Boxing Preview Analysis: Chris Byrd – Wladimir Klitschko II

This Saturday in Mannheim, Germany Chris Byrd makes the fifth defence of the IBF World Heavyweight Title against a man he knows very well, Wladimir Klitschsko.For Byrd, now 35 years of age, this could be the toughest test of his three and a half year reign which began in December 2002 when he outpointed veteran Evander Holyfield.

Klitschko on boxing ability alone should have been a champion a long time ago. Yes, he’s held the WBO title but with his size and boxing skill he was being groomed as a dominant champion and an heir apparent to Lennox Lewis. But while Wlad was suffering shock defeats to the likes of Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster, older brother Vitali was winning the WBC championship. With big brother’s retirement. this is Wlad’s big chance.

The two men know each other very well. In fact, back in 2000 Klitschko won his WBO title by oupointing Byrd over twelve rounds. All seemed to be going well for Wlad until he ran into South African Corrie Sanders and was blown away in two rounds in early 2003. Klitschko rebounded with two wins before being given a chance at his old WBO title against American Lamon Brewster. For four rounds things seemed to be going well until the towering Ukrainian ran out of gas and was stopped in five.

There seemed to be nowhere to go for Wlad after this setback but once again he set upon the comeback trail and has earned this shot at Byrd by outpointing the dangerous Samuel Peter in September.

For Byrd, this is a big test in his title reign and hopefully he is being paid well for traveling to Germany to risk the marbles. He started his career back in 1993 as a middleweight and has amassed a respectable record of 39-2-1 with 20 KOS and has held the heavyweight championship twice. In addition to his championship reigns, his record boasts some impressive names. Vitali Klitschko, David Tua, Evander Holyfield and Jameel McCline have all been beaten by “Rapid Fire”.

It seems strange to me that a man who started his career as a middleweight and has won the title on two occasions and on more than one instance, has beaten men much bigger than himself, isn’t treated with more respect.

Well, this Saturday again he meets someone much bigger than himself and it’s a situation that he’s very used to. Klitschko, for his size, has shown some serious fragility in his career and is so vulnerable to a big punch. It was touch and go against Peter in his last outing but thankfully for his sake, he doesn’t have that problem this time.

Once again, Byrd will look to box the bigger man and is arguably a better fighter than the fighter who lost to Wlad five and a half years ago. He also has defeated men a similar size to Klitschko in his current title reign.

That being said, Klitschko’s boxing skills are far superior to the big men Byrd has faced and that’s what it boils down to in this fight. To beat Wlad you need to hurt him and I don’t think that’s what will happen come Saturday night.

In a fight that I think will go the distance, I think Byrd may have his moments but ultimately will just fall short and lose a decision.