Taking a Look at the Wladimir Klitschko vs. Eddie Chambers Heavyweight Championship Fight
On March 20, 2010, Wladimir Klitschko will take on top contender “Fast” Eddie Chambers at the ESPRIT Arena in Dusseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. Klitschko will be defending his IBF, WBO and IBO World Heavyweight titles against Chambers, a Philadelphia native and the current WBO #1 ranked heavyweight. This fight will be shown on ESPN.
Wladimir Klitschko53-3 (47 KO) Height: 6’6” Reach: 81” WBO, IBF, IBO Heavyweight Champion Last 5 Fights: Klitschko has not fought since his June 2009 stoppage of Ruslan Chagaev, so he is well rested and ready to take on his next challenger. His defense against Chagaev (which made him “The Ring Magazine Champion”) was his only fight in 2009. Wladimir’s other recent fights include wins against reputable fighters such as Hasim Rahman, Tony Thompson and Sultan Ibragimov.The last fight that Klitschko lost was his 2004 loss to Lamon Brewster (who Klitschko then defeated in a 2007 rematch). | Eddie Chambers35-1 (18 KO) Height: 6’1” Reach: 75” WBO #1 Heavyweight Last 5 Fights: Chambers has been victorious in all of his last fights, with his most recent 2 fights being the most impressive of his career. In July, Chambers surprised the previously undefeated Alexander Dimitrenko in the WBO Heavyweight Title Eliminator bout. Dimitrenko was favored to win this fight, but Chambers won the decision. Previous to his surprise victory over Dimitrenko, Chambers won a decision over another worthy opponent: Former WBC Heavyweight Champion Samuel Peter. Chambers is hoping he can take Klitschko by surprise in similar fashion that he took Dimitrenko and Peter by surprise. |
Klitschko vs. Chambers Preview
Although it seems clear by statistics alone that this should be a one sided victory in favor of Klitschko, it could be an interesting fight. Yes, Klitschko shows no signs of slowing down and is still in great physical condition, but at the same time, Chambers believes he belongs in the same ring as Klitschko after defeating another physically imposing, impressive Ukrainian fighter in Alexander Dimitrenko. In this fight, Klitschko will have the home advantage, as they are fighting in Germany in a massive football stadium. Also, Klitschko has the height advantage by 5 inches, the reach advantage by 6 inches and the power advantage, seeing as he’s knocked out 47 of his 53 opponents that he defeated (89%) compared to Chambers knocking out 18 of the 35 opponents he defeated (51%). Chambers is determined to defy the odds, work his way inside and stun the champ. There are a few questions which must be taken into consideration when analyzing the potential outcome of this fight.
Will the fact that Klitschko has only fought once in 2009 help him or hurt him against Chambers?
Klitschko has only fought once in the previous year and his other 5 most recent fights date all the way back to 2007. Although Klitschko has mainly been in the news and tabloids these days not for any fights, but due to the rumor that he is dating 20 year old actress Hayden Panettiere, he is well rested and ready. Wladimir is a workhorse in the gym and is always in fighting shape. I think this rest will only help a fighter with the physical prowess and experience of Klitschko. He will be very fresh and well rested for this fight.
Can Chambers take Klitschko by surprise like he did with Dimitrenko?
In his stunning victory over the 6’7” Dimitrenko, Chambers proved that he can handle a fighter with great size and power. However, Dimitrenko is nowhere near as impenetrable and tricky as Klitschko. Although Dimitrenko is a solid fighter, he is not as defensively skilled or quick as Klitschko. Any openings that Chambers was able to find against Dimitrenko will be few and far between against a fighter with the experience and style of Klitschko. Defeating Dimitrenko was a great feat for Chambers, but don’t expect more of the same for Chambers against Klitschko.
Tactical Considerations for Chambers:
Chambers’ obvious goal should be to penetrate the nearly impenetrable Klitschko defense and work his way inside against Wladimir. If he stays outside, he will be a helpless victim of Wladimir’s 6 inch reach advantage and will be at the mercy of Klitschko’s superb control of the ring and jabs. However, it will not be easy for Chambers to work his way inside against Klitschko, who is a very tactical fighter. I don’t foresee Klitschko letting Chambers see any light inside and his attempts to work his way in will be met with clinches. This will make the fight seem fairly boring on occasion while Klitschko works the ring and racks up the points similar to what his brother recently did against Chris Arreola.
Klitschko vs. Chambers Prediction
Chambers will come into this fight with a game plan. After taking out Dimitrenko, he knows what it takes to beat powerful, large and skilled fighters. It will be clear from the opening bell that Chambers has a goal in mind and a clear cut way of attempting to achieve this goal: He will be looking to utilize any opening in the Klitschko defense that he can. Klitschko has some of the best defense in the sport and will not allow Chambers to have any openings or chances. His intelligent, defensive minded boxing will leave Chambers baffled. After 10 rounds, Klitschko’s style will become too much for Chambers. Wladimir will emerge victorious via a stoppage early in the 11th to defeat the #1 challenger and retain his titles.
