This coming saturday the IBF/WBO Heavyweight champion, Wladimir Klitschko, defends his title in Germany. For so long I was anxiously awaiting this weekend, the first time in a very long time that I have been excited about a heavyweight championship fight. The division has been in a sad state for so long, lacking any decent action fights and fighters. But this saturday was supposed to have changed that when Wladimir was going to defend against Britain's David Haye. Haye is a hard punching cruiserweight champion who has recently moved up to the heavyweight division and has done all he could to get under the skin of the Klitschko brothers trying to get one of them to agree to fight him. They are giants compared to him but boxing is a business, and fighting either of them means more money than Haye has seen to date. I didn't like Haye's chances with Vitali Klitschko...the WBC champ and the bigger of the brothers...Vitali is alot tougher than Wladimir. But Haye against Wlad was interesting. Wlad is still much bigger and much stronger...6 foot 6, 250 lbs against 6 foot 3, 215 lbs...but Wlad's chin isn't so solid. My instincts told me Wlad was too big and probably would have KO'd the smaller Haye...but Haye had a punchers chance which would have added some drama to the fight. He definitely has the power to KO Wlad if he can catch him cleanly. But as it turned out Haye got injured in training camp and pulled out of the fight....and he was replaced by my oh so favourite fighter Ruslan Chagaev...(sarcasm). The exciting fight I was waiting for is now most likely going to be a snorefest. The only consolation here is that I believe I will get to see Chagaev finally beaten. Something I have been waiting for. I was upset in thinking that Chagaev was going to beat Valuev a few weeks ago and take the WBA title...but now at least I don't see him beating Wladimir. It's funny...I can usually say that any opponent of Wlad's has a punchers chance given his weak chin...but not this time. I really can't picture Chagaev knocking him out. I see Wlad boxing his way to a careful decision in an extremely dull fight. If I am really lucky he will KO Chagaev but I don't think he will. So the heavyweight division continues on with fights that inspire no excitement.....
At least friday night offers some interesting fights, and Canadian ones too! Montreal's super middleweight Jean Pascal is stepping up in weight to fight the WBC Light Heavyweight champ Adrian "The Shark" Diaconu who also fights out of Montreal. Now how Diaconu became WBC champ is beyond me, it was given to him?!? He didn't actually win it in the ring. He didn't beat anyone for it. It was handed to him for some reason. I've never been impressed by Diaconu...I find his fights boring aside from the time he destroyed a washed up Rico Hoye. I believe Pascal is going to prove too fast for him and outbox him to a decision victory. Pascal looked good even in losing his title fight to Carl Froch, he impressed me that night. The only edge Diaconu will have is power but I don't think it will be enough for him to win.
The undercard features Brampton's cruiserweight Troy Ross who I really feel is Canada's pound for pound best fighter. Troy is coming off his best accomplishment so far in winning the season 4 Contender tournament that was held in Singapore. He won all four of his fights impressively, three of them by KO. Friday night he will take on journeyman cruiserweight Michael Simms. Simms has 10 losses but has never been stopped before. Troy should have little trouble beating Simms but will have to look to win the decision, and not try so hard for the KO. A KO of Simms would be impressive, but not likely.
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