KLITSCHKO STOPS SANDERS IN EIGHT By George Elsasser

 

Wasn’t pretty … wasn’t sweet …that last nite’s WBC heavyweight title shootout at the left coast between Vitali Klitschko and Corrie Sanders - but it sure had the joint jumping from start to finis.

What made it different was the suspense … at times we got a pier-six brawl of righty vs. lefty … but the edge would go to Klitschko with the punisher jab that ultimately kept Corrie honest.

Sanders claims the opening candle when Klitschko leans in with a right hand that falls short  … Corrie counters with a big left hand that rocks the Ukraine giant  - and shades of the Sanders-Wladimir scenario loomed until the bell came to the rescue.

Klitschko takes over in stanza two with better movement and the ever pumping jab and straight right hands … and  then candle three with both scoring with power punches … and it is clear this one would not go the distance.

After a fourth round breather it is  Vitali wobbling Sanders in number five with a barrage of heavy punches late in the round - and then the halfway mark of six has Klitschko surviving an early round Sanders assault before having Corrie in big trouble late.

Handwriting was there for all to see and Vitali set the table in seven before a brutal two fisted barrage in stanza eight saw referee Jon Schorle halting the carnage at the 2:46 seconds mark.

So what did we learn about the brother Vitali … pretty much of what we learned from the Lewis meeting … this Klitschko is no mutt … but other side of coin shouts he isn’t very skilled in the sweet science either.

The win for Klitschko earned him the WBC belt he so cherished … also earns one tough opponent recognition for the other today title shareholders … and has put Byrd (IBF), Ruiz (WBA), Brewster (WBO) gang on notice if unification is on the mind.

Post Scripts:  It was a Larry Merchant kind of fight … a warm all over Brian Kenny thing … in skills more of a heavyweight novice golden gloves donnybrook. But, and there’s always a but, the irony is that this big brother of Wlad could well be too much for the today groupies of the alphabet rankings.
                       Corrie Sanders~ Was his usual brave self with a rock solid chin construction backed with a very sneaky and dangerous left hand … but for sure the 18-hole layouts of his beloved homeland are beckoning … and with luck we just may hear from him again … as a golf pro. The big chance with Vitali went out the window when he cheated on the conditioning … was early or late …  and late went AWOL come the midway point.

GEL           

4-24-2004