Boxing Preview: Vitali Klitschko vs. Cristobal Arreola

Tonight at Staples Center in Los Angeles, the WBC heavyweight title is up for grabs as Vitali Klitschko defends against undefeated Cristobal Arreola over 12 scheduled rounds.

During the media buildup to this one, a lot has been made of the power of Arreola, 27-0 (24), by his promoters and while it's true that their man does have a very good punch, it pales in comparison with that of Klitschko.

Towering Vitali, 37-2 (36), has belted out every one of his victims with the exception of fellow 6'7 tall Timo Hoffman when the two clashed for the European title in 2000.

And that's what this fight comes down to in a nutshell; can Arreola take Klitschko's punches for all 12 frames?

Most of Klitschko's stoppages over the last 10 years have been in the later rounds. Since losing a controversial bout to Lennox Lewis in 2003, four of Vitali's five finishings have been in the eighth or ninth rounds.

It's not just that he hits hard, his shots come from unexpected angles and are very hard to defend against. Klitschko also uses his height expertly on defense, pulling away from punches and providing an awkward target that leads to much frustration for opponents.

For Arreola, this challenge of Klitschko is going to be a big jump from his last three opponents: Jameel McCline, Travis Walker and Israel Carlos Garcia.

Although the Californian has had 27 bouts, there seems to be a missing step or two between McCline and Klitschko and that could prove to be a bad shock to the likable Arreola.

Why not fight a few of the current WBC top ten rated opponents first? If Arreola's handlers believe he'll beat Klitschko then he'd more than likely get past Oleg Maskaev, DaVarryl Williamson, Juan Carlos Gomez or Denis Boystov.

There's also the more difficult younger fighters such as Alexander Povetkin, Kevin Johnson, Manuel Quezada and Odlanier Solis.

Klitschko will likely still be champion in a year's time, he'd also be 39 and if Arreola got through a trio of progressively tougher fights, he'd be much better equipped to deal with what he's going to face against Vitali.

But obviously none of that is going to happen and that's why one reason it will be very difficult for Chris Arreola to unseat Vitali Klitschko tonight at Staples Center.