VICTORY!!! Vitali Klitschko channels Tarvold. (MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)

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Like it or not, Klitschko best in show - Yahoo! Sports
Kevin Iole says no one will beat Vitali Klitschko without a weapon.

Defeated Cris Arreola vows to get back into the ring quickly -- latimes.com
Arreola says he wants to fight as soon as possible, in December or January. This is a kid to get behind. He wants to get right back on the horse.

Cris Arreola offers little threat to Klitschkos - Times Online
Ron Lewis looks at Arreola's one-sided loss, and wonders where the threats to the Klitschkos are going to come from.

CompuBox Punch Stats: Klitschko Wipes Arreola Out (BoxingScene.com)
I actually didn't run this because of the line, "The only heavyweight championship fight that matters right now is Klitschko v. Klitschko, a fight that would hopefully put both (and boxing fans) out of their misery!" Strangely biased. Maybe instead of continuing to complain about the Klitschkos and the clinics they put on, people should be more concerned about the fact that there literally isn't anyone in the sport that is going to give them a real test.

Klitschko turns in another dominating (but boring) performance - The Ring
Michael Rosenthal joins the "boring" choir. I honestly thought it was a fairly entertaining fight, a great performance by Klitschko, and it was almost heartbreaking to watch Arreola keep coming forward, walking into shots, and just not being able to get anything done. People really don't like the Klitschkos. Where are their protectors? Floyd has an army of people running 'round, yelling about his lack of respect.

So why is Klitschko the bad guy? - LA Daily News
Ramona Shelburne wonders, as the title indicates, why Vitali Klitschko (and his brother Wladimir) just haven't gotten more popular in the States. It's probably not his posture...

The Associated Press: Klitschko just can't get any respect
Tim Dahlberg loves on Vitali Klitschko, and compares the fight to Mayweather-Marquez. "This one was an HBO freebie, put on almost as an afterthought to fill space after the replay of Mayweather-Marquez," says Dahlberg. Yes, there wasn't plenty of hype for this fight, good call. Way to pay attention. Otherwise, good article.

On The Fly: Jones, Hopkins Schedule Senior Boxing Rematch -- Courant.com
Hartford Courant remarks, "Sixteen years after Roy Jones Jr. scored a unanimous decision over Bernard Hopkins, the boxers will meet again early next year. Together, these legends have 109 wins. They're also a combined 94 years old. This will not be the event that saves boxing." Ha! Totally. One million people just ordered Mayweather-Marquez. Save us, please, something! Also, 44 plus 40 is not 94.

Vitali Klitschko dominated Chris Arreola for 10 rounds before the referee stopped the bout. It was Arreola's first pro loss, and Klitschko's 38th win. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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Vitali Klitschko successfully defended his WBC heavyweight title with a one-sided domination of a game Chris Arreola in Los Angeles, stopping Arreola after ten rounds of action when referee Jon Schorle pulled the plug.

Klitschko (38-2, 37 KO) used his jab and superior technical skills to batter Arreola (27-1, 24 KO) for 10 rounds, swelling his face and busting his nose. It was lauded by the HBO team as one of Klitschko's best performances, which is arguable, but Arreola did get something out of Klitschko that isn't normal. Arreola made the older man move and work hard, but in return, Klitschko just threw a ton of punches and landed with great accuracy. He never appeared to have Arreola hurt at any point, but Arreola was barely in the fight if in it at all.

An emotional Arreola wept after the fight was stopped, and also appeared to hurt his left hand at some point during the fight. He shook it and pulled at it (it could also have been his shoulder), and clearly winced at one point after landing a shot.

By CompuBox numbers, you can see how one-sided the action was:

Total Punches
Klitschko: 301/802, 38%
Arreola: 86/331, 26%

Power Punches
Klitschko: 151/283, 53%
Arreola: 24/107, 22%

Arreola, to his credit, absolutely never stopped moving forward or trying to turn the tide. You can even argue with the referee's decision to stop it. Chances are that Klitschko won a wide decision, yes, but the heavyweight division has seen plenty of sudden knockouts at the end of what had been pretty clear fights up to that point. Jim Lampley pointed this out during the action, but Schorle had seen enough.

