One down and one to go: Is the Klitschko reign of terror finally coming to an end?
 
Doghouse Boxing's Home Page On The Ropes Radio - Home Page Dog Pound Message Boards Boxing Interviews Today's Boxing Press Archives by Chee Team Contact & Advertising Info
One down and one to go: Is the Klitschko reign of terror finally coming to an end?
By Joseph “The Mad Boxing Genius” Torres, Doghouse Boxing (Dec 21, 2013)

Wlad & Vitali Klitschko
Wlad & Vitali Klitschko
For years, The Klitschko Brothers, Vitali and baby brother Wladimir, have been wreaking havoc on the heavyweight division. They have caused painful domination in the boxing world with their size, with their skills and with their technical/textbook style that is considered by many fans and experts to be entertainingly challenging. With men so big, so strong, so skilled, you have to wonder why they haven’t often made statement in their fights with quick destructive knockouts despite the dominance they’ve shown otherwise.

Many have been questioning if or when they’ll step up the entertainment value. And, if they don’t, when will they step aside? Because, it’s so painstakingly obvious that no one in the current heavyweight division can compete. They’ve made millions upon millions of dollars, secured their spot into the Hall of Fame and have options outside of the ring with their fame and education.

The Klitschko reign hasn’t been (at least for a long while) a question of how long can they stay the kings of the hill but rather how long do they want to stay there?

It’s been reported this week that Vitali Klitschko has finally decided to relinquish his portion of the heavyweight championship (WBC) after his last defense roughly fifteen months ago. Now, he’s 100 hundred percent focused on his political career in his country of Ukraine. Although he hasn’t fully ruled out a return, at 42 years old, injuries and other very passionate aspirations outside the ring, this is the most significant hint at full retirement we’ve gotten from him – even with his previous 3-year retirement from 2005 to 2008 due to plaguing injuries.

Now, question one is,“What are Wladimir’s future plans now that it looks like Vitali has called it a career?”

As Vitali mentioned to the media, while he’s pursuing his political fight, Wladimir will be continuing the sporting success for the family. Anyone in their right mind will know that Wladimir will continue at least until he gets an opportunity to unify WBC belt with his own WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO straps. He does have a couple of mandatory defenses due but there is no doubt that he’ll be going after the green belt the first chance he gets. But, Wladimir is not a spring chicken himself as he’ll be turning 38 in a few short months. He too is moving into a different chapter in his personal life as he is engaged to Hollywood superstar Hayden Panettiere.

With all that’s going on outside the ring and what he’s accomplished thus far inside of it, Wladimir is certainly closer to the finish line than the starting line. It would be more than reasonable to think that Wladimir will be done within an 18 month time frame. And, whenever he is able to get a shot at the WBC and win, what a way to go out? Holding 5 world championship titles and TRULY being the undisputed champion – no sharing of the undisputed title, no equal and no superior (there have always been reasonable arguments that Vitali was the better boxer and would have defeated the younger Klitschko if they ever threw down).

The second question is, “What will the Post-Klitschko era in the heavyweight division be like?”

With the brothers’ riding off into the sunset, the heavyweight division can potentially get the recognition and return to the prestige we normally associate it with.

With them out of the way, with regular sized heavyweights (despite a few giants that are still in development or have hit a ceiling in talent) the opportunity to see more physical equality and more action (that will lead to a more even level and more exciting competition) is there. But, will it be a compromised heavyweight division without the two best and most dominant figures in the Klitschko’s having not been defeated?

Much like Toronto’s beloved Maple Leafs finally making it back to the NHL playoffs for the first time in eight years in the 2012-2013 season, made Hogtown fans deliriously ecstatic. The only dark cloud was that they made it back to the playoffs with a compromised season that had a significant amount of fewer games due to a players strike. What would have happened in a full hockey season?

Will fans still be able to get behind and emotionally invest in whoever takes the reigns after the brothers’ leave? Would the heavyweight division’s morale be better off seeing someone beat down one of the Klitschko’s in the ring, even if it were due to old age or if a disputed decision were to take place? Do fans need that closure in order to emotionally reinvest in the heavyweight division? Do they need to see an official passing of the torch?

Of course the logical answer is that time heals everything and eventually the heavyweight division will return to prominence with a crop of elite fighters that can compete in any era and rival any boxers including the Klitschko’s. But, we may be waiting a little bit longer to get there once they do leave, especially if they leave on their own terms as champions!

--
- TO WRITE FOR DOGHOUSE BOXING: E-mail John J. Raspanti now at: marlow_58@hotmail.com

For much more, check out Boxing's largest daily news wire featured on our home page here at Doghouse Boxing.

Thank you for using DoghouseBoxing.com

© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing Inc. 1998-2013