By Vitali Shaposhnikov: This past Saturday Wladimir Klitschko took on Samuel Peter for the second time in their careers. The result was a bit more dramatic compared to their last fight, with Wlad pulling out a KO in round 10. So what happened? Did Wladimir get better, changing his style and tactics in this fight, or did Samuel Peter lose something from their previous bout?
The answer has to be directed towards Samuel Peter and his fight plan. In their last bout in September 2005, Peter was able to make Wlad hit the canvas three times. Peter’s performance then was much more impressive then this past weekend, despite the fact that he lost the last fight via UD. He came in swinging against Wlad, hoping to catch him early in the fight and send him down for the night. Unfortunately, most of Wlad’s opponents attempted to do the same, and obviously this strategy needs to be scrapped from the coaches’ plans..
Wlad on the other hand, did the same thing he does every time he enters the ring: comes in with a jab and the right hand, and on rare occasion throws a hook or an uppercut. He has not chanced his fighting style for a very long time, staying on the outside and pecking at the opposition until the right hand has a clear way ahead. Peter was unable to come up with anything to help him work on the inside, as Wlad masterfully clinched every time Peter made it in (although towards the later rounds, Peter was the one trying to hang onto Wlad in hopes of catching a few extra breaths). So what’s next? Who will Wlad and Peter face next?
I wish I knew. Peter could probably get a fight against Adamek, which would be a pretty entertaining fight I would think. Other than that, Arreola or David Tua would work as well. Peter is a good entertaining fighter, and I would hate to see him disappear from the boxing scene.
As far as Wlad goes, it gets more complicated. Who can make it on the inside and avoid getting clinched by Wlad? Who can do this to achieve access and punish Wlad’s body? The answer is: I have no idea. It has been rumored that David Tua can be next for Wlad before Haye becomes available again. A fighter with Tua’s body disposition is prefect against Wlad, being that they can get in, avoid Wlad’s clinches due to their size, and work the body. The only issue here would be Tua’s lack of body movement. When Mike Tyson was in his prime, his body movement was great, and he was able to avoid most punches being thrown at him. If Tua could do the same, I would think Wlad could be at some disadvantage in a fight against him.
David Haye seems to be dodging the Klitschko brothers, and predicting their fight happening or not, isn’t something anyone should be confident in doing right now. Nikolai Valuev is out for about a year, and who knows what kind of shape he will come back in after his surgery. In conclusion, Wlad’s choices of opposition are running out fast, and the entertainment factor is almost gone as well. Something needs to be done, and a formidable opponent is needed to bring the excitement back to the heavyweight division.