Last night under the bright lights at Madison Square Garden in New York, IBF Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko regained his pre-2003 form and displayed the best boxing skills in the division enroute to stopping an outgunned Calvin Brock in the seventh round.

Maybe it came down to Brock not being prepared for this level of competition as his last five bouts consisted of such grade B opposition as Jameel McCline, Kenny Craven, David Bostice, Zuri Lawrence and Timor Ibragimov.

Possibly it was just that Klitschko had finally shaken the mojo that Corrie Sanders had applied to him three and a half years ago, as the big Ukrainian kept Brock largely at bay with his long, bracing jab followed up with the heavy right hand and snappy left hook when the challenger got in close.

Regardless of what ingredients went into last night's bout, it's clear that Wladimir Klitschko is the top man at heavyweight, putting the sturdy-chinned Brock away with the seventh with a surgically precise left - right combination that had the previously undefeated challenger canvas bound and then stopped moments later.

With this showing, a unification bout between Klitschko and any of the other reigning heavyweight titlists would do huge business in America. A contest against newly minted WBO kingpin Shannon Briggs likely gathering the most interest while a possible assignment against WBA goliath Nickolay Valuev carries the most danger for Big Wlad.

Click to read more boxing articles by Richard Eberline

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