By John F. McKenna (McJack)
WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (43-2, 40 KO’s) has been named the World Boxing Council Fighter of the Year” for 2011. “Dr. Ironfist” scored a one round TKO over challenger Odlanier Solis last march and stopped a game but totally outclassed Tomasz Adamek in ten rounds in September.
At the age of 40 Klitschko has given no indication that he is slowing down and in fact since coming back from a nearly four year layoff due to injuries in 2008 he has been one of the most dominant heavyweight champions in boxing history.
In the Solis fight in Cologne, Germany Klitschko landed a punch to the temple area of Odlanier’s head. Apparently stunned Solis fell backwards and injured his leg on the way down. Upon arising from the canvas Odlanier appeared wobbly and was unable to continue due to the injury he sustained in the fall. Solis had appeared to be somewhat successful earlier in the round as Vitali appeared to be timing him when he attempted to come inside to land his punches. It was near the end of the round that Vitali landed the punch that ended the fight.
Vitali’s fight against Adamek was held in Wroclaw, Poland. In that fight Klitschko was at his dominant best. He beat the overmatched Adamek down with Tomasz never really getting into the fight. The referee wisely called a stoppage to the fight in the 10th round.
Adamek candidly admitted afterwards that he lost to Klitscko because he is a superior fighter and not because of Vitali’s height advantage.
Since his return to the ring in October of 2008 when he won the WBC title he now holds by stopping Sam Peter in eight rounds in Berlin, Germany Klitschko has dominated every opponent he has faced. If anything he is a better fighter at this stage of his career than he was a decade earlier. His record of never being behind in a fight continues and since his return he has barely lost a round. In addition, no opponent has ever knocked Vitali off his feet. No other heavyweight champion in boxing history has ever been able to say that.
In March 2009 Klitschko stopped Juan Carlos Gomez in nine rounds. In September 2009 he stopped Chris Arreola in the tenth round. In December he won all twelve rounds against Kevin Johnson who clearly did not want to engage Vitali.
In May 2010 Klitschko stopped Albert Sosnowski in ten rounds and issued a severe beat down to a game Shannon Briggs over twelve rounds.
Klitschko will next defend his WBC title against Derek Chisora on February 18 in Munich, Germany.
