Boxing Updates: Latest Boxing Event

Wladimir Klitschko (53-4, 47KOs) retained his IBF and WBO heavyweight titles with a ninth round technical knockout victory over previously unbeaten Ruslan Chagaev (25-1-1, 17KOs) on Saturday in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The victory was criticized by many boxing writers and analysts as efficient but unimpressive. Many might argue that it was a magnificent performance by Klitschko, but heavyweight boxing should be about adrenalin, excitement and taking risks.

Wladimir was supposed to show a little more aggression to impress his critics and HBO (an American cable company), who decided that they did not want to waste their money showing the Wladimir vs. Chagaev bout. But what the audience saw from that fight was the usual Wladimir throwing jabs every round with only a few right hands. Klitschko just fought away with his usual safety first style of fighting with only very few spurts of aggression. Klitschko snuck a right hand late in the second round that had caught Chagaev, dropping him to the canvas.

Wladimir should have showed more aggression on the following rounds, instead he spent most of it throwing nothing but jabs. He should not have held back, because he already had established control over the fight. Klitschko never took a single risk, even when Chagaev retreated to the ropes. This could have been a fight where he could easily take the spotlight, instead he became very cautious as if Chagaev were the hardest puncher in the heavyweight division. He could have impressed everyone with a more solid performance.

Chagaev just couldn’t land his punches. When he would try to charge forward, Klitschko would just skip backwards or clinch to keep Chagaev from getting his shots off. After the ninth round Chagaev’s corner had seen enough and threw in the towel, surrendering before the start of Round ten.

Wladimir Klitschko was hit just once in nine complete rounds. There was not one messy moment, not one moment of drama and the only punch that landed on Klitschko’s whiskers was thrown after the bell sounded and was therefore considered as null and void.

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