. By the middle 90s, world class boxing all but vanished from network TV……. And so did Dierdorf and Wallau….
MR.BILL
Bill Petersen
MR.BILL
Raleigh, N.C.
Dierdorf still does NFL color commentary on CBS.
http://www.cbssports.com/cbssports/team/ddierdorf
Bad Left Hook
"If bulls**t was poetry, Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini's name would be Shakespeare." -- Dennis Rappaport
by Scott Christ on Dec 11, 2009 8:11 PM EST up reply actions
Dierdorf called boxing okay for ABC.
People scoff at Dan Dierdorf in terms of calling boxing / fights, but I thought he and Alex Wallau worked and sounded good together on ABC…. I miss them two voices over the air…….. Geez, Wallau beat cancer 20+ yrs ago and came back to call fights…. A great guy…….. HBO or Showtime could use either guy if you were to ask me……….
MR.BILL
Bill Petersen
MR.BILL
Raleigh, N.C.
Team Vitali, as the ultimate professionals they, and he , truly are have trained FOR Kevin,.. VK is lighter than his last fight with the “slugger”. He knows hes got a totally different fighter this time, Kingpin will not be pressing, no matter what he says. he will be trying to stay away from Vitali. The elder Klit will be patient, move a little, box a little, PUNCH a little. Now KP has good intentions,..but Mr. Klitschko has nothing to fear and he just may be sending a message to David Haye. Haye is stylin’ again, and VK may say the $$$$ are with me,…. BUT,..do ya’ really want it?? Vitali will want to outbox, and outslug The Kingpin,..and Kevin will pay. Ya’ know this could be part 2 of Vitali cementing his legacy. Ya’ know he has a lot of pride, he did not come in 12lbs. over his last weight,…when he dominated a supposedly more dangerous opponent. VK,ko 8. Peace!!
I’m not sure that this will be one of Klitschko’s wins which affect his legacy to much. It’s not like Johnson is a stiff challenge.
"Honey i forgot to duck" - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Dec 12, 2009 3:22 AM EST up reply actions
HOLD ON BLH
I think this fight has all the makings for an upset or at least a much more competitive fight than we have seen from either Klitschko brother in a few years. I think the speed and boxing ablity is going to give VK a lot more problems than folks think. What is going to make or break the fight is whether KJ will be so scared to get hit or exchange that he stays on the outside and eats jabs all night or will he be able to land letf hooks over the low hanging left hand of VK and make it interesting. I have KJ losing a close decision with everyone calling for a rematch in the states. Mark it down…
-DL3
Could happen
Just don’t know though. Johnson is, at best, the least proven US title challenger since Timothy Bradley, or possibly going back even further. He just hasn’t beaten anyone who’s even close to being good.
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