Chambers enters ring to light rap music, “He looks remarkably unphased,” remarks the TV commentator. Camera pans to Klitschko locker room, Vitali is fastening his robe in the back. The champion pauses and sits back down for about 10 seconds to what looks like ponder the moment. Or pray. Or turn the beast button on. He rises and walks out to the ring to “Can’t Stop” by the Chili Peppers.
During the anthems and introductions, Klitschko has the rock face of a statue but his concentration is so intense. Chambers appears confident.
Round 1: Chambers has spirit to win. Action is lively. Some jabs by the champ penetrate. After the round Steward instructs, “Feint a little more, sooner or later you’ll get to him. He’ll get frustrated when he can’t get inside.” Chambers hears, “Throw to the body and move your head.”
Round 2: Chambers shows strength by throwing Klitschko down, same as he did to Dimitrenko. Klitschko appears annoyed by it and then pierces a right which sends the challenger realing into the ropes. Steward: “Just a matter of time, he can’t get to you. Just keep working the jab. He’s slowing down. You’re doing perfect, not letting him in.”
Round 3: Steward: “Settle down. You’ll catch him. Let’s pick it up a little more.” Chambers hears: “You gotta work. We didn’t come this far to give this guy rounds.”
Round 4: Klitschko dominating and trying to get the big shot in. His arsenal appears limited to get that shot to the target but it’s still a total domination. Commentator: “He doesn’t want to take unnecessary risks.” But why should he? If he knock Chambers out, the critics will then probably raise expectations to want a decapitation or murder.
Round 5: Steward: “Just keep systematically breaking him down. Don’t get over-crazy. I like the right hand.” Chambers hears: “You gotta fight this guy.” How many times have we heard that before? “Stop telling me okay and do it. Let’s do it, let’s work.” Easier said than done my friend. “You worked all this time for this? Just do it, man.”
Round 6: Chambers has no idea what to do but survive. He is in against the ultimate boxing wrecking machine, a perfect synthesis of speed, power and intelligence. He hears: “It’s fuc*** in ridiculous. You gotta fight this guy. What is wrong with you?”
Round 7: Klitschko could do the same job on Frazier, Norton, Shavers, Foreman, any man from history. Perhaps even Ali. You just can’t get to him and must protect from the Steelhammer. The task appears impossible. Everybody tries but fail the same way. Klitschko is a work of art and a human destroyer at the same time. Steward: “Throw more left hooks. Move him around with left hooks. His corner is going crazy. You’re not the big dummy they thought.” Chambers hears the same message everyone hears every round seemingly: “Get out there and fight this guy.”
Round 8: Chambers is a very good technical fighter. Klitschko is making him look a novice. That’s what the great ones can do. “Come on man, wake up in there. Wake up.” (Chambers gets slapped.)
Round 9: A woman in the challengers corner: “You have to fight Edward. Are you listening? Chambers right glove is broken and replaced. Klitschkos power has broken his glove.
Round 10: The action is the same. The hunter is trying to catch the prey who is desperate to survive and avoid slaughter…or worse. Steward is growing impatient though. “Let the shots go, you gotta let punches go. This is another Ibragimov. Just let em go.” Chambers hears: “Move your head.”
Round 11: Klitschko is trying but can’t finish it. He can’t penetrate the running turtle. Steward: “You wait wait wait. You just gotta let the punches go.” Steward sounds annoyed and resigned to another decision win. “He’s gonna run this round. You don’t want another bull**** decision.” Klitschko looks annoyed too, telling his trainer with a tone of irritation, “I’m trying.”
Round 12: Klitschko shows a hunger and urgency which we have never seen before. He is really going after it now. And all the sudden, this time he gets it in the corner in the last 20 seconds. A lead short seemingly normal left hook leaves Chambers limp and looking dead on his front over the low rope. “A stunning finish,” says the TV commentator.
Wladimir Klitschko is one of the best heavyweights in history. He is dominating with precision and perfection unlike anything we’ve ever seen in history. He might be better than Ali ever was. Every one of his fights now are one-sided mismatches. He is simply too good. It’s imaginable that Chambers would have been semi competitive with Ali, Holmes but against Klitschko he had no chance from the first minute.
The critics will never be satisfied. With the knockout, next they’ll want Klitschko to murder someone. Then they’ll want him to beat two guys in one night. Then they’ll want him to fight with one arm. Then they’ll crave a KO with one arm. It will never end. Next they’ll want him to KO a killer whale, elephant, and a Tyranosaurus Rex. The critics will never be satisfied.
Then they’ll want him to save the world, solve world hunger, make world peace, own a harem of ten supermodels. Maybe then they might be satisfied.
But Wladimir Klitschko just keeps on winning. Total domination. He barely gets hit with but two or three punches. Just a masterful demonstration of the art and science of boxing at it’s very best. Wladimir Klitschko is simply the best.
