Klitschko dominates Jennings
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Klitschko dominates Jennings
By Vikram Birring at ringside, Doghouse Boxing (Jun 14, 2015)

Wladimir Klitschko
Wladimir Klitschko
*Please note, this is a Doghouse Boxing reprint from April 25th of this year.

4 Pennsylvania Avenue is perhaps the most famous address in American sports.

It is known as the “mecca” of basketball, but over the years has also held some of the most important fights in boxing history, Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier I in particular.

But to know the history of the Garden, one must know the history of the address on which the property lies.

Before that, however, one must know that this is not the first incarnation of Madison Square Garden. What now lies between 7th and 8th avenue between 31st and 33rd streets in midtown Manhattan, is actually the fourth rendition of the namesake.

The term Madison actually represents James Madison, once President of the United States. The original version stood at 23rd and Broadway, and was built in 1879. This was the shortest garden, lasting only 11 years. It was torn down in 1890.

The second version lasted nearly three times as long, from 1890 to 1925. Its remnants are but a memory, and in its place rose the hulking New York Life insurance building.

The third version was on 8th Avenue between 49th and 50th streets. It lasted from 1925 to 1968. In its place now stands One Worldwide Plaza.

The story of the construction of the current Garden is one of the saddest stories in architectural history. Where now a dull dome-like figure stands, there was Pennsylvania Station. It was idyllic, the most beautiful train station American eyes have ever laid eyes upon. If the imagination could create the most beautiful train station imaginable, the reality was infinitely more beautiful than the imagery the human brain could create. Imagine Grand Central, but even better. The Roman-style columns had the aura of the time of Caesar, the impression was elegant; it was nothing less but a treasure.

When the first wrecking ball hit in 1968, the tragedy of the moment caused international outrage. The silver lining is that this action saved Grand Central Station by way of New York City’s landmark preservation act, which was considering removing the interior façade for the construction of a lobby of a tower that was to be built above the station itself. In a twist of irony, there is talk of demolishing Madison Square Garden to rebuild an equally ornate Penn Station within the next ten years, to complete the circle of life.

Until that moment, the Garden stands as an icon of American sporting venues, and in the sport of boxing, regularly transforms into an ethnic enclave. On the night of April 25, one would not be incorrect to think he was in Kiev, Ukraine, as throughout the arena, Ukrainian flags waved through the air as thousands of voices sung Ukrainian hymns in unison.

They came together in support of their native hero, heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, who was making his return to the United States after seven years.

In his path stood Bryant Jennings, who lives only 90 minutes away in Philadelphia, on this night, was an outsider in his own land.

Remarkably, Jennings only began boxing six years ago. His acceleration through the ranks has been nothing short of astounding, but now he was taking the final exam, as across from him stood a six foot seven connoisseur, Dr. Iron Fist himself.

Ukrainian recording artist Ruslana sang a poignant version of the Ukrainian national anthem, ending with the words, “We are all Ukraine,” a powerful statement to remind the nation’s natives of the ongoing situation in Eastern Ukraine between rebels, highly suspected to be supported by Russian soldiers, and the government’s soldiers

In an awkward scene, as the boxers waited to be introduced, their entourages stood only feet apart on opposite sides of the curtain. This lasted for minutes, and the tension was teetering on the precipice of explosion. Members of Jennings’s entourage taunted Klitschko with chants of “and the new.” Klitschko stood simply in silence, a stoic man patiently awaiting his opportunity to let his fists speak.

Once the bell rang, he had his opportunity, as the electric audience spurred its hero to be more aggressive than usual in the opening stanza. Jennings (19-1, 10 KO) stood with his hands high and his head moving, evaluating the giant man in front of him. Unfortunately his evaluation required eating punches while not throwing many back.

In the fourth round, Klitschko (64-3, 53 KO) began landing meaningful punches, starting with a sledgehammer jab followed by an even harder straight right cross that made his opponent’s head whip back, at times twice in a row, to create a four punch combination. In the fifth, he nailed Jennings again with a 1-2, and another searing right cross. Jennings reaction was to simply laugh, and occasionally rush forward, hoping to land a body punch or two.

The eighth round provided a moment this author has never seen in a boxing ring. A left hook from Klitschko made Jennings do a full 360 degree circle. The crowd watched in awe, then laughed in amusement. Jennings’s reward for getting back in place was to eat two more 1-2 combinations.

Round nine provided the only highlights of Jennings’s night, as he landed a looping right, followed by another left hook followed by a right. Klitschko responded by dancing on his feet and landing a left hook.

