Bad Left Hook - Klitschko vs Leapai: Live streaming updates, fight time, TV schedule, and live coverageGlobal Boxing News and Commentaryhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47131/backingthepack-fave.png2014-04-27T01:42:20-04:00http://www.badlefthook.com/rss/stream/54011212014-04-27T01:42:20-04:002014-04-27T01:42:20-04:00GIF: Klitschko knocks out Leapai
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<figcaption>Martin Rose</figcaption>
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<p>Wladimir Klitschko had no trouble with Alex Leapai on Saturday in Germany, smashing the Samoan in five rounds.</p> <p>Wladimir Klitschko won as anticipated on Saturday in Germany, <a href="http://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/26/5656628/klitschko-vs-leapai-results-wladimir-klitschko-dominates-again-stops" target="_blank">taking out Alex Leapai in the fifth round</a> of their scheduled 12-round heavyweight title fight, at least going the favorable route and finishing the mismatch rather than cruising along for the scheduled distance.</p>
<p>Here's a GIF of Klitschko (62-3, 52 KO) finishing the job, <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/ZProphet_MMA">courtesy Zombie Prophet</a>:</p>
<p><img src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/4365205/Wladimir_Klitschko_vs._Alex_Leapai.gif" class="photo"></p>
<p>The 38-year-old Klitschko <a href="http://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/21/5637020/klitschko-vs-leapai-wladimir-looking-to-fight-for-ten-more-years" target="_blank">says he has 10 years left in the sport</a>, as he seeks to break some records, but will there even be ten more years worth of challengers? We're already all the way down to the likes of Leapai, and though there are some interesting young names out there like Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, it seems like boxing's heavyweight prospects often implode before they can even manage their way there, giving fringe contenders all the opportunities to get blown out.</p>
<p>Are you looking forward to another potential decade of Klitschko wipeouts?</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/27/5657574/gif-wladimir-klitschko-knocks-out-alex-leapai-on-april-26-2014-inScott Christ2014-04-26T17:49:36-04:002014-04-26T17:49:36-04:00Klitschko finishes Leapai in five
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<figcaption>Martin Rose</figcaption>
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<p>Wladimir Klitschko routed Alex Leapai over five rounds this afternoon in Germany, with no surprises in the process.</p> <p>In yet another non-competitive wipeout, Wladimir Klitschko successfully defended his WBA, IBF, WBO, and Ring Magazine world heavyweight titles against Alex Leapai today in Germany, stopping the overmatched Samoan in the fifth round, scoring three knockdowns along the way.</p>
<p>Klitschko (62-3, 52 KO) put Leapai on the canvas early in the opening round, though Leapai (30-5-3, 24 KO) indicated he had slipped on the canvas. Whether he had or not, it doesn't really matter. Klitschko dominated that round, the second, third, and fourth, before dropping Leapai without question two times in the fifth round, when referee Eddie Cotton stopped the fight, quite justifiably. It was never a legitimate contest.</p>
<p>According to the ESPN broadcast and the CompuBox stats, Klitschko landed 147 punches. Leapai landed 10. That is not a typo. Ten. Color commentator Teddy Atlas even wondered if that might have been a high estimate.</p>
<p>What did we learn today? Nothing we didn't know already. Leapai was an overmatched fringe contender when the fight was signed, and he presented nothing that gave Klitschko even the slightest trouble. Even the holding and leaning was low from Wladimir in this fight, which could be construed as him being more entertaining than usual. Leapai showed no ability to get near the champion, which meant Klitschko didn't have to hug him.</p>
<p>It was what we expected, though maybe even less so. Or more so. Not sure which. Anyway, there are more fights tonight. Hot dog!</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/26/5656628/klitschko-vs-leapai-results-wladimir-klitschko-dominates-again-stopsScott Christ2014-04-26T08:00:04-04:002014-04-26T08:00:04-04:00Klitschko-Leapai: Live updates and discussion
