Before You Complain About Klitschko-Leapai…

04/27/201404/26/2014 Jason Peck

Wladimir Klitschko has triumphed again in commanding fashion, an action which typically raises complaints that the long-time champ fights “bums” rather than “real” challenges.

Of course, this raises an interesting question. Who are the bums and who are the real challenges? If Klitschko avoids a challenge, then name the challenge. And be careful with your answer.

I remember little more than a two years ago when Klitcshko easily KO’d Tony Thompson in six. Critics immediately excoriated him for fighting a geriatric, rather than an unstoppable machine like David Price. Yet Thompson’s name is now mysteriously removed from the retrospective list of “bums” that Klitschko fought and – just as mysteriously – David Price is no longer a “real” challenge.

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Wladimir Klitschko destroys Leapai

09/15/201604/26/2014 James Slater

Heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko did as was widely expected and stopped overmatched title challenger Alex Leapai tonight in Germany. Dominating the action throughout, Wladimir scored two knockdowns in the 5th-round, the final one ending the fight. The time was 2-minutes and 5-seconds and Klitschko, unbeaten in ten years, is now 62-3(52). Leapai, who gave it his best, falls to 30-5-3(24).

Klitschko boxed his usual fight, dominating behind his punishing left jab with his even more punishing right hand behind it. Credited with a knockdown in the 1st-round – when Leapai appeared to have slipped and was unhurt – Wladimir never lost a single minute of a single round. Showing a stubborn chin that might have surprised some, Leapai ate a ton of left jabs and telephone pole right hands, for which he deserves credit, yet the Samoan was not throwing anywhere near enough leather himself.

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Alex Leapai-Wladimir Klitschko preview

04/24/2014 Adam Santarossa

As much as I’d like to see Alex Leapai become the first Australian in history to win the Heavyweight title, he has some task to overcome in Wladimir Klitschko.

Klitschko has been undefeated since 2004 and his resume lists a host of former World Champions including Samuel Peter, Chris Byrd, Lamon Brewster, Hasim Rahman, Ruslan Chagaev, Jean Marc Mormeck, Alexander Povetkin and David Haye.

Boxing experts are give Leapai a “punchers chance” of victory , meaning that given his destructive power, if the Australian lands flush, there’s a good chance that he’ll knock Klitschko out.

The big problem is landing that punch.

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Wladimir Klitschko says he plans on boxing on for another ten years – and guess what, there’s nobody to stop him!

04/20/2014 James Slater

Those heavyweights who are looking forward to the day when the division once dominated by American fighters will no longer have to contend with the Klitschko brothers had better think again. Wladimir, now aged 38 but arguably still at his peak, remains all-conquering, and “Dr. Steel Hammer” has told German publication Die Welt that he plans on fighting for a further ten years.

“I just turned 38, but that’s only a number,” Wladimir said. “I am still extremely hungry and better than ever. A few years ago, I thought I couldn’t improve, but my mission is still a long way from over. I want to box on for ten more years.”

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Klitschko: Leapai is an underdog but he can bite

07/31/201404/13/2014 Bill Phanco

IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (61-3, 51 KO’s) is taking on one of his smaller opponents in 6’0” Alex Leapai (30-4-3, 24 KO’s) on April 26th of this month at the Koenig Pilsener Arena, Oberhausen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. The 6’6” Wladimir doesn’t care that Leapai is small or that he was recently knocked out by journeyman Kevin Johnson. Wladimir is still taking him very serious as an opponent.

This fight might not look great on paper due to Leapai’s less than impressive resume, but the World Boxing Organization chose to rank him at No.1 after his win over Denis Boytsov, leaving Wladimir no other choice but to fight Leapai or end up having his WBO title stripped from him.

