The Saturday HBO After-Dark battle of big guys Wladimir Klitschko and Samuel
Peter is being designed as a must winner - the victor graduates to title shot
contention, and the loser dispatched to the recycle bin - hard to figure.
Peruse the respective resumés and this one converts to a pugilistic puzzle - the
first mystery as I see it, why a Klitschko at this time for the undefeated power
punching Peter who is clearly in need of more tutoring.
A win, and the early money has Peter a 7-5 favorite, the plodding bomber has
nowhere to go but into the frying pan with big brother Vitali - a bad move that
would likely place the "Nigerian Nightmare" on the back pages of yesterday’s
news.
Big Wladimir (44-3, 40 KOs) is no aging vet at a now still young 29 - the big
scalps taken go by surnames Byrd (UD), Nicholson (TKO 4), McCline (TKO 10), Mercer
(TKO 6), Botha (TKO 8), Barrett (TKO7).
The losses that quickly saw the big punching Kazakhstan fall from favor was
Lamon Brewster (TKO5) and Corrie Sanders (TKO2) - a Ross Puritty TKO11 loss
occurred some seven years back when a 22 year old.
But them blowouts to Brewster and Sanders were ugly enough to have some "fans"
wanting Wlad baby handled as you do a horse with a broken leg - washed up would
be much too sterile when describing the future.
And the new big kid on the block Sam Peter (24-0, 21 KOs), at 6 feet and some
250 pounds, has been likened to past Nigerian Ike Ibeabuchi in the power and
punching departments - whoa Nellie, not just yet thank you.
Young Sam (age 25) has no more than two familiar names on the attractive hit
list - Jeremy Williams who went "dead to the world" in stanza two, and Taurus
Sykes also fell in two.
Ike the "President" had similar physical size and punching power - age as well,
was relative when final fight in 1999 with Chris Byrd he was 26. All comparisons
on hold at this point. Ibeabuchi halted Byrd in five candles and defeated David
Tua by unanimous decision in a barn burner.
Ibeabuchi put punches together in sequence, while Peter is still searching for
the definition - the power is visible when the target resembles a golf ball teed
and ready to be whacked.
And yet, some of print, electronic and internet fight reporting prematurely see
Peter as a savior of the big division of boxing.
Good news is we have a pairing that should, at Klitschko’s end, tell the rest of
the story - and with big bad Peter we just may see some improvement in the
skills department.
In closing; I see this one all about Wladimir Klitschko and where he stands in
the big picture. Questions answered under the tutoring of Emanuel Steward is in
the hands of Wladimir alone. If the Brewster, Sanders disasters remain he’s
surely a done deal. With Peter there’s still time for needed work on the
mechanics …the rush to instant fame and fortune could well be a classic blunder
by the brain thrust.