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<figcaption>Thorsten Wagner</figcaption>
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<p>Wladimir Klitschko faces Alex Leapai today in Germany for the WBA, IBF, and WBO world heavyweight titles.</p> <p>This afternoon at 5:00 pm EDT on ESPN (US), Eurosport (UK), and RTL (Germany), as well as PPV in Australia and New Zealand, Wladimir Klitschko returns to defend his WBA, WBO, and IBF world heavyweight titles against Alex Leapai.</p>
<p>Klitschko (61-3, 51 KO) is a huge favorite in the bout, but that is pretty much par for the course nowadays. Leapai (30-4-3, 24 KO) gets the shot due to his November win over previously-unbeaten Denis Boytsov.</p>
<p>Much of the fight's hype -- what there is of it, anyway -- has been disrupted by 42-year-old Shannon Briggs, who interrupted this week's final press conference, which probably says about as much about this fight as anything could. Any sort of upset here would be enormous.</p>
<p>We'll have live coverage of the ESPN airing starting at 5:00 pm EDT. If the fight stinks, as it probably will, don't give up on boxing for the day! There's a Showtime bill later this evening.</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/26/5646570/klitschko-vs-leapai-live-streaming-results-and-round-by-round-coverageScott Christ2014-04-26T06:00:03-04:002014-04-26T06:00:03-04:00Picks: Klitschko-Leapai, Showtime triple-header
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<p>Wladimir Klitschko takes on Alex Leapai in Germany, while Keith Thurman headlines on Showtime against Julio Diaz, with two more fights on the card. Who wins and why?</p> <p>Wladimir Klitschko, Keith Thurman, Lucas Matthysse, and Omar Figueroa are expected to roll against a group of stay-busy level opponents, at least on paper. Is anyone ripe for an upset? No, probably not! But maybe! You never know!!</p>
<h2><span>Last Week</span></h2>
<p>Well, not the start I'd have hoped for, but you win some and you lose some. I'm going to keep a tally of the weekly picks record, mostly to prove <i>just how stupid I really am</i> when it comes to picking fight winners. Also note, I don't, like, care? At all?</p>
<p>Anyway, I went 2-1 on winners, but I figured Quillin would stop Konecny, and he did not. I did pick Paulie Malignaggi to beat Shawn Porter, because I thought his craftiness and veteranness and savviness and skillsiness would prove out over the raw physicality of Porter. Uh, no. Not quite.</p>
<p>Hopkins-Shumenov I nailed. Let's focus on that. King of the world!</p>
<p>And now, to this week's picks!</p>
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<h2><span>Wladimir Klitschko vs Alex Leapai</span></h2>
<p><b>Key For Klitschko: </b>Show up. Be Klitschko.</p>
<p><b>Key For Leapai: </b>Act of God? That or lucky knockout shot. He does have power, but so have a lot of guys. Using it on Wladimir is another story.</p>
<p><b>Prediction:</b> Won't be competitive. When the build-up to the fight has been largely stolen by a 42-year-old Shannon Briggs taking off his shirt and yelling, you've got some idea as to what kind of fight this is. <b>Klitschko by whatever he feels like</b>.</p>
<h2>Keith Thurman vs Julio Diaz</h2>
<p><b>Key For Thurman: </b>Thurman has a rare gift of true confidence combined with an ability to adjust within a fight. He's got enormous power, but his boxing is underrated. He showed against Diego Chaves that he won't fight stupid just to do it -- against adversity, he made some in-fight changes and got the job done.</p>
<p><b>Key For Diaz: </b>Diaz is 0-2-1 in his last three, which makes his status as a main event fighter on Showtime very weak on paper, and he's the underdog because he should be. But Diaz nearly upset both Shawn Porter and Amir Khan, and he wasn't a total walkover for Porter in their rematch, either. Diaz has been around the block a few times and still handles himself pretty well in the ring. That said, he can be hurt. He needs to avoid Thurman's big power.</p>
<p><b>Prediction:</b> Thurman should win this fight handily, but he can't overlook it, either. And it's unlikely that he will. Det. Sweet Keith seems to have a real handle on where he's at and where he wants to be. This is a fighter with clear goals and he's serious about them. <b>Thurman by late stoppage</b>.</p>
