Stop me if this sounds familiar: America's heavyweight hopes rest on the shoulders of a boxer nicknamed "the Rock" while the contenders are Russians.
No, this isn't the plot of Rocky VI. It's simply the current state of affairs in the heavyweight division.
With Hasim Rahman's WBC belt, there is currently only one American heavyweight champion. Eastern Europe/Russia is home to the other three major heavyweight championships: Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine (IBF), Sergei Liakhovich of Belarus (WBO) and Russian Nicolay Valuev (WBA). There are also a few Eastern European prospects that could eventually make some noise in the heavyweight division. Here's a look at the current champs and the up-and-comers:
Wladimir Klitschko (Ukraine)
**Current IBF heavyweight champion**
46-3 (41 KOs)
30 years old
The younger brother of former world heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir himself was one of boxing's biggest draws before being knocked out by to Corrie Sanders (2nd round in March 2003) and Lamon Brewster (5th round in April 2004). Recent wins over Samuel Peter and Chris Byrd (for a second time) not only gave him a championship, but has vaulted him back to the top of the heavyweight division.
For a big man, Klitschko possesses good speed and mobility, as well as an improved technique since bringing Emanuel Steward into his corner. Klitschko is also well-spoken, so he's fairly easy to market. As an entire package, he's not only one of the most appreciated heavyweights, but also one of the most respected. He wants to unify the division and has as good of a chance as any current heavyweight.
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Sergei Liakhovich (Belarus)
**Current WBO heavyweight champion**
23-1 (14 KOs)
29 years old
Liakhovich scored a huge upset in April when he defeated then WBO champion Lamon Brewster by unanimous decision. In doing so, his name was instantly thrust into the debate of "Who is the top heavyweight today?"
Liakhovich first came onto the scene when he beat then-undefeated Friday Ahunanya for the minor NABA heavyweight title on the undercard for the Lennox Lewis-Hasim Rahman fight at Mandalay Bay in November 2001.
His record — albeit it against weak opponents until recently (Brewster and a ten-round unanimous decision over Dominick Guinn in 2004) — and current heavyweight belt shows "The White Wolf" can be a serious threat in the division, especially how wide open it has become.
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Nikolay Valuev (Russia)
**Current WBA heavyweight champion**
43-0 (31 KOs)
32 years old
Don't let the title and the gaudy record fool you: Valuev is nothing more than a traveling sideshow act. At 7'0" and 320 pounds, he towers over opponents and with his hirsute body and B-movie bad guy looks, Valuev seems terribly imposing and like a legitimate boxer. Look no further than his next fight to see otherwise.
In his first title defense since beating a quickly-declining John Ruiz in December 2005 for the WBA title, Valuev will face Jamaican-born Owen "What the Heck" Beck, a fluff opponent at best, in June. Beck has never defeated anyone decent and his two loses come from his two toughest competitors, Ray Austin and Monte Barrett. Almost all of Valuev's fights have also taken place in Germany or Russia, fighting in the United States only twice in his career. When "the Beast from the East" meets a worthy opponent and/or trainer — I firmly believe even an average contender with the right game plan could defeat Valuev — he will soon lose and become another come-and-gone prize fighter.
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Denis Boytsov (Russia)
13-0 (13 KOs)
20 years old
Boytsov is very young, but looking at his record and knockouts (nine first-round KOs!), he shows some serious promise. Uzbekistan boxer Ruslan Chagaev (see next entry) is known as "White Tyson," but that nickname might be better suited for Boystov. Boytsov almost never jabs and like Tyson, he does all his damage inside and has a championship-caliber hook. Boystov is one to watch as he faces tougher competition in the next few years.
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Ruslan Chagaev (Uzbekistan)
20-0-1 (16 KOs)
27 years old
For a boxer, having a good nickname is half the battle. Chagaev earned his — White Tyson — for his aggressive, crowd-pleasing style. Chagaev likes to work the body and has serious knockout power and most importantly, he has a very good chin.
Chagaev is on way to a legit heavyweight title shot. The 6'1", 230-pound southpaw recently won two Inter-Continental championships (WBO and WBA) when he beat then-undefeated Vladimir Virchis in March. The draw on his record is from a fight against Rob Calloway in 2002. The fight was stopped after three rounds due to a cut on Calloway caused by a head butt. Chagaev had a rematch in five months ago and knocked out Calloway in the second round.
Chagaev had an impressive resume as an amateur — two-time world champion and 2000 Olympian — but I'm still weary of his prospects, as he's only had 21 professional fights at age 27. Chagaev's next fight could be one step away from a major heavyweight title opportunity.
