Vitali Klitschko faces Shannon Briggs this Saturday in Hamburg, Germany for Vitali’s WBC Heavyweight title. Once again, an American heavyweight is challenging a Klitschko for his title and it is receiving little to no fanfare in the United States. It will no doubt be a popular fight internationally and the O2 Arena in Hamburg will certainly be packed. But the only way fans in the US can see the fight live will be via the Internet at ESPN3.com. The fight can also be seen on television on Sunday afternoon on the ESPN family of networks.
With countless Klitschko dominations over American pretenders, is there any reason to believe that Shannon Briggs can shock the world and pull off the upset? In short, the answer is no.
Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KOs) has been as dominant a champion as the heavyweight division has seen for a long time. 95% of his victories have come by knockout. In his only two losses, Vitali was ahead on the scorecards when the bout was stopped. One was due to a shoulder injury against Chris Byrd in 2000, the other was due to a nasty cut against Lennox Lewis in 2003.
Vitali took a four-year break from boxing to rehab his body as well as to chase his political aspirations. He returned in 2008 and immediately recaptured his title in a thrashing of Sam Peter. Now 39 years old, Vitali has proven all he needs throughout a dominant career. As the sands of the hourglass trickle away, Vitali is left with nothing to prove. As with his last fight against Albert Sosnowski, Vitali has put himself in a postition where a win over an unheralded opponent leaves little to gain for the champion.
Shannon Briggs (51-5-1, 45 KOs) is a former world heavyweight champion in his own right but at 38 years old, Briggs is nothing more than a physical marvel. Briggs is 4-0 since dropping his title to Sultan Ibragimov in 2007, but those fights were all against tomato cans.
Always in great shape, Briggs’ best chance to win has always been through sheer intimidation. He will always have the over-used “puncher’s chance” against Vitali but Briggs has never shown to have much of a gas tank. Meaning if Vitali hasn’t hit the deck by the 4th round, then Briggs will be in for a long night.
Earlier this year, Vitali Klitschko had made mention that 2010 would be his final year of boxing. Vitali hasn’t since commented on his future but it does appear now that Vitali plans to fight on. Still, with only a handful of fights remaining in his career, Vitali is going out as quietly as he is outside of the ring.
Perhaps this is they way Vitali Klitschko wants it. But a man that currently ranks this high in the heavyweight division deserves to be facing the best of the best. Even if the competition level is less than what it has been in recent years, it’s time for the Klitchkos to stop fighting these lifeless retreads.
