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THE PROPHET HANDICAPS THE CALVIN BROCK/WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT
Shannon Briggs ended the Eastern European stranglehold on the heavyweight boxing
championship picture last Saturday with a late fight KO of Sergei Liahkovich.
Briggs, who was behind on most observers' scorecards, won the fight in emphatic
fashion by no only knocking his opponent out but through the ropes and out of
the ring. There's an old saying that "lightning never strikes twice" but
there's at least the opportunity for a similar occurrence coming up this weekend
when Wladimir Klitschko defends his claim to the world heavyweight title (he
currently holds the IBF belt) against undefeated Charlotte, NC native Calvin
Brock at Madison Square Garden in NYC. The fight will be televised on HBO
beginning at 10 PM EST.
Klitschko has done a decent job rebuilding his career under the tutelage of
legendary trainer Emmanuel Steward, and has now won four straight fights en
route to his matchup with Brewster. He dominated a once talented defensive
fighter in Chris Byrd last time out, decisioned powerful but limited Sam Peter
before that. He also has wins over DaVaryl Williamson and lightly regarded
Eliseo Castillo. Before that, "The Steel Hammer" was better known among boxing
aficionados as "The Glass Jaw" based on two knockout losses to Lamon Brewster
and Corrie Sanders. Manny Steward claims that Klischko's chin was never the
problem; rather it was his stamina which led him to punching himself out to the
point of fatigue leaving him fair game for his opponents.
When Klitschko fights a smart fight, pacing himself and working behind his
powerful jab he's a formidable opponent. His intrinsic talent is enhanced by
having the cagy veteran Steward in his corner, and when he executes Manny's
tactical designs he's able to leverage his considerable skills and minimize his
liabilities. At some point, however, many observers expect that Klitchiko will
revert to more of his old form either by failing to pace himself or by not
following his fight plan. If and when this happens, there's a good chance that
Klitchkio could get knocked out again.
It's really hard to get a read on Calvin Brock at this point due to his limited
experience with top notch opposition. He comes into this fight with a glossy
29-0 record, but with few opponents that even hardcore boxing enthusiasts would
recognize. His most impressive wins are arguably against Clifford Ettienne and
Jameel McCline. He's obviously not as big as the gargantuan Klitchiko, but has
decent size at 6'2" (compared to Wlad's 6'6") and reach at 77" (to Klitchiko's
81"). He's a real smart guy--one of the rare fighters who actually has a degree
in Business Administration from UNC-Charlotte. That's the origin of his
nickname "The Boxing Banker".
And that nickname is very apropos, since Brock is a smart, counterpunching
fighter who will do what it takes to win a match. He's a very patient fighter
who waits for opportunities to manifest themselves and doesn't take chances. He
moves well for a man his size and has good handspeed. He's also shown a lot of
heart and toughness--best example of this was his fight against a guy with
similar size to Klitchiko, 6'6" Jameel McCline. He was caught early on with a
perfect punch that sent him down for the first time in his career. He couldn't
have responded to this setback any better than he did, taking the fight to the
giant the rest of the way en route to a victory by unanimous decision. In other
words, he's shown the ability to get off the mat and get back in the fight,
something that has eluded Klitchiko in his KO losses.
In conclusion, this is a much closer fight that the current price indicates. In
Calvin Brock we're getting a smart, tough and skilled fighter against a favorite
in Klitchiko that has shown considerable in-ring liabilities including mental
and physical lapses in the past. Brock is a very live dog, and at the current
Pinnacle price of +351 he's definitely worth a shot.
BET CALVIN BROCK +351 OVER WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO