By Cliff Rold

The people asked for unification.  They got ignored.  They asked some more.  They got ignored some more.  They asked some more after that and, well, redundancy begins to beckon.  Redundant is a way to describe the round-robin of Heavyweight belt rotations that the division has undergone since the 2004 retirement of Lennox Lewis and subsequent record-long vacancy in the Heavyweight championship of the world.

Four sanctioning body belts and even a poorly placed (on Vitali Klitschko) Ring Magazine title have rotated between approximately a dozen men since that retirement.  This Saturday night on HBO (9:30 PM EST/6:30 PM PST) marks the first time two of them have faced each other over that span.  It’ll be the universally recognized leading contender to the empty throne, 31-year old Ukrainian IBF titlist Wladimir Klitschko (49-3, 44 KO) facing off with 32-year old Russian WBO titlist Sultan Ibragimov (22-0-1, 17 KO). 

Barring a draw, we’ll be down to three men claiming some alphabeltical right to the top of the mountain.  Are Klitschko and Ibragimov ready to sharpen up their ABC’s? 

Let’s go to the report card.

Speed:  Klitschko is faster of hand than most men who run 6’6 ½ and some 240-plus pounds.  He’s not generally faster than Ibragimov.  This is the category where the Russian holds his biggest advantage.  Operating from a southpaw stance, when the 6’2 Ibragimov comes forward he does so behind a quick right jab, followed by fluid combinations, and punctuated by his right hook to the head and body.  As his competition has increased, he’s also shown that his massive amateur experience can allow him to box going backwards in spots.  The problem there is that, while he has pretty good balance, he doesn’t have particularly fast feet.  Neither does Klitschko, whose long frame often makes his footwork appear awkward.  49 times, he’s made up for it with the telephone pole he calls his left jab and straight laser of a right hand that closes with speed and snap.  For Ibragimov to utilize any stopwatch advantage he holds, he’ll have to move forward and get inside both of those weapons.  Moving backwards, he’ll leave himself at range and find it a long night trying to avoid the bombs that will chase him.  Pre-Fight Grades: Klitschko B; Ibragimov B+

Power:   Ibragimov’s minor speed advantage is countered by a major league power disadvantage.  Looking at the numbers on his record, one might think otherwise but there’s more to a record than numbers.  Ibragimov has never knocked out anyone that would be considered more than a journeyman but he also wasn’t sitting on his shots much against his last two foes, former World Heavyweight champions Shannon Briggs and Evander Holyfield.  Klitschko has knocked out real contenders like Jameel McCline, Chris Byrd, and Calvin Brock.  He badly staggered a normally sturdy Samuel Peter.  Most frightening for Ibragimov, Klitschko almost decapitated the same Ray Austin who gave Sultan his toughest fight, even putting him on the floor.  Klitschko’s also been stopped three times and one of those stoppages may be the key to pulling the upset.  Wladimir’s 2003 loss to Corrie Sanders should be the tape of choice in Camp Ibragimov; in that bout, a shorter, faster southpaw slipped past Wlad’s jab, crowded him, and whacked him hard with the right hand.  Klitschko’s power advantage could be negated by a generally questionable chin and, though not a huge puncher, Ibragimov will be good enough to carry a puncher’s chance in this bout.  Pre-Fight Grades: Klitscko A; Ibragimov B

Defense:  Ibragimov uses good head movement and can be tight defensively when moving forward but has a bad habit of squaring up as he moves backwards or in offensive transition as he did often against Holyfield. When he does so, he often leaves his hands hanging too loosely in front of his face.  Past opponents have been able to punch through his gloves in those spots.  Other times, he can drop his left hand altogether.  Either scenario makes him susceptible to Klitschko’s right hand, a shot he wants to avoid.  Klitschko is no defensive marvel in his own right.  However, since the loss to Lamon Brewster he has been far more willing to jab and then hold an opponent before stepping out to make new room for himself.  The tactic allows him to use the leverage of his massive body to tire foes, especially important if the fight goes long.  It’s a tactic we may see a lot of if Ibragimov has early success in landing his right.  Pre-Fight Grades: Klitschko B; Ibragimov B

Intangibles: In the only real back and forth struggle he’s been in, Ibragimov traded knockdowns with Austin on the way to a draw.  Ibragimov’s moment on the floor was more dramatic, coming in the tenth round with fatigue heavy upon him.  He got up and did what he had to do, punching and holding, to survive the round and make it the full twelve.  He’s got heart.  So does Klitschko.  For all the criticism he’s taken, a lot of it earned, Klitschko has always tried to get up no matter how hurt he’s been.  He wants to win even in the moments where his body pursues other plans.  That’s a good quality.  In this bout, it’s unlikely that either man will truly be gut checked though.  If Ibragimov wins, it will probably be with a stunning assault a la Sanders.  Klitschko is a threat to incapacitate Ibragimov with every right hand.  This one should end with someone on the floor, and heart isn’t the key to that.  Pre-Fight Grades: Klitschko B; Ibragimov B

Overall Report Card: Klitschko B+; Ibragimov B

The Pick:   Ibragimov’s chances this Saturday are few.  Klitschko has been an unpredictable performer in the past but betting on that would only have gotten someone paid on 3 of 52 trips to the ring.  Those are bad odds.  Klitschko has the far superior professional resume in terms of quality wins and appears to have the physical advantage by some stretch.  Where to fathom that anyone who would struggle with Austin, and at times with the ancient Holyfield, topples the Wladimir that has been seen since he started working with Emanuel Steward?  I don’t know where and I don’t expect this to be much of show.  It will at least separate some wheat from chaff, with Klitschko the pick inside eight rounds.

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com