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

Post from: EveryJoe

Vitali Klitschko TKO Win Over Cris Arreola

It looks like former heavyweight champ Vitali Klitschko’s bid to become mayor of Kiev, Ukraine has fallen short. Results from Sunday’s elections have been counted from approximately 800 of the city’s 1026 polling stations and incumbent Leonid Chernovetsky holds a commanding 20 percentage point lead over Oleksandr Turchynov – the candidate from Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s bloc – as well as Doktor Iron Fist Vitali Klitschko.

Last week we misstated that Klitschko was a member of the Tymoshenko bloc, the bYuT. He is instead the leader of his own bloc, Yellow PORA! or ПАРTIЯ ПОРА!, which while not specifically aligned with the bYuT also draws its roots from the Orange Revolution and is explicitly dedicated to stomping out corruption.

Chernovetsky seems to have been aided by the splitting of the anti-corruption vote. The ballot was a yard long (note the size in the accompanying picture) and included nearly 70 candidates. In addition the city’s low voter turnout, around 50%, indicates that not everyone agreed that the election was necessary. The Tymoshenko-led Parliament had called for the contest because of Chernovetsky’s alleged corruption charges. Perhaps the electorate was also turned off by the $100M spent by the collective candidates.

This Russia Today segment has a good video pre-election explanation of the confusing proceedings:

Klitschko will end up with a smaller percentage of votes this year than he did during his failed 2006 run as well as a much wider scale of defeat. Perhaps he will try again in 2010 when Chernovetsky’s original four-year term expires. In the meantime he will surely focus on his autumn 2008 return to the ring and his highly anticipated fight against Sam Peter.

Photo Source: Newscom.com

Post from: EveryJoe

Klitschko’s Second Mayoral Attempt TKOd

Not only is José Sulaimán the president/godfather of the World Boxing Council (at least according to his wikipedia page entry) he’s also a shrewd political pundit. Two days ago Sulaimán issued a five- paragraph release on the WBC web page endorsing Vitali Klitschko in Sunday’s Kiev, Ukraine mayoral race. No word yet on whether he prefers Barrack Obama or Hillary Clinton.

Why is Sulaimán supporting Klitschko? Is it because he’s in favor of the Orange Revolution reforms and the political stylings Ukraine’s “improbably attractive” prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko of whose Bloc, the BYuT, Klitschko is a member.

Is José hopping mad about incumbent mayor’s Leonid Chernovetskyi’s alleged illegal privatization of $3BN worth of Kiev property? Is he just sick of the corruption?

Not exactly. He wants Vitali to be “the first fighting mayor in the 300-year history of boxing.” That’s a claim we can’t believe is true. Of all the mayors in all the world there has to have been one who has been a boxer. Right?

We’re guessing the real reason Sulaimán wants Vitali to win is so that he can quite possibly have an audience with Ms. Tymoshenko who in addition to being one of the world’s most powerful women is also surely one of the most beautiful. She also must be the world’s only prime minister to offer a desktop wallpaper of themselves riding a motorcycle and spraying graffiti.

José’s press release expresses his desire to travel: “If Vitali is elected, the WBC would appoint a committee of the top officers of the WBC to go, along with myself, to attend his inauguration.” Will Sulaimán’s promise deter the Kiev voters from voting orange? Hard to say.

If my grandparents had stayed in eastern Europe I may indeed be living in Kiev waiting to vote on Sunday. In fact, I still have relatives in L’viv. Would I be voting for Vitali? Probably so and it’s not just because I love boxing. Klitschko has served well on the Kiev City Council, he’s very intelligent, charming, worldly, and successful in everything he’s done.

Need another reason to vote? In Ms. Tymoshenko’s congratulatory letter to Vitali’s brother Wladimir after the Sultan Ibragimov fight she said “I am certain that people like you, Wladimir, are currently doing more for Ukraine, for its recognition than all the politicians, deputies and officials together. I believe that Ukraine will be a great, powerful and fortunate country, because it has such great sons!” We wholeheartedly agree! This is one time José Sulaimán has it 100% right.