Klitschko has a mandatory with Oleg Maskaev that he might be forced to take care of next, but more interesting is Arreola's future. Even with the one-sided loss, he did make Klitschko work harder than usual for the win, and he also showed he's tough. He's been down before, but Klitschko never put him on the canvas. Without meaning to offend anyone in his corner, I'd seriously recommend that if Arreola is serious about becoming the man at heavyweight, he might need to go to a bigger, more respected trainer, someone that will really get on him in camp. He's got the talent and the size (though he looked much shorter than 6'4" in there with Vitali), and he's got the guts and the drive once he's in the ring. But as much as he jokes about it, conditioning will always be a problem unless something changes. It's been OK enough to get him past faded guys and mediocre opposition, but here he stepped in against one of the two best in the sport and was pretty well handled.

As Lampley said after the fight, anyone that wants to knock one of the Klitschkos off needs to realize that whether you like them or not, they're two guys to whom fighting is a year-round job. They don't slack off, they don't come in out of shape, and they're always working. They're not the prettiest fighters or even the most naturally skilled, they just work that much harder and have separated themselves from the pack in large part due to their dedication.

Chris Arreola is a fighter who will be back, and likely will someday win a title. He's a gritty, tough guy with a big punch and a lot of heart. There are things he needs to work on obviously, and hopefully he can learn from this fight. And you can't help but like the way he ended his post-fight interview: "F**k that, I'm coming back."

(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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HBO will begin broadcasting boxing at 10pm ET, but I believe that the replay of Mayweather-Marquez will go on first, followed by the live airing of Klitschko-Arreola from Los Angeles. I'm not totally sure about that, but generally, that's been the order: Replay first, live fight second. Tune in at 10pm ET anyway to make sure, and then when you see that Floyd and Marquez are going first, either bask in the glory of Mayweather's skills, or find something else to do for about 45 minutes.

Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao will square off on November 14. It's just one of many compelling fights closing out the 2009 boxing year. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

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With one million people having bought last Saturday night's Mayweather-Marquez fight, the hope now is that a few more eyes might be on the boxing world right now. Frankly speaking, other recent superfights (Hatton-Pacquiao, de la Hoya-Pacquiao, Mayweather-Hatton, de la Hoya-Mayweather) haven't helped feed the idea that too many fans stick around past the casual event. The machine that is the UFC has done a phenomenal job not just bringing fans in, but keeping them interested.

Boxing, while far from the struggling sport it's made out to be often (it's a niche sport), hasn't been able to do that on a large scale. But there's an incredible slate of fights to close out 2009, and don't be fooled into thinking you should only pay attention to the big event fights. There's a lot more out there than just your Mayweathers and Pacquiaos.

September 26: Vitali Klitschko v. Chris Arreola, Heavyweights, HBO

Tomorrow night, Klitschko (37-2, 36 KO) and Arreola (27-0, 24 KO) will battle it out for some form of heavyweight supremacy. Yes, yes, it's hard to keep track of the titles. Vitali's brother, Wladimir, is currently the world heavyweight champion, but with Wlad on the shelf, Vitali is the best out there (and some will argue it's that way even when Wlad is healthy). Arreola is a gutsy, wild-swinging brawler that hopes he has the punch and chin to stand up to the powerful, technically-sound, but 38-year old and creaky Klitschko. It might not last long, and it might not be pretty, but chances are, someone's getting knocked out.

October 17: Arthur Abraham v. Jermain Taylor and Carl Froch v. Andre Dirrell, Super Middleweights, Showtime

The Super Six World Boxing Classic is shaping up to be a breakthrough way of promoting fights, and it's an idea anyone can get behind. Showtime, other major TV networks across the world, and several promoters all pitched in to get six of the best 168-pounders in the world together for a tournament, starting with a round-robin phase, then taking the top four and putting them into a single elimination format. These two fights will be the tournament's first.

Abraham (30-0, 24 KO) will meet what promises to be his toughest test yet from former undisputed middleweight champion Taylor (28-3-1, 17 KO). Taylor's had a rough go of it in recent times, but every one of his three losses have come in good fights, one of them (his first loss to Kelly Pavlik in 2007) a classic. He's as hungry as ever, partially because he knows he needs a good showing. Froch (25-0, 20 KO) keeps defying the skeptics who say he's too slow, having beaten two faster men (Taylor and Jean Pascal) in his last two outings, both in fantastic fights. Young American Dirrell (18-0, 13 KO) is untested but highly skilled.

