David Haye might be the last chance for the heavyweight division to produce a true challenge to the seemingly unbeatable Klitschko brothers.
So after watching Vitali Klitschko massacre yet another opponent, I was left wondering how boxing's heavyweight division has managed to defy this law since Lennox Lewis walked away from the sport. I think heavyweight boxing has made a scientific breakthrough. We can call it Klitschkos' Law.
Klitschkos' Law: For every action taken by a heavyweight boxer named Klitschko there will be a reaction, but definitely not an equal one as the person on the receiving end of the action by Klitschko must box as if they were completely incapable before falling on their face.
That's a great law if your name is Klitschko, but for boxing fans, it's definitely not as good as Newton's Law. When I see Klitschko pounding an opponent (the action), I want to see his opponent fight back with all he has (the hopeful opposite and equal reaction.)
Now I can't blame this on the Klitschkos, it's not their fault they are superb boxers. But without stiff competition, even if it is only one rival, they can never be considered great champions and that is a shame because they are very good.
Magic Johnson had Larry Bird, Wayne Gretzky had Mario Lemieux, Michael Jordan had Reggie Miller and Muhammad Ali had Joe Frazier. But the Klitschkos ... well they have Samuel Peter? Sultan Ibragimov? Shannon Briggs?
While they are decent boxers, they definitely don't strike fear into their opponents. Vitali Klitschko's domination of Samuel Peter and Juan Carlos Gomez should serve as another reminder that heavyweights are going to need to rely on a lot more than just power. Often times young prospects in the division can beat much lesser fighters just with power, so they are not prepared for boxers at the skill of the Klitschkos.
And there have been some prospects in the past such as Chris Byrd and Joe Mesi, but neither man panned out to be good enough to take down the mighty Klitschkos. The heavyweight division needs a charismatic and athletic fighter to start wreaking havoc. With all the strength and conditioning programs available to athletes, there should be no reason for heavyweight boxers to look like Butterbean anymore.
The possible Chosen Ones
Great Britian's David Haye was a dominant cruiserweight for years as he won every major title and compiled 22 victories with 21 of those ending in knockouts. He is young, confident and athletic. So confident in fact, that he already announced he would retire by the age 0f 31, giving him three years to dominate the heavyweight division.
He hasn't wasted anytime as he knocked out Monte Barrett in his first fight at heavyweight. With only one win in the division under his belt, Haye is about to get his dream fight against Wladimir Klitschko. The fight should be officially announced in a few days and many expect it will be held on June 30 in Germany.
Haye could capture the world's imagination with a knockout victory over Klitschko and the heavyweight division could finally have some true competition at the top.
Chris Arreola
He already has all the charisma needed to be a star. He is an American born fighter with a Mexican heritage, which you don't often see in the heavyweight division. He just recently started fighting tougher competition around 2006, but he is a knockout artist and would be a breath of fresh air as champion.
In June 2008, he had his biggest win to date against fellow undefeated prospect Chazz Witherspoon. The fight was an unofficial eliminator to see how America's next heavyweight star would be. If Arreola is focused and hungry, he could bring real competition to the Klitschkos.
Aleksander Povetkin
When talking about a guy with "the look," Povetkin won't top the list. But I am just searching for a guy who can really challenge either of the Klitschko brothers and this guy has the boxing skill, but his physical dimensions could end up hurting him.
He is a very smart fighter and knows how to exchange on the inside, but at 6'2" he would struggle against the Klitschkos who have the reach of a terradactyl. But still, he is a fresh face in the division and has great skills. He wouldn't have as good of a chance as Haye or Arreola, but he is capable of an upset.
Andrei Arlovski
Yes, the same Arlovski who was heavyweight champion in the UFC. He trains in boxing with Freddie Roach so there is no doubt he is ready to compete at the professional level. He is chiseled from stone and is faster than any heavyweight in boxing.
His combination of speed and power would be overwhelming for either Klitschko who have grown accustomed to simply going through the motions as they dispose of their opposition. As long as Arlovski keeps the fundamentals in mind, I think he could have a chance and he would definitely draw the American audience back into boxing.
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