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Alexander Dimitrenko (Ukraine)
21-0 (12 KOs)
23 years old
Dimitrenko is my favorite current Eastern European boxer and has all the makings of a serious heavyweight contender. Nicknamed "Baby Face," Dimitrenko, who stands at a chiseled 6'7", reminds me of the famous Rocky villain Ivan Drago. Most of the boxing world sees comparisons to the Klitschkos.
In 2004, Dimitrenko faced Ross Puritty, the fighter who handed Wladimir Klitschko his first professional defeat. Dimitrenko won the bout over Puritty by decision. Dimitrenko trains with Fritz Zdunek, who used to train the Klitschkos.
There are questions about his chin (again, similar to the Klitschkos) but in the fight he was knocked down, he got up and ended up winning the fight. Dimitrenko is still rather raw, but he's well on his way to stardom.
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Sultan Ibragimov (Russia)
19-0 (16 KOs)
31 years old
One of two Ibragimovs (cousin Timur graces the list below), Sultan is a decent boxer who's flawless record and minor belt (WBO Asia Pacific heavyweight title) tend to over-inflate his potential. Sultan has faced very weak competition — last five opponents brought a total of 38 losses into the ring — and has less than twenty professional fights to his credit. What Sultan, as a hard-hitting southpaw, does have working for him is an aggressive style who poses match-up problems. Both Ibragimovs are trained by the legendary Panama Lewis. He also proved his worth when he took home silver in the 2000 Olympics.
Unfortunately for Sultan, it appears Timur is on the clearer track to reaching a title shot. Sultan needs to string together several impressive wins over legit opponents before earning the same respect. The recently-announced bout against Samuel Peter is a good start.
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Timur Ibragimov (Uzbekistan)
21-0-1 (13 KOs)
31 years old
Timur is hard hitting and Shannon Briggs can attest to that. In 2005, Timur was brought in to spar with Briggs and in the fourth round Briggs was knocked out by a big right hand, wearing headgear and all.
Timur could find himself atop the heavyweight division with the other Eastern European boxers, considering his next opponent, Calvin Brock, is often referred to as the next great American heavyweight. Both bring their perfect records into the ring and the winner will most likely be considered the best current heavyweight without a belt.
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Oleg Maskaev (Kazakhstan)
32-5 (25 KOs)
37 years old
Maskaev is old and has five losses to his record, but he makes this list because he's facing Hasim Rahman in August with the WBC heavyweight title on the line. He's fought against Rahman before and won (8th-round KO in 1999) and he was impressive when he knocked out former heavyweight champ Alex Stewart in 1997, but the rest of his career has been pretty shoddy, at best. All of his loses have come way of knockout, by Oliver McCall, David Tua, Kirk Johnson, Lance Whitaker, and most recently, Corey Sanders in 2002. It's been a long road back to respect for Maskaev and it's finally paid off with the title shot.
A win would give him a world championship and a few more days in the sun, along with some good sized paydays. That said, a loss to Rahman and an impending retirement are more likely.
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Alexander Povetkin (Russia)
7-0 (5 KOs)
26 years old
Meet the kid who knocked out Muhammed Ali in the second round. Okay, maybe it wasn't the Muhammed Ali but rather the German boxer with with the losing record who shares his name with "the Greatest."
All joking aside, Povetkin is the least experienced professional fighter on this list, but he's well worthy of consideration as he won the gold medal in the 2000 Athens Olympics in the super heavyweight division. His amateur record also speaks volumes: a national title, European title, Asian title, and finally a world title in 2003.Povetkin has been fighting professionally less than a year, but he's already 7-0 and showing his combination of speed and power that he used in the Olympics. Povetkin is very green but has a bright future in the heavyweight division.
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Vladimir Virchis (Ukraine)
20-1 (17 KOs)
32 years old
Virchis is a big (6'5", 250 pounds), slow target but has the incredible knack for knocking out his opponents, which earned him a spot on this list. "The Hunter" is a big time puncher, so he could be a spoiler against a better opponent. The problem is, not many boxers would want to take that chance, leaving Virchis out in the cold, which is probably where he belongs anyway. Virchis' lone lose came to Ruslan Chagaev in March. A victory would have increased future chances, but alas, Virchis remains just another boxer behind a long, long list of greater talents, Eastern European and otherwise.
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For more on the top heavyweights, check out JE Boxing's rundown of the divison, from top to bottom.