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Chris Arreola and Vitali Klitschko have weighed in for Saturday night's fight. Arreola came in at 251, Klitschko at 252. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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Heavyweight sluggers Vitali Klitschko and Chris Arreola have weighed in for their Saturday night WBC heavyweight title fight on HBO. The 38-year old Klitschko weighed in at 252 pounds. Arreola, 28, came in at 251.

Klitschko will have a 3 1/2-inch height advantage over the 6'4" Arreola, and three inches of reach, as well (80" to 77").

While Arreola's weight is what everyone will discuss, it shouldn't go without saying that 252 for Vitali Klitschko is the heaviest he has ever weighed on the scales. Danny Williams and Kirk Johnson both fought Klitschko at his previous highest weight, which was 250. It shouldn't be an issue, just a sidenote.

Arreola's 251-pound weigh-in is his lowest since he starched Chazz Witherspoon in June 2008. He's fought three times since then. He looked grossly out of shape for a stay-busy win over Israel Garcia (258 1/2), and got guff for his weights against Travis Walker (254, W-TKO-3) and Jameel McCline (255, W-KO-4). His weight is about what anyone should have expected. Getting him back down to 240 or perhaps lower just isn't going to happen, even if he gets ripped tomorrow, and even if it's a stamina issue that winds up causing it.

This doesn't promise to be a pretty fight. There probably won't be much sweetness or even much science out there on Saturday. And I'm hesitant to even believe or tell anyone that this will be an action fight, because whenever we expect a decent fight out of one of the Klitschkos, we either get a dominant wipeout where they jab and perhaps eventually close the show, or we get a methodical, one-sided 12-round yawner. But I offer this as a mild piece of hype for the curious and the casual: It probably ends inside the distance, and Arreola has always been fun to watch before.

It's hard to really compare historical stats for Vitali Klitschko and Chris Arreola given that Klitschko is a massive step up in competition for Arreola, and that Klitschko's career has a part one and a part two, the latter just two fights old. So with some help from CompuBox, let's look at the last two fights for each man by the numbers.

Bad Left Hook Analysis: Arreola's punch output in these two fights wasn't so hot, and remember that he had to come off the canvas under big pressure from Travis Walker, who threw over 100 punches in the first round. Walker forced Arreola to take a knee, but at the same time, that was probably the best thing for Arreola to do right then. He forced Walker to back off, got to clear his head, and got an eight-count to figure out what he wanted to do. He wound up coming back to dust Walker in short order.

The Jameel McCline fight was tough to take anything from. Sure, Jameel is a big, tall heavyweight, just like Vitali, but that's where the similarities end. McCline does not have near Vitali's skill set or big power, and to be honest, McCline seemed like he was there to pick up a paycheck and move on down the line. Once Arreola put him down, that was it. Both of them seemed gassed by the time they finished the three-plus rounds of fighting they had; Klitschko will not have that sort of stamina or desire issue.

As for Vitali, he flat-out dominated Sam Peter, but Juan Carlos Gomez was dominated simply because he seemed like he came to stink out the joint and try to win that way.

Neither of them have faced a guy like the man that will be on the other side; for Klitschko, at least not recently, as he's certainly faced better fighters in the past, and even guys who probably wanted to be as aggressive. For Arreola, I really think his chances ride on how Vitali's back feels. He came out CLEARLY stiff against Gomez, but Gomez didn't take advantage of it. If Arreola can convince himself to probably just forget the jab and see if he can't get at Klitschko hard and fast, he's got a great chance, and that takes into account Vitali's rock-solid chin. If Vitali simply can't move away from an onslaught or get his jab really pumping to deter one, he could be in trouble.

Right now, I just can't see Arreola beating Vitali, but stranger things have certainly happened. We'll have much more on this fight in the coming days, and then live, round-by-round coverage and analysis during the fight on Saturday night.

If Cris Arreola has his weight in check, CompuBox sees him as having a good shot against Vitali Klitschko. If not, he's in a heap of trouble this Saturday. (Photo via www.boxnews.com.ua)

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Editor's Note: The following article was not written by any of the staffers at Bad Left Hook, but rather by the editors at CompuBox.

* * * * * * * * * *

Saturday's showdown between WBC champion Vitali Klitschko and Chris Arreola has injected rare excitement into boxing's most glamorous division because of their styles and incredible knockout percentages. Vitali's ko pct. of 92.3% is tops all-time among heavyweight champs. Arreola's is 88.9%. The big question: Will the charismatic Arreola be coronated or crowned? The numbers may provide an answer.

