What Will The Post-Klitschko Heavyweight Division Look Like?

One brother is 41 and has a thriving second career in Politics while the other is 36 and has recently lost his long-time trainer; will there ever be a better time for Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko to walk away from it all?

There has been much talk of a post-Klitschko heavyweight division lately and for good reason.

Vitali already has his own political party in Ukraine and since December 15, is a member of Parliament there. Wladimir has literally run out of credible opponents to fight and the loss of trainer and close friend Emanuel Steward, who had completely rebuilt Klitschko’s career since 2004, was a major blow.

It would make sense for the brothers to retire together, as their stated shared career goals were to hold all the heavyweight titles simultaneously, which was achieved in 2011.

So, what would the heavyweight scene look like if the Klitschkos announced their retirement tomorrow?

The division is mostly littered with former Klitschko title challengers of various abilities and also features a raft of promising young guns who have the advantage of never having taken a beating at the hands of Vitali or Wladimir.

Additionally, there is another heavyweight titlist out there not named Klitschko, WBA “regular” belt holder Alexander Povetkin, 25-0 (17), of Russia, who won the vacant crown in 2011 with a points verdict against ex-WBO boss Ruslan Chagaev, 30-2-1 (19), who himself has three straight wins over journeymen and will likely get another title shot within a year.

Povetkin’s promise was greatly damaged a year ago when he was lucky to fend off a ferocious title challenge from WBO Cruiserweight king Marco Huck and a second round KO of greatly faded former world champ Hasim Rahman in September did nothing to change that.

The Russian has good skills but the Huck fight exposed his difficulty in dealing with a determined, offensive minded opponent.

America’s Chris Arreola, 35-2 (30), who was stopped by Vitali Klitschko during a WBC title challenge in 2009, is a big puncher but has trouble dealing with good boxers. In March, he’ll face Canadian Bermane Stiverne, 22-1 (20), in a fight Arreola should win, in a WBC final eliminator.

Former Cuban amateur star Odlanier Solis, 18-1 (12), suffered an injury related WBC title challenge loss to Vitali Klitschko in 2011 but returned with a win this past May against German veteran Konstantin Airich. Solis has superb abilities and could definitely be a force in the division.

There are a gaggle of former cruiserweights now campaigning at heavyweight, foremost among them is former cruiserweight world champ and ex-WBA heavyweight title holder David Haye, 26-2 (24).

England’s Haye fell far short of unseating Wladimir Klitschko in 2011, offering up a lackluster unification challenge, but Haye could definitely regain world title status as he has possibly the fastest hands in the division and can really punch, as evidenced by his fifth round TKO in July of iron-chinned Dereck Chisora, 15-4 (9), who gave Vitali Klitschko a stern test a year ago.

Three more ex-cruiserweights are on the scene are Tomasz Adamek, 48-2 (29), Steve Cunningham, 25-5 (12), and Johnathon Banks, 29-1 (19).

Adamek, who previously held the WBC Light Heavy and IBF Cruiserweight straps, mounted a two year drive at heavyweight, culminating in a WBC title stoppage loss against Vitali Klitschko in 2011. The Polish veteran recently won the IBF #2 position in an eliminator, defeating former cruiser world champ Cunningham in a rematch, but Adamek’s performance was uninspired and it is widely thought he did not deserve the victory.

On the strength of his Adamek rematch performance, America’s Cunningham could land an important fight but without benefit of a big punch, could have difficulty against many of the super-sized contenders of the division

America’s Banks, who left the cruiser ranks following an IBF title loss to Adamek in 2009, has campaigned successfully against journeymen heavyweights since that point but made a breakthrough in November by stopping highly touted prospect Seth Mitchell, 25-1-1 (19), in two rounds during a WBC semi-final eliminator.

Banks and Mitchell tangle again next month for two regional titles. The winner could be in line for a title shot before the year is out.

Top up and comers are two Europeans. First off is Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pullev, 17-0 (9), who is coming off consecutive KO wins against the pair of Alexander Ustinov and Alexander Dimitrenko.

The other is Finland’s Robert Helenius, 18-0 (11), who knocked out former world champs Siahei Liakhovich and Samuel Peter in 2011.

Both fighters were put on an accelerated plan of development and have responded well. Pullev picked up the IBF International and European belts while Helenius, who also held the European crown and three regional titles, hit a roadblock of sorts in a split decision win against Dereck Chisora in 2011 and had to take a tune up bout against Sherman Williams in December after sitting out a year.

England has a pair of hot prospects, Tyson Fury, 20-0 (14), and David Price, 15-0 (13), who are likely headed to a massive domestic showdown before either will challenge for a world title.

These Brits genuinely don’t like each other and have a shared history as Price dropped and defeated Fury in the amateurs. Additionally, Fury vacated the British title rather than to face Price, and although that was likely a financial move, it did add fuel to their collective grudge.

Fury is coming off an impressive win earlier this month against ex-world title challenger Kevin Johnson while Price meets former world title challenger Tony Thompson in February.

Price had some difficulty in coping with domestic veteran Matt Skelton before producing a second round body shot KO and it will be interesting to see how he does against southpaw Thompson.

Former American Olympian Deontay Wilder, 26-0 (26), has built an impressive record on paper but is still an unknown commodity as he has yet to face quality veteran opposition, which will hopefully happen some time this year.