The tenth round featured a bizarre point deduction from the referee, ostensibly for holding, though this night was one of Klitschko’s less offensive affairs in that regard. Knowing he had to do more just to even the round, Klitschko landed yet another double 1-2 combination. Round 11 was more of the same, with the exception of a right hand by Jennings.

Jennings looked for a KO in the twelfth round, but he was unsuccessful. Klitschko was simply too tall, too strong, and too good. At the end of another virtuoso performance, Klitschko won on the cards, 116-111 twice, and 118-110.

At ringside, a man in a flashy suit observed the bout with peaked interest; he is the one viable threat that time has created in the heavyweight division, Deontay Wilder of Alabama. He stands eye to eye with Klitschko, and has the strength of a mule. This clash would create the interest for the first real challenge to Klitschko since his bout against Samuel Peter nearly a decade ago. Though they fight on different networks and have different promoters and advisors, if Mayweather vs. Pacquiao can happen, anything can. We can only hope.

UNDERCARD NOTES:

The last time a crowd chanted “Ali, Ali” at the Garden, the year was 1977, as legendary heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali defended his crown against hard-punching Earnie Shavers.

Thirty-eight years, the chant returned, for the young man carrying on the namesake, Brooklyn’s Sadam Ali, the son of Yemeni immigrants. Wildly successful as an amateur, his professional career finally reached a crescendo in his last bout, when he stunningly knocked out Argentina’s rugged Luis Carlos Abregu after spending the entire bout safely boxing and circling.

In his opening defense of his welterweight title, he faced an equally determined foe, Mexican Francisco Santana, who a year earlier, had defeated another young New York hotshot prospect by the name of Eddie Gomez, and recently had knocked another undefeated prospect in the first round.

Yet Ali made a boxer known for intense pressure instead look like a confused man chasing a fly that he just can not catch.

The story of the bout was simple through the first nine rounds. Santana (22-4-1, 11 KO) stalked, occasionally landing right hands, but Ali (22-0, 13 KO) circled and landed combinations. Whoever landed more of their preferred shots won the round. By the tenth round, the bout seemed to be dead even. Whoever won the last round would win the fight.

Ali chose to abandon his plan of boxing and came out punching. He landed a combination that stunned Santana, and furiously went for the kill. The crowd roared, and the Ali chant began. Santana stumbled, but stayed on his feet. In the end, the final three minutes determined the winner only on this author’s scorecard, as the official judges scored the bout 97-93 twice, and an obscene 100-90. Judge Alan Rubenstein should be banned from the sport of boxing, and make an appointment with an optometrist as soon as possible. Absurd scorecards like this stain the sport of boxing, and keep alive the idea of home cooking. There is no way Ali won all ten rounds; this reeks of corruption and is a dubious shadow on an otherwise well-earned victory.

Ukrainian cruiserweight Igor Kiadze is what Wladimir Klitschko once was, but is trying to become what he is now. His bout against Rayford Johnson was a trip in a time machine, as one observed a young, tall, strong, muscular, skilled boxer trying to find his way against a clever opponent, a young Wladimir Klistchko.

Kiadze (23-1, 16 KO) spent the first round trying to find a way to hit the constantly crouching Johnson. In the second, he solved the puzzle, as he landed two hard 1-2 combinations that sent Johnson (11-18, 6 KO) backwards.

In the third round, a hook-right-uppercut combination woke up the crowd. Johnson’s response was to go for Kiadze’s legs, which caused both of them to tumble to the canvas. The crowd did not approve.

In the fourth round, a thudding right cross stunned Johnson and sent him to the ropes. Kiadze followed with another, and two more right hands sent Johnson into a slumping motion, which immediately caused the referee to stop the bout, with just one second remaining in the round.

The young man has potential and the support of Klitschko and the Ukrainian fans. With confidence and seasoning, the sky is the limit.

Undefeated southpaw heavyweight Charles Martin stopped England’s Tom Dallas (17-5, 12 KO) in a bizarre first round ending. Martin(21-0, 19 KO) landed a punch while rushing forward, which appeared to knock Dallas down, but the ensuing stoppage caused confusion among ringside observers, as it appeared the referee stopped the bout due to a gushing cut. However, the ring announcer stated the bout was ended as the result of a TKO. Whatever the case, the undefeated Martin gains another victory, as he treads on the path which so many have failed have begun but derailed along the way: the winding journey that is that of the American heavyweight hopeful.

Questions or comments, e-mail Vikram at: vikram.birring@gmail.com

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