Then and now: Before Klitschko's four-year hiatus he was an amazing offensive force. Against Corrie Sanders and Danny Williams in 2004, Klitschko landed a combined 54 percent of his 59 punches per round and connected on 61 percent of his 36 power shots. In his tko loss to Lennox Lewis in '03, Klitschko landed an average of 26 punches per round, throwing 72. In 2008 against Samuel Peter and Juan Carlos Gomez, he landed a combined 42 percent of 65 punches per round and 48 percent of 27 power punches. The heavyweight average is 46 thrown, 17 landed per round.

Range master: Klitschko's command of range not only magnifies his massive dimensions but also neutralizes his rivals' jab. Against southpaws Sanders and Gomez he landed with his jab at rates of 46 percent (59 of 128) and 28 percent (56 of 202) to Sanders' 10 percent (9 of 90) and Gomez's 4 percent (2 of 54). The gap was just as glaring against Peter (42 percent, 181 of 433- an average of 54 jabs thrown per round, 23 landed- Vitali was on pace to break Lennox Lewis' heavyweight record of 213 jabs landed in a fight, vs. David Tua in '00) to 14 percent, 44 of 327) and Williams (42 percent, 104 of 246 to 6 percent, 6 of 96). If a fighter can't jab, he can't land anything else and that's the secret to Klitschko's success.

Spirit Sapper: Each of Klitschko's four fights has followed the same script - a mid-rounds KO following a lenghty beating. Never was this more evident than against Sanders. In the first Sanders equaled Klitschko in overall connects (15) and out-landed him 13-6 in power shots. But from that point on, it was a statistical massacre. In rounds 5-8, Klitschko rolled up advantages of 158-19 in total connects and 120-15 in power connects while averaging 62 punches per round to Sanders' 24. Gomez threw just 47 punches and landed 12 in the last three rounds vs. Vitali. Gomez averaged 95 punches thrown per round in his decision win over Sinan Sam in '03.

Power Machine: Arreola is a devastatingly precise power puncher. In three of his most notable fights he topped the 60 percent mark in terms of power shots - Chazz Witherspoon (62), Travis Walker (66) and Jameel McCline (63). The question is whether Arreola can pump up the volume to keep Klitschko focused on defense. Whether he can will depend on the fight's biggest variable...

Fab versus Flab: When Arreola is in condition, he can be a nightmare for anyone. At a relatively svelte 239 against Witherspoon, he unleashed 61 punches per round - 46 of which were power shots. He landed at a 59 percent rate overall and 62 percent of his hooks, uppercuts and crosses. But when he scaled in the mid-250s against Travis Walker and Jameel McCline, Arreola's output cratered to 27 and 37 punches respectively. Arreola's best chance to win will lie in his ability to create chaos and disrupt Klitschko's rhythm - and he must be in shape to do that.

Prediction: If Arreola, 28, weighs in the 230s he is young, strong and conditioned enough to take out the old man, especially if he hurts him in the first three rounds. If he's in the 250s, Klitschko, 38, will stop the huffing hulk in eight.

Vitali Klitschko doesn't see his fight with Chris Arreola going the distance. The two heavyweight sluggers collide on September 26. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Bongarts/Getty Images)

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At his media workout on Wednesday in Los Angeles, Vitali Klitschko predicted that his September 26 fight with Chris Arreola won't go to a decision, and also announced a gift being sent to the Firefighters Association.

Said K2 Promotions managing director Tom Loeffler, "Vitali has a house on the hillside in Los Angeles where he can see all the fires, and he really appreciates the hard work and dedication from all the firefighters. Donating 100 tickets to the Firefighters Association is Vitali's way of thanking them for all their hard work and efforts while putting their lives on the line to keep the people of Los Angeles safe."

Vitali had nice things to say about Arreola in the press release:

"Arreola is undefeated and rated number one. He's a very strong and tough fighter. It will not be an easy fight. ... I know Arreola will train very well for this fight. I take him very seriously. ... Arreola has a big punch and a big heart, as do all Mexican fighters. Nothing about this fight will be simple, but I will win."

He doesn't think this is going 12 rounds, either:

"I doubt the fight will be won by decision. The fight will be much shorter than 12 rounds."

Klitschko, like many, sees this as a potentially very short, action-packed matchup of power punchers. Both are finishers.

