Vitali Klitschko TKO Win Over Cris Arreola

Vitali Klitschko didn’t knock Cris Arreola down. Or out. But he did pound him into submission after ten rounds of a heavyweight title fight last night at Staples Center in Los Angeles. With the win, Vitali kept his spot alongside brother Wladimir atop the heavyweight category and only further fuled the fire for a Klitschko vs. Klitschko fight that will probably never happen. It was the third win for Vitali since he returned last year from a four-year retirement.

Vitali Klitschko vs. Cris Arreola / Image: Zuma Press

Vitali looked strong and athletic. Cris looked fat and overmatched—so much so that I had a hard time believing he was undefeated at 27-0 entering last night’s bout. With, essentially, a home arena advantage, Cris (who is from nearby Riverside, CA) was never a threat to Vitali and was in tears (actually sobbing) when the fight ended—apparently upset by not only his performance, but also by the fact he felt his corner (with trainer Henry Ramirez) threw in the towel too early. In an unusual, expletive-laced post-fight interview with HBO’s Larry Merchant, Cris said: “I’m so sorry, I really wanted to be champion. I never wanted to quit.”

Cris was actually the aggressor for much of the fight, but Vitali continually beat him to the punch, assaulting his opponent from every angle in landing 301 of 802 punches. To Cris’ credit, I must say—the guy can certainly take the abuse. Vitali was taller and had a noticeable reach advantage. Throwing in the towel was the right thing to do. Cris’ face was a bloody mess after a ten round beating.

Source: ESPN.com