<h2>Lucas Matthysse vs John Molina</h2>
<p><b>Key For Matthysse:</b> The best idea for Matthysse might be to come out and look to hurt Molina early and often. Antonio DeMarco caught Molina cold, and while you definitely can't "scout" a 44-second fight and take much from it, we know Molina can be hurt, and Matthysse is a very big puncher who thrashed Lamont Peterson last year before falling short against Danny Garcia. Lucas will probably look to impress, so if he comes out gunning, don't be surprised. And don't be surprised if it's a short night.</p>
<p><b>Key For Molina: </b>Molina's a gritty fighter, a true Solid Guy, with big ol' grapefruit balls and some good power. And he is right that physically, he'll have some advantages in height and reach, but it's not like Molina is known for boxing on the outside and employing a jab. And I'm not saying he can't, either, I'm just saying his instinct is to flat-out throw down and fight, and a firefight with Matthysse probably isn't the best strategy. I will say that I think many of us (myself included) allowed ourselves to be a bit blinded by Matthysse's destructive run against the likes of Soto, Ajose, and Mike Dallas, even when we include Peterson in that group. But we know he takes a good shot, and we know his power is legit.</p>
<p><b>Prediction: </b>Matthysse might get tagged back some, but he'll get Molina out fairly early in an all action battle that should steal the show. Both of these guys fight for knockouts, and we'll get one. <b>Matthysse by mid-rounds stoppage</b>.</p>
<h2>Omar Figueroa vs Jerry Belmontes</h2>
<p><b>Key For Figueroa:</b> Figueroa is one of the most exciting action fighters out there, and Belmontes is on paper the level of fighter he's faced thus far, pretty decent but not a top guy. Does Belmontes deserve a world title shot? Not really, but then Figueroa doesn't deserve to be called "world champion" yet, either. There may come a day when the all-action pressure style of Figueroa is "exposed" by a top boxer, but will it be this day? Can I ask another question and answer it myself? Is that really lazy and annoying? Am I bothering you right now? Are you wondering why you're still reading?</p>
<p><b>Key For Belmontes: </b>Belmontes needs to box, box, and box some more. If he's going to win this fight, he'll have to do it on points, and if he's going to do it on points, he'll have to thoroughly frustrate and clearly beat Figueroa. Maybe there's something to be taken from the way Rod Salka has handled Ricardo Alvarez and Alexei Collado in recent months. Salka is no puncher and wouldn't be called a master technician, but he's got good fundamentals, didn't make mistakes, and worked over Alvarez with a jab before getting robbed, then beat Collado every which way but loose. Probably loose, too.</p>
<p><b>Prediction:</b> I think this might wind up being a much trickier fight than most are anticipating. That depends on whether or not Belmontes turned a corner last time out and started putting it together, which would be no great shock given he's only 25 and a fighter can learn from the sort of losses he's had earlier in his career. Gabe Rosado is a recent example of a guy who learned on the job, took lessons from his defeats, and emerged a more complete fighter. Of course, Rosado also fell short at the top level once he got there. Belmontes could be similar. It would be very bold to pick the upset here, but if Figueroa is really rusty and/or has hand issues again, this could become intriguing. Still, going with the favorite. <b>Figueroa by stoppage, mid-rounds</b>.</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/26/5645368/picks-and-predictions-klitschko-vs-leapai-thurman-vs-diaz-matthysseScott Christ2014-04-26T02:00:02-04:002014-04-26T02:00:02-04:00Klitschko-Leapai: Fight time and how to watch
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<p>Wladimir Klitschko meets Alex Leapai this afternoon from Germany. Here's how you can watch the fight.</p> <p>This afternoon in Germany, Wladimir Klitschko returns to the ring to defend his WBA, WBO, IBF, and Ring Magazine world heavyweight championships against underdog Alex Leapai. Bad Left Hook will be here later today with live round-by-round coverage. Here's how you can watch from around the world.</p>
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<h2>Fight Time</h2>