He also didn't miss an opportunity to take a well-earned shot at David Haye, who has pulled out of fights with both Klitschko brothers this year:

"David Haye is not a serious fighter. I doubt he had an injury when he gave up the fight against Wladimir. We gave Haye the same contract as he got with Wladimir. Against me, Haye had little chance to take the title. That's why he didn't want to fight. He's un-serious. I don't think about him anymore."

Of course you don't, Vitali.

Vitali Klitschko and Chris Arreola will meet on September 26 in Los Angeles for Vitali's WBC heavyweight title. (AP photo)

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For good and bad, the talk of the last three years of heavyweight boxing has centered on one name: Wladimir Klitschko.

Wladimir has been dominant, occasionally highlight-reel, often dull, and in many minds, part of the continued downward spiral of what was once boxing's glory division, which frankly I doubt will ever be the case again. When he battered Chris Byrd for a second time in 2006, Wladimir let the world know he was fully back in action. Destructive knockouts of Calvin Brock and Ray Austin led to a series of truly one-sided, largely boring meetings with Lamon Brewster, Sultan Ibragimov, Tony Thompson (who gave him the most resistance), Hasim Rahman and Ruslan Chagaev.

With the Chagaev win, Klitschko became champion, and not just unified titlist. Over the same time period, his older brother Vitali returned to the ring after injuries led him to retire in 2005. He mauled Samuel Peter last year and overcame a slow start to punish Juan Carlos Gomez in 2009.

Now the news has come that Wladimir will be out until the spring of 2010, and some doors have opened. It's a two-headed monster at the top of the heavyweight division. Wladimir the champ; Vitali, some will tell you, still the better fighter.

Chris Arreola couldn't have a better shot at making a lot of noise than he has right now.

Arreola, the Mexican-American contender lauded for his aggressive style and knockout power and derided for his indifference to his own physical condition, has a chance to wake up the American fans and let them know that they have a fighter worth rooting for. Arreola (27-0, 24 KO) is taking a huge leap in competition against the 38-year old Klitschko (37-2, 36 KO), and there are already concerns that he simply is not in very good shape.

Vitali's back will never be 100% again, and he came out looking stiff as a board against Gomez, who isn't a big puncher. Arreola can throw bombs, and if Vitali is cold to start again, we could see one of those upsets where we all know, frankly, that the lesser fighter wins.

With Wladimir Klitschko out of the picture for a good while, there is an opening for someone else to grab the headlines in the heavyweight division. Arreola has a chance to not only take out Vitali and chop off half of that two-headed monster, but to set himself up for what could be a genuine mega-fight against Wladimir in 2010, too.

And he has the chance now to REALLY make some waves. Beating Vitali alone would be huge; beating Vitali and becoming even for a brief period the de facto No. 1 heavyweight in the game would be even bigger.

He'll never get a bigger opportunity than the one he has right now.

Big-punching Chris Arreola will put his undefeated record on the line against Vitali Klitschko on September 26. (via www.boxnews.com.ua)

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According to The Ring, WBC heavyweight titlist Vitali Klitschko will defend on September 26 in Los Angeles against Mexican-American hopeful Chris Arreola.

Klitschko (37-2, 36 KO) recently lost a September 12 fight with David Haye when Haye suddenly agreed to fight Nikolai Valuev in November, which left Vitali with an open, optional date. HBO has moved it to September 26 and played a major role in inserting house favorite upcoming heavyweight Arreola (27-0, 24 KO), whose big-punching, brawling style and youth give him a better than average chance at knocking off one of the kings of the heavyweight crop.

I'm glad Arreola and promoter Dan Goossen are so willing to make this step, because it's a radical leap in competition from Jameel McCline and Travis Walker. They've talked big about putting Arreola into a major fight in Los Angeles, and now they've come through. Klitschko is a serious risk for Arreola, who has shown an indifference to training and being in what most would consider proper shape for a professional boxer, but the conditioning has yet to affect him greatly. One also assumes this will be the most serious camp of his life. After all, should he win, he's the first-ever Mexican world heavyweight titleholder, and he then becomes a prime challenger for Vitali's brother, current champion Wladimir Klitschko.

I find this fight intriguing, but I have that voice in my head telling me to not get too crazy, that Klitschko will just jab and unload some cannon rights until Arreola can take no more. We've seen Arreola down and hurt in the past, and Klitschko has an iron chin. Arreola's only real chance is to catch Vitali cold and bomb him out at some point, but he's got the kind of power where he just might be able to do it.