Klitschko Exorcises His Demon
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by user Tyrone Briggs
"I have a family at home. Klitschko was the better man tonight. He had a good jab. I knew that I couldn't take those punches all night." - Lamon Brewster (as told to HBO's Larry Merchant)
While the rest of the world breathlessly witnessed an epic "rock, paper, scissors" contest on ESPN2, a heavyweight boxing match was fought in Cologne, Germany last night.
Wladimir Klitschko (49-3) scored a 6 round TKO against Lamon Brewster (33-4) in a rematch to avenge his previous loss to the American which resulted in 3 years of questioning the Ukrainian's heart and commitment in the ring. Those concerns were well put to rest by Klitschko's superior presence in the ring as Brewster's corner man Buddy McGirt ultimately requested a stoppage in the fight.
Brewster did not protest with his trainer. During the entire fight, he had absolutely no answer for Klitschko's commanding and persistent jab. And when later interviewed, the defeated boxer agreed with McGirt's assessment that prolonging the fight was only postponing the inevitable while increasing the risk of serious injury. Brewster freely admitted to Merchant that his future in the sport was uncertain and that his family and future health were paramount. He later congratulated Klitschko for his dominanting performance and thanked him for the opportunity to fight.
As for Klitschko, perhaps now is the time (he is already 31 years old) for a return to the United States and pursue a lucrative unification heavyweight championship match. The Ukrainian fighter seemed eager to prove his dominance in the division and pointedly asked Merchant during the post-fight interview who the HBO viewing audience wanted him to fight next.
It is no secret that the heavyweight boxing division has been in complete shambles since the retirement of a highly underappreciated masterfully fundamental fighter in the ring, Lennox Lewis. Perhaps Klitschko, now very much in the prime of his career, is able to step forward and become its undisputed champion.
