Saturday, April 03, 2004
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ROYCE FEOUR: Klitschkos on verge of `unified' titles

Wladimir Klitschko, right, lands a right hand to the head of Jameel McCline in their WBO heavyweight title fight on Dec. 7, 2002, at Mandalay Bay. REVIEW-JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Two years ago the Klitschko brothers were talking about being heavyweight champions at the same time, essentially unifying the titles between them because they won't fight each other.

Such a possibility didn't seem imminent then. Lennox Lewis was justifiably considered the heavyweight champion, and it didn't matter who else had a belt, despite the presence of prominent players such as Evander Holyfield, John Ruiz and Chris Byrd.

Wladimir Klitschko had the WBO heavyweight title then, though he lost it when he was knocked out in the second round by Corrie Sanders in Germany in a big surprise. But Lewis has retired, and now the door is open for the Klitschkos to accomplish their goal.

Now it would be a bigger surprise if both Klitschkos do not simultaneously own heavyweight titles this month.

Wladimir Klitschko will try to regain the vacant WBO title when he faces Lamon Brewster on April 10 at Mandalay Bay, and Vitali Klitschko will meet Sanders for the WBC belt vacated by Lewis on April 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Wladimir is an 11-1 favorite over Brewster, while Vitali is nearly a 4-1 favorite over Sanders.

But though it obviously would be a fine feat for brothers to hold titles at the same time, let's put this into perspective.

The WBO belt isn't nearly as significant as the three major titles, which at least have tradition even if the sanctioning bodies leave something to be desired.

The WBO title is vacant because Sanders wouldn't defend it against Brewster, whom he probably would have beaten. In the politics of boxing organizations, Sanders lost his title outside the ring.

Wladimir Klitschko is fortunate that beating Brewster is all he has to do. After showing early promise, Brewster has been a disappointment. He lost two out of three fights in 2000 to Clifford Etienne and Charles Shufford. Since then he has won five straight against weak opposition, which gets him a title shot. So goes the WBO. If Brewster is a No. 2 contender, the sport is in bad shape.

Wladimir Klitschko was considered the better of the brothers until two things happened last year. First, he went down four times against the unheralded Sanders, who was on the verge of retirement. Sanders can punch, but he might be a better golfer than boxer.

Then, Vitali Klitschko, still carrying the stigma of quitting while leading Chris Byrd in 2000, redeemed himself in a TKO loss to Lewis on June 21 at the Staples Center. Klitschko had won four of the six completed rounds when the ringside doctor correctly stopped the fight because of a bad cut over Klitschko's left eye.

Vitali certainly did well while it lasted against Lewis and a rematch would have been intriguing. But it looked like Lewis was coming on and would have stopped Klitschko in the next round or two had the bout not been halted.

The Klitschkos are big, smart and have enough skills to be dangerous. They also have one new advantage which ought not be underestimated: the coaching of Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward.

Wouldn't it be ironic if Lewis decided to come back and found his former trainer, Steward, in the opposite corner with Vitali Klitschko?

With both Klitschkos favored to win this month, it would help boxing to have the brothers as champions because they are interesting, intelligent and likeable.

But what does it do for the sport's credibility to have one Klitschko champion for beating Lamon Brewster and another Klitschko champion for beating Corrie Sanders?

Royce Feour's boxing column is published Saturday. He can be reached by phone at 383-0354, fax at 383-4676 or e-mail at rfeour@reviewjournal.com.