Vitali Klitschko vs. Corrie Sanders

[sabotai]

Tonight's the night. A new heavyweight champion of the world will be crowned, unless it's a draw.

[Suicane75]

Refresh me, which belt is this for?

[Cringer]

the non-impressive heaveyweight belt, one of the 50 of them....WBC isn't it?

[sabotai]

Well, it's also for the one (and only title) that most boxing fans pay attention to, and that's The Ring championship.

[Cringer]

Well, it's also for the one (and only title) that most boxing fans pay attention to, and that's The Ring championship.


ok, i am newly getting into boxing in a more serious manner, so i was not familiar with The Ring Championship....

IBF title holder Byrd is smacking talk in the prefight here.....

[Suicane75]

Im heading out to watch it now, but yeah, could someone explain what the Ring championship is? Is that the who The Ring magazine considers the world champ?

[sabotai]

Suicane, correct. Most people just consider who they have as the champ and the real champion.

[Cringer]

Lennox Lewis is at the fight, haha, and he just said the next great heaveyweight is gonna come from the amatuer ranks....basically meaning all the current pros suck, i love it....

[sabotai]

Chris Byrd is in a dream world if he thinks he has a chance in hell against Vitali. He won the first time only because at the time, Vitali was still in the European mindset, where if you're injured, it's ok to quit and come back to fight again another day. In the US, you fight through it. If Vitali faced Byrd now, he'd destroy him. He's a lot better now, Byrd is not.

[Cringer]

is it "I beat a Klitschko night?" I am waiting for that guy from a couple weeks ago who beat Wladimir to show up now, they seem to have brought out everyone else....

[sabotai]

Ha, that referee they have looks small. He'll definatly be able to control these two guys. :)

[sabotai]

Someone at HBO is going to be fired... :)

[GrantDawg]

Ha, that referee they have looks small. He'll definatly be able to control these two guys. :)
Maybe that's the plan. Both boxers end up jumping on him, then Lewis and Byrd will jump in and.....oh, wait. This isn't wrestling. :)

[sabotai]

Steel Cage Royal Rumble for the WBC HW title. :D

[Cringer]

Maybe that's the plan. Both boxers end up jumping on him, then Lewis and Byrd will jump in and.....oh, wait. This isn't wrestling. :)

B-E-A-UTIFUL.... :D

[Cringer]

I just realized i'm watching 2 white guys box for the main heaveyweight title, when was the last time this happened?

[Cringer]

this might turn into a wrestling match, holly crap!

[sabotai]

Round 1

First minute and a half nothing really happened. Vitali landed some jabs and straights while Sanders looks for the 1 punch KO. Sanders landed a huge left hook that did nothing. Vitali opens up a bit and starts landing some more punches, and then Sanders landed a big shot that staggered him. And Sanders landed several more as Vitali went on big time defensive.

Round to Sanders (barely)

[yabanci]

I just realized i'm watching 2 white guys box for the main heaveyweight title, when was the last time this happened?

and when is the last time a Ukrainian fought a South African for the title?

[sabotai]

Vitali went down at the end of the 1st round, but was ruled that he was pushed down (he was).

[sabotai]

Round 2

Easy round for Vitali. He landed jabs and straights at will. Sanders already looks winded. There's no way he's going to last 10 more rounds.

Round to Vitali

[GrantDawg]

This is just sad.

[sabotai]

Round 3

Kind of boring through the first half. Sanders landed a few big lefts that stunned Vitali, be he recovers quickly and starts fighting back. Sanders and Vitali were brawling for the last 30 seconds, Vitali easily getting the better of it.

Round to Vitali

[GrantDawg]

Yeah, but the announcer called it the "best heavyweight round in years." Boy, I hope not.

[sabotai]

That's what we call "Announcer Marketing". Trying to get that sound bite.

[sabotai]

Round 4

Boring round. Vitali did something...every once in awhile. Corrie just didn't do anything at all.

