Photo edit by LorinElise8
On April 25, 2015, Wladimir Klitschko (63-3, 53 KOs) will defend his Heavyweight division title for the 18th time against the undefeated American, Bryant Jennings (19-0, 10 KOs).
Coming off his last fight in November where Klitschko made Kubrat Pulev look like a rag doll, the Ukrainian is appearing more comfortable and confident in the ring than ever.
Will the undefeated Jennings fall to the same fate as Pulev and suffer his first loss? We’ll see.
Klitschko stands at a towering 6’6”, but his arm span seems to fall short at 81 inches. These numbers become more dramatic when they’re paired up against Jennings’ 6’2” height and 84 inch lengthy arm reach.
But numbers are just numbers. Klitschko has obviously worked his body type to his advantage over the course of his career.
Despite his range being a few inches shorter than what we would call ideal, Wlad can still work his range effectively and quickly. He may be a Heavyweight-knockout-loving kind of man, but he’s found a successful blueprint with the classic 1-2 approach, with his right being something to be feared.
Jennings is quick to admit that he has no interest in walking into any ring and swinging away loaded punches. His tactic rather, is to slowly make his opponents collapse into turmoil with good combos using the slow-cook-till-it’s-perfect technique.
We could very well be looking at a slower chess match in the early rounds here.
Can the American switch from methodical punches to effective heavy hands? Sure, we’ve seen that at least 10 times from him.
Can he do that against Wladimir Klitschko? That’s up for debate. A lot of it comes down to experience level, which is something that Jennings seriously lacks in this bout.
The Ukrainian is coming up on 40 years old, and has been professionally fighting since 1996, never mind his amateur career. The 30-year-old Jennings, on the other hand, had his pro debut in 2010.
It wouldn’t be that big of an issue if Jennings wasn’t so into having “life experience” as a main qualifier for sizing up fights.
I don’t think any of us should forget that before the Jennings vs. Mike Perez fight, Bryant was quoted as saying that because he had been on Earth longer, he had experienced more life events, and that would help him in the ring. What makes this quote even better is knowing that Perez is only a year younger than Jennings.
If you apply that logic to this bout, it sure seems like Jennings’ life experience basket is looking pretty empty next to Klitschko’s.
Despite the lack of life experience, being younger is a good thing for Jennings. He is technically more in the peak of his fitness, while Wlad is starting to reach his end.
Maybe Klitschko is strangely good at dancing around his opponents for his size, but when age comes into question, Jennings can dance faster.
Another disadvantage our defender faces is his notorious fragile chin.
The Ukrainian hides behind his jabs for a reason, and that’s because he really, really, doesn’t want to get hit. Yes, Klitschko has the footwork, the quick hands and power punches that I’m pretty sure Zeus wrote an ode to, but he’s got a horrible chin.
Now, Jennings is not about to shatter the glass jaw anytime in the beginning of the fight, but he’s going to continuously target Klitschko where it hurts and slowly break him down. If the American can stay in the pocket, avoiding those devastating straights, and aim his punches effectively, then some real damage can be done.
Jennings has been adamantly wanting this fight for a long time. He brings a lot of heart and desire to win into the ring, which ultimately brings this fight down to Experience vs. Heart.
Will Klitschko defend his title for the 18th consecutive time, or will Jennings be able to bring the title home to America?
Let us know where you stand and who you think will win Klitschko vs. Jennings with a comment below.