<p>5:00 pm EDT</p>
<h2>Venue</h2>
<p>Koenig Pilsener Arena - Oberhausen, Germany</p>
<h2>TV Networks</h2>
<p>United States: ESPN<br>United Kingdom: Eurosport<br>Germany: RTL<br>Australia: Main Event PPV<br>New Zealand: Sky Arena PPV<br>Denmark: TV 3 Sport 1<br>Hungary: DigiSport</p>
<p>There will be no undercard televised in the U.S., and we will not have undercard coverage, but there are four bouts set for the prelim portion of the show, all featuring unbeaten prospects.</p>
<p>Join us later today for live coverage!</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/klitschko-vs-leapai-april-2014-live-streaming-updates/2014/4/26/5654950/klitschko-vs-leapai-fight-time-live-streams-tv-schedule-how-to-watchScott Christ2014-04-25T10:49:09-04:002014-04-25T10:49:09-04:00A Guide to Beating Wladimir Klitschko
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<p>Few people are giving Alex Leapai a chance to beat Wladimir Klitschko, but the working gameplan is already out there for him to study. Bad Left Hook's fight analyst Connor Ruebusch takes a look at the chinks in Klitschko's armor.</p> <p>Yes, you read that title correctly, and don't bother, I'll say it for you: "Easier said than done."</p>
<p>It's been ten years since Wladimir Klitschko's last defeat, and eight since he won his IBF heavyweight title in a 7th round knockout over Chris Byrd. The younger Klitschko brother's heavyweight reign is second in length only to that of Joe Louis, and despite his notoriously weak chin, he's gone nine years without suffering a single knockdown. It's safe to say that Klitschko is in a league of his own. Most of his mandatory title challengers are met with a collective sigh from boxing fans, and who can blame them? After such a long period of dominance (not all of it very exciting), it's hard to imagine anyone taking Klitschko's belt. Alex Leapai (30-4-3, 23 KOs), who will step up to face the heavyweight king tomorrow, is no different at first glance.</p>
<p>Then again, no bet is ever truly safe, especially in the heavyweight division, where history can be made with a single punch. Klitschko is quite savvy when it comes to protecting his fragile chin, but if there's one thing Alex Leapai has, it's an abundance of examples from Klitschko's previous opponents, including about 61 examples of what not to do.</p>
<p>Today, we're going to look at some of those examples, learn from both the successes and the failures, and put together a gameplan. This is how to topple a giant.</p>
<p><b>1. USE BOTH HIPS</b></p>
<p>One of the most common mistakes orthodox fighters make against Wladimir Klitschko is relying too heavily on their right hip, by which I mean slipping and pulling only to their right side. Studying Klitschko, one quickly discovers that he loves to time this defensive movement with his right hand. Let's take Klitschko's first fight with Samuel Peter as an example (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRQ_6bc-AU8" target="_blank">link to full video</a>).</p>
<p>Wlad spent the first minute and a half of the bout throwing nothing but jabs and the occasional left hook, using his long left hand to keep Peter from closing the gap and forcing reactions out of the Nigerian. He didn't throw a single right hand until he was sure that he could catch Peter with it.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/2167469/timed_right_hand.gif"><img src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/2167469/timed_right_hand_medium.gif" class="photo" alt="Timed_right_hand_medium"></a></p>
<p>Klitschko chose his moment carefully, and wisely. The very first time that Peter shifted to his right hip without simultaneously throwing a punch, Klitschko pounced. This is because a slip to the right leaves one completely vulnerable to the right hand of the opponent; the only way to go right and reliably avoid the other fighter's cross is to roll under it, and Klitschko masterfully prevents the likelihood of this maneuver from Peter by obstructing his line of sight with a flashing jab just before connecting with the right. From Peter's position in this GIF, Klitschko would have caught him no matter what he did. Pulling back would have only put him slightly farther along the path of the right hand, and attempting to shift to his left hip, to slip to the outside of the cross, would have run his head into the punch.</p>
