Vitali Klitschko vs Chris Arreola
WBC Heavyweight Title Fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles
Aug 13, 2009
Speaking to a packed press hall, Klitschko and Arreola worked to promote a fight that hardly needs promoting. Their September 26 showdown at the Staples Center is the first heavyweight fight to generate a real buzz in the U.S. since Roy Jones Jr. versus John Ruiz.
Arreola, 28, a Southern California native, has the chance to be the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent in the history of the sport. The 28-year old slugger has dispatched 24 of his 27 opponents within the distance. He doesn't expect his fight for the title to go the distance either.
"One of us is going to get hurt. I just hope it isn't me. I don't need to trash-talk." Then he proceeded to do just that. "I'm going to make him a statistic. They'll ask, 'Who's the guy Arreola beat to become the first Mexican heavyweight champ'?"s
Vitali Klitschko and Chris Arreola Show Their Humility
Klitschko proved to be the longer winded of the two fighters, at least during the press conference. Practically dripping with humility, the 38-year-old WBC champion did his best to make sure everyone knew that he really could lose the fight.
"Most people don't believe the fight will go twelve rounds. I don't know who will win. Mexicans have big hearts." And the big guy didn't stop there. I'm impressed with his skills. Nobody can predict a winner."
While it is odd hearing such candor from a prize fighter, It is understandable coming from heavyweights, where everyone punches hard and one punch can turn a fight, or a career. This is especially true when said heavyweights flash such impressive knockout records. Of Klitschko's 37 victories, only one has gone the distance.
Klitschko and Arreola Throw Punches
Power is nice, but it's meaningless if a fighter doesn't throw punches, which is too often the case among heavyweights. Not so with these characters. Klitschko, unlike his cautious brother, and fellow world title holder, Wladimir, comes to fight. unlike Wladimir, Vitali's punches aren't always textbook straight, and he may lack some of the athleticism that his younger sibling possesses, but his punches can show up from funny angles. He isn't afraid to throw punches, either. Six feet seven inches and 240 pounds of Ukrainian bone and muscle will enter the ring intent on knocking Arreola out.
At 6'4" and a likely 240 pounds, Arreola is a big heavyweight, even by modern standards, but he's more dangerous than most simply because he throws punches by the dozen and keeps throwing until there is no one left in front of him to swing at.
Both fighters can seem a little awkward, but that only adds to the excitement. Awkward fighters land punches you can't see, and they get hit with punches they should have seen coming, but didn't.
This fight won't make it past round ten.
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