Round to Vitali

[sabotai]

Round 5

Vitali landing jabs and straights at ease, and he's easily avoiding Sander's punches. The last 20 seconds, Sanders was staggered and barely stayed up as Vitali landed a few big shots. He's going down real soon.

Round to Vitali

[sabotai]

Round 6

Sanders landed a few big shots and Vitali was hurt for a short time, but then Vitali came back and won the 2nd and 3rd minute as they semi-brawled.

Round to Vitali

[sabotai]

Round 7

Sanders is tired now. His left is coming slower and doesn't have much pwer behind it. Vitali was hit with his left hook a couple of times and it didn't phase him. Vitali keeps landing at will. I'm surprised Sanders is still standing.

Round to Vitali

[sabotai]

IT'S OVER!

[sabotai]

The referee stops the fight. Vitali wins by TKO

[sabotai]

They were brawling for a bit, but then Sanders eventually just starting winging punches and Vitali easily countered. Sanders wouldn't go down but was completely out on his feet and Vitali was just pounding away. The referee stops it and Vitali is the new Heavyweight champion of the world.

[Ksyrup]

I can't believe that guy had a title. I turned the fight on, and I see what looks to be a 40-ish out of work plumber fighting. A bit of a stomach, no apparent upper body...all he was missing was butt crack. But man, he could take a shot. If he doesn't have a nickname, he should be known as "Weeble" Sanders.

[GrantDawg]

Are these two really the best the division has to offer?

[sabotai]

No, at least Sanders isn't. The Ring never should have had him ranked as highly as they do. But, it's not like the others are that much better than Sanders...

[sabotai]

HBO poll. Who should be considered the World HW champion

Vitali Klitschko 80%
Lamon Brewster 4%
Chris Byrd 12%
John Ruiz 5%

(something like that)

I really hope those who voted for Ruiz and Brewster did so as a joke.

[JeeberD]

Did Roy Jones drop back out of the heavyweight ranks?

[sabotai]

Jeeber, for the time being. He's fighting Antonio Tarver again next month.

People who want great boxing should just ignore the heavyweights and start watching the welterweights and middleweights. Especially the junior welterweights. Now there's a lot of great boxing going on there.

[Suicane75]

Man, I understand having a punchers chance and everything but they let poor Sanders take a hell of a beating, it almost felt like Vitaly was waiting for the ref to step in and stop it.

[bosshogg23]

I disagree that Byrd has no chance. IF he fights like he did 2+ years ago he can beat anyone. If he tries to brawl like his last few fights he loses, badly.

If I had to guess you are going to see a Ruiz vs. Byrd "unification" bout late this year with the winner fighting Klitschko for 3 of the major belts. Ruiz & Byrd are both Don King fighters.

All said I dont think it was a bad fight to watch, decent action on both sides.

[CraigSca]

The talent level in the heavyweight division has really fallen apart because of all the new expansion franchises. Why back in my day...

Wow, that added very little value to this thread.

[HornedFrog Purple]

I thought it was a decent fight, good in some spurts. I am glad Vitali won.

If I am Corrie Sanders fighting the biggest fight in my career and come in the ring looking like that I deserve to get knocked the hell out.

[Cringer]

I was entertained by the fight, that much is about all i can say. Vitali will be the champ for a while, probably knocking off the other guys down the road unless he just blows it. Then, as Lennox said before the fight, someone will step up from the amatuer ranks and in a few years hopefully we will have a real champ, maybe even some uality competition.

[sabotai]

Then, as Lennox said before the fight, someone will step up from the amatuer ranks and in a few years hopefully we will have a real champ, maybe even some uality competition.

This begs the question, what does Vitali have to do to be considered "a real champ"?

[GrantDawg]

This begs the question, what does Vitali have to do to be considered "a real champ"?
Have better competition (which is not fair because he cannot control that, but life isn't really fair).