<p align="left">Almost every one of Klitschko's right-handed knockouts occur just after a jab, and while the opponent's head is over his right hip. He is superb at timing his opponents, hitting them the moment they reach the full extent of their slipping motion, when there is virtually no chance of moving out of the way (<a href="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1840959/wladimir-klitschko_calvin-brock1_medium.gif" target="_blank">GIF 1</a>, <a href="http://www.fightreport.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/wladimir-klitschko_tony-thompson.gif" target="_blank">GIF 2</a>, <a href="http://i.minus.com/izzW696eJHHkx.gif" target="_blank">GIF 3</a>). In essence, Wladimir <i>wants</i> you to slip his jab to the right.</p>
<p align="left">Granted, when an opponent moves the other way, they put themselves at risk for the left hook, and Klitschko takes advantage of that, too.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/2167475/timed_hook.gif"><img src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/2167475/timed_hook_medium.gif" class="photo" alt="Timed_hook_medium"></a></p>
<p>This was thrown shortly after that first right hand, timed for the moment that Peter began to shift to his left hip which, just as with the right hand and the right hip, opens one's head for a left-handed shot to the temple.</p>
<p align="left">Make no mistake, Klitschko is incredibly good at this. His opponents all have a huge distance to cover to get inside on him, and he does a masterful job of hitting them while they attempt to close that gap.There is a reason that very few people have been able to get around Klitschko's jab--an attempt to do so could very likely result in a knockout.</p>
<p align="left">The answer is to use both hips equally, taking away Klitschko's opportunities to time the movement and throw appropriate punches.</p>
<p align="left"><b>2. THROW!</b></p>
<p align="left">It's also crucial to move forward <i>and</i> punch immediately off of slips. You'll notice that, in both of the examples above, Peter was hit while standing in place and moving his head well outside of his own range--not advancing, not firing back, just shifting back and forth. Wladimir Klitschko is a sniper. He has no trouble finding a moving target with his long arms--what tends to trouble him is aggression and pressure. Like Ali with Norton and Frasier, the tall rangy Klitschko is vulnerable to being swarmed.</p>
<p align="left">Of his three losses, the most applicable one for study is Klitschko's last, a TKO at the hands of Lamon Brewster. This was the only loss Klitschko suffered <i>after</i> making Manny Steward his head trainer, and the one that best represents a win over the current iteration of the heavyweight champ.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/2167481/brewster.gif"><img src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/2167481/brewster_medium.gif" class="photo" alt="Brewster_medium"></a></p>
<p>Here, Klitschko tags Brewster with a pair of his trademark 1-2s, and Brewster quickly reestablishes his jab, and after that a 1-2 of his own. This is an essential aspect of beating a dominant, controlling fighter like Klitschko--it must be a fight.</p>
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<p>That sounds simple, but under Steward's tutelage Wlad developed an excellent sense for tactical fighting. After Samuel Peter dropped Klitschko with a rabbit punch in the fifth round of their first encounter, George Foreman summed up the new Wladimir Klitschko approach perfectly: "Show him you can fight now. . . Don't worry about that skill and boxing anymore--this boy doesn't respect that." Every puncher thinks he can put one good shot on Wlad's jaw, but few of them realize that Klitschko can not only box, but <i>fight back</i>. Yes, Steward taught him to hold his opponents, but he also taught him to make his opponents fear him, and that might be Klitschko's greatest weapon.</p>
<p>He is not, however, a fighter by nature. No matter how far he has come along in terms of toughness and guile, Klitschko will always be an outboxer at heart. He fights back tactically, to let his opponents know that he can, but when Lamon Brewster pushed hard enough, and refused to let Klitschko's power dissuade him, he was able to bring out the same Wladimir that was broken down by Corrie Sanders and Ross Puritty.</p>
