Caution dominated in the camp of the Atlanta 1996 Olympics heavyweight boxing champion Volodymyr Klytchko before his Sunday bout with DaVarryl Williamson. Speaking at a news conference, Volodymyr said rather ambiguously: “DaVarryl, please don’t practice too hard before the bout. I’m not all that big and strong. I have no stamina, character, or ability to withstand punches.” This nonplused the boxing community. Was it a sarcastic response to the opponent’s criticism the other day? Yet in the five rounds of the Sunday bout Klytchko failed to provide a clear answer to this question. After the bout Klytchko’s coach Emmanuel Steward said the reason for Volodymyr’s lackluster performance was not his deteriorating skill, but the unwillingness of his British opponent to box actively. In principle, it is quite clear what DaVarryl’s strategy had been. He had seen enough bouts fought by younger Klytchko and drew his own conclusions. Williamson did not even attempt to conceal the fact that he was going to tire his opponent out in the first half of the bout and then do what Lamon Brewster accomplished in his WBO title bout with Volodymyr this past April. “My style is based on stamina and tiring the opponent out. But all my plans were frustrated unexpectedly, and I couldn’t finish my business,” Williamson said regretfully after the bout. There no doubt were things to feel sorry about.
After knocking Klytchko down early in round four, Williamson gave it to understand that his tactics are paying off. Yet Volodymyr should be given his due. He didn’t seem doomed after the knockdown, but instead engaged in a slugfest and by the end of round four almost knocked Williamson down to the mat. Yet the Briton stood fast, and in round five Volodymyr suffered a disadvantage that is common for white boxers as compared to dark-skinned athletes, namely more sensitive skin. After an unsuccessful attack Volodymyr knocked his head against Williamson’s, instantly conjuring up in the spectators’ minds the image of blood-soaked Vitaly Klytchko shouting “Nein!” at the top of his voice. Yet this time around nobody screamed. The bout was stopped, and when the medics were unable to stop the bleeding (the official diagnosis read: “bone- deep, uneven wound in the right part of the forehead”), it was up to the judges to decide the outcome of the bout. Less than a half into the bout Volodymyr won by points. Two judges had Klytchko winning 49-46, while the third had Williamson ahead 48-47, which resulted in a victory with a bitter taste for the Ukrainian athlete, as Klytchko’s team later commented on the bout.
Yet it is too early to answer the question that Volodymyr Klychko posed unwittingly. It is perhaps Volodymyr’s nervousness that catches the eye, something he had not been known for previously. Nonetheless, the bout has shown that Volodymyr is still a top fighter. His punch is still heavy. It will be recalled that 39 of his 43 victories were by knockout. Thus, it is too early for Volodymyr to contemplate a career of a Hollywood star. Recall Vitaly Klytchko’s words, who suggested that should Volodymyr lose this time, he had better quit sports and begin a career in filmmaking.