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Alex Leapai Interview: “I’m going to let my fists do my talking against Klitschko”

04/13/201404/12/2014 Tony Nobbs

On April 26, Samoan born banger Alex Leapai (30-4-3, 24 KOs) has the opportunity to become boxing’s next “Cinderella Man” when he challenges Wladimir Klitschko (61-3, 51 KOs) for the WBA (super)/IBF/WBO/IBO and Ring magazine heavyweight championships in Oberhausen, Germany.

The thirty four year old Leapai from Logan, a satellite city of Brisbane, Queensland, earned his shot as the WBO mandatory challenger by upsetting Hamburg based Russian Dennis Boystov (33-0, 26 KOs) in Bayern on November 23. He scored two knockdowns in the most impressive performance of his career.

Alex’s family moved to New Zealand when he was four before settling in Australia eight years later. A promising Rugby League junior, he held the Australian Amateur Boxing League heavyweight title before turning professional in 2004.

He was 2-2-2 after six bouts before winning 23 of his next 25 with one draw and one points defeat that was later avenges with a knockout. He was good enough to defeat handy Americans like Travis Walker and Darnell Wilson while supporting his family as a full time delivery truck driver and part time fighter.

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Wladimir Klitschko: Leapai is so strong that he doesn’t need technique or strategy

03/25/201403/25/2014 Jeff Sorby

IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (61-3, 51 KO’s) is very wary of the huge power of his opponent Alex Leapai (30-4-3, 24 KO’s), and he’s vowing now to underestimate him in their fight on April 26th at the Koenig Pilsener Arena, Oberhausen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.

Leapai pulled off an upset in defeating Denis Boytsov by a 10 round unanimous decision last November in their WBC title eliminator bout in Germany. Boytsov was expected to win the fight handily, but he found himself getting dropped by Leapai and dominated.

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The story of world heavyweight championship contender Alex Leapai

02/07/2014 ESB

THE message from the judge was like one of his jabs.

Short and succinct.

The man in the dock was 25 years old. He’d had something of a charmed life. He had a beautiful wife – Theresa, his high school sweetheart. She had given him three of the most precious things in his life – daughters Cyanne, Maria and Menime.

But there he was, very quickly coming to terms with the fact that for the first time in a long time, his fate was no longer in his own hands.

It was 2005, and Alex Leapai was in the court room facing a grievous bodily harm charge after his brutal attack on a couple of local bouncers.

The judge said the brutality – which left one of the men badly injured – warranted a four year prison term – and that’s what was delivered – but with a caveat. The judge, taking into account Leapai’s children, wife and his good work record gave him some hope. “If you behave yourself inside for six months, you will be released…”

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Fighting Against All Odds? For Leapai vs. Klitschko, It Might Have a Literal Meaning

01/14/2014 Vitali Shaposhnikov

We have all heard that boxing is the kind of sport where anyone has a puncher’s chance to win at any point during the fight. While this happens to be true, the probability is utterly low, and most of the time, the odd-makers know exactly what they are talking about.

For Alex Leapai (30-4-3), it seems that beating Denis Boytsov (33-1-0) in November 2013, was a straight shot to an opportunity against Wladimir Klitschko (61-3-0). Maybe it was Boytsov, or maybe it is the lack of other, more formidable competition in the heavyweight division that provided Leapai with this phenomenal chance.

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Wladimir Klitschko vs. Alex Leapai bout to take place in Germany in April

01/11/2014 Kevin Chittenden

IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (61-3, 51 KO’s) and his WBO mandatory challenger Alex Leapai (30-4, 24 KO’s) have reportedly agreed to face each other in April in Germany, according to Fightnews. The actual date they’re looking at for the fight is April 26th, but they still need to sign off on the contracts. There had been speculation that the two fighters management wouldn’t come to an agreement, which would force it into a purse bid. But looks like they’ve agreed to having the fight take place in Germany.

Leapai, 34, defeated Denis Boytsov by a 10 round unanimous decision last November to become he mandatory challenger for Wladimir. It’s interesting that Leapai and Boytsov were the ones that ended up fighting for the mandatory spot, because there are arguably a number of better contenders in the WBO’s top 15 than these two.

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