The heavyweight title fight between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko lived up to exceeded the hype. With 90,000 British boxing fans at Wembley Stadium cheering him on, Joshua (19-0-0, 19 KO) knocked out Klitschko (64-5-0, 53 KO) in the 11th round in the best heavyweight title fight in recent memory. The fight featured everything a fight fan could ask for. Both fighters displayed tactical skills, brute strength, heart and determination. Plus boxing fans didn’t have to shell out $60+ to watch it on pay-per-view.
The moment I feared for Joshua came to fruition in the sixth round. After dropping and seriously hurting Klitschko in the fifth round, Joshua exhausted himself trying to finish off the former champion. In the sixth, a weary Joshua found himself on the end of one of Klitschko’s trademark right hands. For the first time in his professional career, the knockout artist found himself on the canvas and in serious trouble.
Once he rose to his feet, it was evident by his unsteady legs that one more big shot could’ve ended Joshua’s night early. The 18 bums he faced prior to Klitschko could not have possibly prepared him for that situation. No one could have possibly known he would handle such adversity – not the corner men, the commentators nor the crowd.
Joshua had to prove to himself that he had the heart to survive. Fatigued, hurt, dizzy and embarrassed, Joshua had two options: fight or flight. The IBF champion kept his cool and managed to survive the round.
In a testament to his ring IQ, Joshua took the next few rounds to clear his head and restore the stability in his legs. Once the cobwebs cleared, Joshua bounced back like Big Sean and landed an uppercut that nearly decapitated his opponent.
How Klitschko stayed on his feet (briefly) after Joshua’s brutal 11th round uppercut is one of the world’s great unsolved mysteries. It was the perfect punch. Once it landed, Klitschko’s fate was sealed and Joshua’s ascension to the throne was complete. Yes, Joshua came into the fight as the IBF champion, but one without a signature victory. By knocking out Klitschko, Joshua established himself as the man to beat and has now pulled the heavyweight division off life support. As the late, great Muhamad Ali would say, “The champ is here!”
Canelo vs Chavez
The sport of boxing is riding the wave of the Joshua-Klitschko fight right into what should be another exciting battle. This weekend Canelo Alvarez (48-1-1, 34 KO) will face off against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (50-2-1, 32 KO) in a thrilling catchweight contest.
Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the bout will televised on PPV. Still, with two Mexican warriors fighting on May Day weekend, Golden Boy Promotions should make a nice chunk of change on the bout.
Though there are no titles on the line, the bout features two popular and exciting fighters and should be every bit as thrilling as last week’s heavyweight matchup.
Despite being the smaller man, Alvarez enters the fight as a big favorite and deservedly so. Alvarez always shows up motivated and ready to fight. Chavez has always had tons of talent but his love for partying and ‘herbal’ supplements seems to have prevented him from ever reaching the full potential suggested by his bloodline.
Assuming Chavez makes the 164.5-pound catchweight, some level of discipline had to be present during his training. That will help make the fight a competitive bout. However, questionable dedication just won’t get it done at the highest level. Prediction: Canelo Alvarez wins via unanimous decision in an exciting affair.
Coach Quin sees the second round
Some of my former Mizzou classmates still hold a grudge against current Utah Jazz coach (and former Tigers coach) Quin Snyder for how his stay in Columbia ended. I’ll have none of it. I’m ecstatic to see the former Mizzou coach in the second round of the NBA playoffs.
Snyder brought swag and success to the Tigers during his seven year tenure from 1999-2006. Sure, there were some personal and team failures during his final three years. But I still have fond memories of guys like Keyon Dooling, Kareem Rush, Rickey Paulding, Arthur Johnson and Co. roaming the court in Columbia. Snyder leading the #12 seed Tigers to the Elite Eight in 2002 is particularly memorable.
Snyder has had a long, arduous coaching career since he left Columbia that has included stops with the Austin Toros, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, CSKA Moskow and Atlanta Hawks. Now Snyder has a promising and talented young team with the Jazz.
Now Sonny Snyder brought out the Salt Lake swag to help clip the league’s perennial most-underachieving team and send Doc Rivers, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan back to Los Angeles.
Even though the Golden State Warriors pointed out that Salt Lake City is one of the most-boring NBA cities when it comes to nightlife, the product Snyder has on the court is one of the more exciting teams in the league. The Jazz will get spanked by the Warriors, but if the front office in Utah can keep the team’s nucleus together, specifically Rudy Gobert and Gordon Heyward, brighter days are certainly ahead for the Jazz.
Big Baller Brand DOA
LaVar Ball seems addicted to taking Ls on social media. Last week, the talking father of UCLA standout Lonzo Ball, was mocked on the Internet after it was revealed that Nike, Adidas and Under Armour all passed on endorsement agreements with Lonzo due to LaVar’s insistence of licensing deal with his Big Baller Brand.
This week, it was revealed that LaVar Ball is seeking a $200 price point for his son’s first shoe with BBB and a yet-to-be-determined partner. That would make the retail cost of Ball’s shoes more expensive than signature shoes by Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, James Harden and others.
I have no beef with LaVar Ball’s desire to have more control over his son’s brand, but with all the outlandish quotes and expectations, I’m starting to think that maybe Ball is the first and only Ph.D. recipient from Trump University.
Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @IshmaelSistrunk