<p>In the GIF above, Brewster doesn't just throw reckless punches. Note that he uses a jab to step into range for his powerful short shots, and keeps his feet under him the entire time, up until the point where he knows that he has the Ukrainian badly hurt. He also throws a combination of punches, going both to the body and the head. Klitschko's instinct is to stand tall and lean away from punches, but at a certain distance that actually makes him more susceptible to being hurt by a punch that does land.</p>
<p>The one thing that Brewster does not do is forgetting to...</p>
<p><b>3. BEND YOUR KNEES</b></p>
<p>This was the biggest mistake Alexander Povetkin made against Klitschko in the champion's last fight, which was widely decried as a boring clinch-fest--which it was. His many, swear-filled demands for aggression aside, Emmanuel Steward sure taught Klitschko how to lay on a shorter man, and he'll do it at the slightest opportunity. The opportunity in question is an opponent who bends forward at the waist and leads with his head, as Povetkin did over, and over, and over again.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/2167547/blanket.gif"><img src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/2167547/blanket_medium.gif" class="photo" alt="Blanket_medium"></a></p>
<p>Here, Povetkin makes the same mistake twice in a row, trying to bob under Klitschko's punches but doing so by bending his back, instead of shortening himself at the hips and knees. By bending forward Povetkin does two things: 1) he puts his head right under the armpit of Klitschko, giving the tall man an easy opportunity to tie him up and tire him out; 2) he puts his head over his own left foot, meaning that once Klitschko does put his weight on him, he has no leverage to keep himself upright.</p>
<p>To have any hope of doing damage once inside, Alex Leapai will have to keep his head between his feet. Leaning forward at all is a recipe for disaster, as Klitschko's active lead hand gives him endless opportunities to turn a punching movement into a tie-up.</p>
<p>It's apparent that Klitschko's recent opponents have all made the same mistakes. Alex Leapai has an opportunity to learn from their mistakes, and he'd be remiss to fight Klitschko the same way heavyweights have been fighting him for almost ten years now. With enough pressure, it's still possible to turn the dominant post-Steward version of Klitschko into the awkward, uncomfortable fighter of old--one just needs to get past the many layers of defense he and Steward developed to avoid this.</p>
<p>Again, easier said than done.</p>
<p><i>For more analysis, as well as fighter and trainer interviews, check out <a href="http://heavyhandspodcast.com">Heavy Hands</a>, the only podcast dedicated to the finer points of face punching. On this week's new episode, Connor answers listener questions with boxing trainer Luis Monda.</i></p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/25/5651992/wladimir-klitschko-alex-leapai-guide-beating-giant-boxing-technique-heavyweight-ko-gif-analysisConnor Ruebusch2014-04-22T14:00:12-04:002014-04-22T14:00:12-04:00Leapai training for Klitschko in middle of night
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<p>Alex Leapai's trainer Noel Thornberry has his fighter on a late-night regimen to get him ready for his crack at Wladimir Klitschko's belt in Germany's unfamiliar timezone. </p> <p>Trainers have all sorts of strange methods for preparing their fighters. Alex Leapai's trainer Noel Thornberry is no different. Few expect the Samoan heavyweight to wrest the IBO, WBO, WBA and IBF belts from Klitschko, but Thornberry is stacking the deck as much in his fighter's favor as he can.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/boxing-mma/sparring-at-ungodly-hours-in-hotel-conference-rooms-welcome-to-alex-leapais-new-regime/story-fni2urrv-1226892641343" target="_blank">The Herald Sun reports </a>that Thornberry has Leapai adjusting to the timezone of Oberhausen, Germany by training in the middle of the night. Starting at 2am, Leapai will be sparring and hitting the pads a half hour earlier every night until 11pm Oberhausen time feels as much like 11pm Brisbane time as possible.Thornberry has confidence that the technique will work after having used it to prepare Leapai for his last win, a 10-round unanimous decision over Denis Boytsov that also took place in Germany.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for Leapai, his Oberhausen hotel doesn't have adequate training facilities, so he's been putting in work in a rearranged conference room.</p>
