Don King can rejoice. His protОgО Lamon Brewster won the bout with Klychko and fulfilled the hopes of the American promoter, earning the WBO champion’s title. Meanwhile, Klychko the younger did not simply lose. By all accounts, he has been wiped out by a little-known boxer for a second time in a year. However, while Volodymyr lost the bout with Sanders for lack of experience and because of his insistence on an immediate rematch, which proved disastrous for him, everything looked much more serious in the bout with Brewster. Klychko seemed to have major problems with winner’s psychology. After all, he could send Brewster to the ropes after knocking him down with a straight left in the fourth round. Incidentally, this reminds me of older brother Vitaly’s bout with Lewis, when he did not finish off Lewis in a similar situation, while Lewis only thanked him for this and won by technical knockout.
The impression from the Sunday bout is that Volodymyr lacked freedom and confidence in his strength. Perhaps the defeat from Sanders affected Klychko emotionally and psychologically much more than we were led to believe. Volodymyr is a wonderful and skilled boxer, but when it comes to a slugfest, where both deliver and receive real haymakers, Volodymyr falls apart like a dandelion. The fact is that he, so big and heavy, is not accustomed to getting a thorough beating. Brewster was prepared for such turns in the bout, and therefore endured the knockdown in clinches, damping Klychko’s limp attacks. Meanwhile, Volodymyr appears not to know what to do in such critical situations. Could Steward not have practiced defense with his disciple, betting on attacks alone? This sounds like a rhetorical question given the results of the bout. After sustaining a series of punches in the fifth round, Klychko not only stopped trying to defend himself but propped himself with his elbows on the ropes as if inviting Brewster to deliver the final punch, which he did, ending the bout with three jabs. Incidentally, this he did to the great delight of Sanders, who was watching the bout in the Mandalay Bay Hotel.
At the end of round five after the bell, our boxer landed all of his 110 kilograms on the referee and had to be propped up by him to return to his corner. Volodymyr also leaned his bulk on Brewster in round four. It did not take an expert to see that Klychko’s physical condition would not let him last the whole bout. But when it shows in round two... What about a most experienced coach Emmanuel Steward stating categorically that Klychko is ready as never before? Or has the defeat from Sanders resulted in a subconscious fear of losing again? After all, if you fear something too much, it’s bound to happen by virtue of some unfathomable law. After the bout Volodymyr said that his condition was worsening with each passing second, and he could not help it. For this reason he did not knock out Brewster in round four. Meanwhile, Vitaly said that something very harmful was discovered in his brother’s blood samples after the bout. According to one of the versions, Klychko the younger was poisoned. According to another version, which is also unofficial, his blood sugar level exceeded the norm several times over.
Despite all these versions the main reason behind the defeat appears to be Volodymyr’s amateurish attitude toward professional boxing. Unfortunately, after turning pro, Volodymyr failed to fully experience all the nuances of this completely different sport. As former coach of the Klychko brothers Volodymyr Zolotariov, who trained the brothers for the Atlanta Olympics, rightly noted in an interview with champion.com.ua, “I told them to fight twelve-round matches so that they could see what professional boxing really feels like. But they fought with weak boxers and won in the opening rounds. They haven’t felt it. And only when Volodymyr lost to Purity did it become clear that he lacks focus and stamina.” Commentator Volodymyr Hendling said the same after the bout, stressing that German promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl did a disservice to Volodymyr by setting him up with palookas instead of boxers, which caused the brothers to relax. Meanwhile, bouts in which even a skilled athlete meets a real killer and street fighter often end just like this one. After all, Brewster promised a perfect slugfest.
On April 24 Vitaly will attempt to sweeten the bitter pill by defeating Corrie Sanders. However, after Volodymyr’s defeat this bout does not seem as important as before, since those ready to commit assault and battery on Klychko the younger are already standing in line.