Photo Sources: Wikipedia, http://www.tymoshenko.com.ua, and Newscom.com

Post from: EveryJoe

José Sulaimán Endorses Vitali Klitschko for Mayor

Byrd’s most recent fight was last October when he was TKO’d in the 11th against 2004 Athens Super Heavyweight Olympic gold medalist Aleksandr Povetkin. Povetkin weighed in at 226 1/4, Byrd at 211 1/4. It was a far cry from Byrd’s own Olympic medaling weight: a svelte 165.

After winning the middleweight silver medal in Barcelona 1992 Byrd immediately placed himself on the heavyweight trajectory. “Guys I knew I could beat (at heavyweight) were making money,” he explained to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “(so) I started eating and didn’t stop.”

In the midst of his eating Byrd won a few heavyweight titles and faced the best the weight class has to offer in its present-day pathetic state. Namely the Klitschko brothers, losing to Wlad twice and defeating Vitali. After losing to Povetkin, Byrd thought “What else do I have to prove?” So instead of slogging for purses by traveling to Germany and facing more eastern Europeans heavys Byrd decided to drop a few weight classes and make his living fighting in Vegas.

Byrd’s dramatic weight loss – as seen when comparing the two accompanying photos – has been well documented by Tim Smith in both the New York Daily News and on ESPN.com. The, er, skinny: 37 pounds lost since his last fight. Las Vegan yes. Vegan no. Meats and animal products OK, just in small portions. His real secret? Seven miles of running a day and hard training.

His physique as seen in the ESPN.com video is astounding. He is so fit and so quick that he is hardly recognizable. Byrd’s fighting style tonight could be just as perplexing.

Will the southpaw revert to his early career technical style which wowed boxing purists and put everyone else to sleep, will he stay stationary and bully his smaller, less experienced opponent, or will a newer, quicker Chris Byrd emerge?

Byrd is one of the sport’s most intelligent and savvy competitors, some have even argued that his advanced boxing acumen and mathematical style may have been too complex for the average fight fan and soured his heavyweight commercial success.

He won’t need to rely on his smarts as much against fighters his own size and that should make for a veritable rising phoenix. We’re excited to see the 175-pound Byrd fight and eager for what we think will be a pleasant surprise. Our hunch is that Byrd might want to rethink his stated year-end retirement because there are a lot of big money light heavy bouts out there and tonight’s fight could solidify his place high in the pecking order. Watch closely Joe Calzaghe. Watch closely.

For more on tonight’s fight also check:
Las Vegas Review-Journal’s profile of Shaun George and the Fightwriter.com’s preview.

Photo Source: Newscom.com

Post from: EveryJoe

Chris Byrd, 37 Pounds Lighter Than Last Time

Last week at jabandgrapple.com we told you about the proposed Vitali Klitschko – Samuel Peter fight and how Peter will fight some walkover in the interim. Well, a name for that walkover has been bandied about and it’s none other than Andrzej Gołota a/k/a Andrew Golota a/k/a the guy who was perilously close to winning the world heavyweight title in 1996 but couldn’t stop hitting Riddick Bowe in the unmentionables.

“He’s still fighting?” we wondered. It seems. He’s now 40-years-old and in the midst of a modestly successful three-fight comeback. The last time I even thought about Gołota was way back in 1998.

I was living in Wrocław, Poland for the summer spending a great deal of time in the city’s beautiful rynek, its lively old town center and marketplace. One afternoon a boxing ring appeared alongside a dais, both draped with signs for the local beer Piast, an undrinkable sweet swill if there ever was one.

I wondered what was going on and someone said Gołota was coming to promote the beer and his next fight. This person continued calling him various unkind things – “stupid bum”, “loser”, “idiot” – and a few others as unmentionable as where he hit Bowe. She wasn’t alone in her opinions. Nearly everyone who passed by the ring gave it a derisive look and an angry snort. Here was someone who let the country down with his bonehead moves and made both himself and his people a sporting laughingstock.

