Wladimir Klitschko vs Mariusz Wach: Fight Reportedly Close to Done Deal

A report at BoxingScene.com says that a fight between WBO, WBA, and IBF heavyweight titlist Wladimir Klitschko and Poland's Mariusz Wach is nearly a done deal for this fall.

Klitschko (58-3, 51 KO) has run out of potentially interesting opponents, as has brother Vitali, so we're now at the stage in their careers where they're winding down, cashing out, and just looking for anyone to step up to the plate. Preferably, people who are easy to sign up for a bout, which their recent opponents have been.

Wladimir has gone 2-0 this year, with incredibly easy defeats of faded veterans Jean-Marc Mormeck and Tony Thompson in March and July.

Wach (27-0, 15 KO) is a 32-year-old originally from Krakow, now living in New Jersey, who is one of those fighters people kind of latch on to because he's really tall (6'7" or so) and thus, he must be of some threat to the Klitschkos. But like Alexander Dimitrenko and Tye Fields have proven at the ends of the non-Klitschko spectrum in recent years, "tall" isn't enough to be successful like the Klitschkos. They're successful because they're actually good.

Wach, nicknamed "The Viking," isn't particularly good. Sure, he almost decapitated the withered Kevin McBride last year, and since then he has wins over non-contenders Jason Gavern and (ding!) Tye Fields, but if you've seen him fight enough (and a few times is more than enough), you can't reasonably expect him to be any serious challenge to Klitschko. It's not like Wladimir hasn't decimated fellow tall guys before and exposed a lack of skill in them.

Personally, I can't imagine the fight being competitive at all. I've been wrong before, but frankly not about any Wlad fights since I hilariously thought Ray Austin might be a danger to him.