<p>Thornberry attributes this acclimatization, in addition to better nutrition and strength/conditioning methods, to what he calls Leapai's "first-ever proper preparation for a fight." It's the kind of dedication that almost makes you believe that "Lionheart" can be the first man to topple Klitschko from his long-held throne--until you remember all the all-too-similar men who have failed before him.</p>
<p>Klitschko and Leapai fight this Saturday. Stay tuned to Bad Left Hook for all your coverage in the week leading up to the fight, and live coverage during the event.</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/22/5640304/klitschko-alex-leapai-trainer-reconditioning-oberhausen-german-timezone-late-night-fightConnor Ruebusch2014-04-22T13:00:03-04:002014-04-22T13:00:03-04:00Briggs interrupts Klitschko-Leapai press event
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7dJP4tAx7pxpgF5Qm5K4jN6i3QM=/0x112:4000x2779/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/31991349/486048597.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Lars Baron</figcaption>
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<p>Shannon Briggs didn't fare so well the last time he was in the same room with a Klitschko, but it was Wladimir Klitschko who saved Briggs from Alex Leapai when the former champ interrupted the current champ's press event. Updated with video. </p> <p>Modern heavyweights may not bring the in-ring action as well as their predecessors, but there seems to be an ongoing competition to determine who can make the biggest fool of themselves at a press conference.</p>
<p>There was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWQs8nMsZNg" target="_blank">Dereck Chisora's brawl with David Haye</a> at the conference following his loss to Vitali Klitschko, a fight most notable for Chisora's unprofessional behavior. Before that there was the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5LxagKJ1PA" target="_blank">shockingly ineffectual two-piece</a> that Riddick Bowe landed on Larry Donald when the two men stood behind the podium prior to their twelve-round contest. Even the trainers have gotten into it: who could forget when Alton Merkerson knocked out John Ruiz's trainer Norman Stone prior to the heavyweight fighter's bout with Roy Jones Jr?</p>
<p>Not to be outdone, former WBO heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs made a confusing attempt to stay relevant at today's press conference for Wladimir Klitschko's upcoming bout with Alex Leapai.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/Former+heavyweight+champion+Shannon+Briggs+disrupts+Klitschko/9763017/story.html" target="_blank">The Associated Press reports</a> that Briggs stood up in the middle of the conference, removed his shirt, and began demanding a fight with Klitschko. Klitschko kept his cool, but Leapai was enraged by Briggs' behavior, and apparently had to be restrained by the champion himself.</p>
<p>"I have never had to hold back my opponent at a press conference before," Klitschko joked.</p>
<p>Klitschko is expected to defend his belts (all of the belts) against Alex Leapai this Saturday. It's doubtful that Leapai will have anything for the dominant champion, and even more doubtful that Klitschko will go on to fight Shannon Briggs in the near future.</p>
<p><b>UPDATE: </b>Here's footage of the bizarre incident from German TV that shows Briggs disrobing, being restrained by security, and doing two pushups before leaving the scene. Also, calling a smiling Wladimir a "Feigling." To his face!</p>
<p align="center"><iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/KeWX-x4gpOo" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe> <br id="1398188846071"></p>
<p align="left">Bad Left Hook will have all of your Klitschko-Leapai coverage up to and through the live event.</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/22/5640084/wladimir-klitschko-alex-leapai-heavyweight-champion-shannon-briggs-interrupts-press-conference-brawlConnor Ruebusch