Sure I felt bad for the guy but that doesn’t mean I stayed to see his arrival. Part of me was worried a riot would ensue the other part wanted to sit down, enjoy the beautiful day and enjoy a drinkable beer. Which I did.

Gołota is now living in Chicago and still has the ability to give Peter a run. Both are exquisitely egregious foulers and their fight will at least be interesting. Nevertheless, we wonder what would have happened had he not fouled Bowe in both of those matches. He didn’t have to do it; he had the second fight won. Gołota would have been a hero, he would have been adored by his countrymen, and his confidence wouldn’t have immediately been shot.

This time Andrzej I’m in your corner and hope you can stop the Nigerian’s run through eastern Europe’s top heavyweights at Poland. Peter need not ever make it to the Ukraine.

The accompanying Piast promo shot is a poster that was sold in March on a Polish auction site. for 8 zł or $3.65 US. Why couldn’t I have found this web page earlier!?!?

Anyone else have any Gołota memories? I’d love to hear them, especially if mine is off base.

Post from: EveryJoe

Samuel Peter Negotiating to Fight Andrew Gołota!

Image details: Samuel Peter v James Toney served by picapp.com

ESPN reports that www.jabandgrapple.com’s favorite mayoral candidate Vitali Klitschko has just accepted a future WBC heavyweight title fight against the self-proclaimed Nigerian Nightmare Samuel Peter. The match is scheduled to take place sometime this October with a site in Germany being the the likely location. Peter will probably fight an interim fight sometime the summer while Klitschko is kissing babies, giving platform speeches and engaging in anti-corruption debates.

Peter grabbed the WBC title last March when he violently dropped Oleg Maskaev in the sixth round of their bout. But even then Peter had only two things in mind: the Klitschko brothers. After the Maskaev fight he proclaimed “(They) are very good fighters, but for right now, I’m the best heavyweight in the world. I will fight them any time, anywhere. I’ll beat both of them on the same night. First the older one (Vitali), and then the other one (Wladimir).”

Well, Peter won’t get the chance to drop them in the same night although that would make for some compelling WWE-style television. Instead he’ll face the beltless Vitali who has been on self-imposed hiatus since 2004. Vitali is the Venus to his brother’s Serena and should be no walkover for the imposing Nigerian. Peter’s path is now set; he must run the Klitschko gauntlet. Defeat the older then avenge his only loss against the younger. If he does heavyweight glory will be his.

The return of Vitali combined with the promise of Sam Peter has gotten me a little exciting and hopeful. The heavyweight division has just become a little more entertaining.

Post from: EveryJoe

Vitali Klitschko Announces Ambitious Return to Ring

Image details: Sports Gala – ‘Ball des Sports 2008′ served by picapp.com

The city is rife with political corruption. Business deals are all made under the table. Outside investors are scared. A hero is needed; someone to clean up the mess and make the city safe again. The city needs a fearless 6′7″ hero with fists of iron, a Ph.D. in philosophy, and good intentions.

Is our hero Batman? Is this Gotham City?

No. It’s former heavyweight champ Vitali Klitschko and the city is his hometown Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine and home to 3 million people. Vitali isn’t dressing up in a black costume and doing nighttime vigilante work he’s running for mayor.

This isn’t the first time the scholarly pugilist has thrown his hat in the political ring. He finished second in the 2006 Kiev mayoral race garnering 25% of the vote. This year, however, the New York Times reports that he leads the early polling.

Fight fans everywhere hope that his possible mayoral victory won’t spoil the currently-retired fighter’s comeback plans. Vitali would immediately be a heavyweight force despite his three-year layoff. But he adds “My biggest goal right now is to help create a modern, democratic Ukraine. To me, there is no fight more important than that.”

Post from: EveryJoe

Vitali Klitschko Runs For Mayor