Photo by: Martin Rose –
Article by Lem Satterfield –
RingTV.com has a live round-by-round update of RING/IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko’s 16th defense against Alex Leapai, whom he dropped once in the first round and twice in the last of a fifth-round technical knockout today at Koenig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.
Referee Eddie Cotton waves an end to the bout at the 2:05 mark of Klitschko’s 16th defense, which ranks third, all-time, among heavyweights behind Joe Luis with 25, and, Larry Holmes, with 20. Klitschko is 23-2 with 18 knockouts in title bouts.
The 34-year-old Leapai (30-5-3, 24 knockouts) was out-landed, 147-to-10, representing the 25th title fight for Klitschko (62-3, 52 KOs), a 38-year-old who has been stopped in the 11th round by Ross Puritty in December 1998, in the second round by Corrie Sanders in March 2003 and in the fifth round by Lamon Brewster in April 2004.
But since falling to Brewster, a loss he avenged by sixth-round knockout in July 2007, Klitschko has won 20 consecutive bouts, 14 of them by stoppage, having previously last been in action for a unanimous decision over Alexander Povetkin last October for which he weighed 241.6 pounds compared to 225.75 pounds for his previously unbeaten rival.
In Leapai, Klitschko faced a 6-foot fighter who was coming off November’s unanimous decision victory over Denis Boytsov, who was floored in the seventh and ninth rounds.
Photo by: Frank Augstein –
KLITSCHKO WINS BY FIFTH ROUND TECHNICAL KNOCKOUT OVER LEAPAI AT THE 2:05 MARK!!!!
1. Klitschko out-weighed Leapai, 274.4 to 248. Jab, jab, early by Klitschko. Leapai ducking really low, trying to set up a haymaker. The 6-foot-6 Klitschko’s leaning, at times on the 6-foot Leapai.LEAPAI GOES DOWN FROM A COUPLE OF EARLY DOUBLE-JABS. Up at the count of eight by referee Eddie Cotton. Doesn’t appear to be hurt. But Leapai eats two right hands. Klitschko continuing to jab and land the right. Not a good sign for Leapai. Klitschko, 10-8.
2. Klitschko lands an early jab and solid right behind it to start the second. Leapai reaches and can’t land the left. Jab, Jab, right, right, by Klitschko near the ropes. Klitschko, who landed 10 jabs in the first round, continues to snap it in the second. Solid right hands landing also by Klitschko. Leapai is right there to be hit. Not cutting off the ring. Leapai is plodding and following. Zero intensity. Three, four, five, six jabs go unanswered by Klitschko. Seven, eight and then a right hand. Right hand by Klitschko, who has not had a need to go to the body. Jab is being used as a range-finder for the right, which Klitschko finally throws to the body. Klitschko, 10-9; Klitschko, 20-17.
3. More of the same to start the third. Leapai reaches and misses with a left. Four, five six jabs before a right lands. Left hook by Klitschko. Left, right, left by Klitschko. Sweeping left hook to the body by Klitschko followed by a right. Three jabs and two lead righ hands. Five-punch combination by Klitschko, two of which are uppercuts. Left jab, left hook, two hard right hands off the top of Leapai’s head. Right uppercut and left hook by Klitschko, who dances away. Leapai tries a right taht clubs. Jab to the body by Leapai, right hook by Klitschko. Right hand misses by Leapai. Left hook, jab by Klitschko and then a right and a left. Left jab backs up Leapai to culminate a three-punch combination. Three right hands by Klitschko and a jab that again stuns Leapai. Hard right at the bell by Klitschko. Klitschko, 10-9; Klitschko, 30-26.
4. Jab, jab, jab hard right by Klitschko to start the fourth. Klitschko’s jabbing and siting down more on the right hand against the starting to reel Leapai. Two Klitschko rights, the second, wobbling Leapai. Easy work as long as Leapai fails to press. Leapai’s eating Klitschko’s jabs. Jab, jab, right hand, jab by Klitschko. Leapai’s on the canvas from a ruled slip. Starting to look like target practice for Klitschko with the piston jab and the harder right hands. Left to the body and lunging left hook that miss for Leapai. Head-popping right hand by Klitschko, two jabs, and another hard right all by Klitschko. Another hard right hand by Klitschko. Klitschko, 10-9; Klitschko, 40-35.
5. Four, five left hooks by Klitschko to start the fifth. Three jabs and a right to the body by Klitschko. Triple jab by Klitschko. Leapai can’t get in. Head-popping jab, right, and two more jabs. Right hand nearly lands for Leapai. TWO RIGHT HANDS HURT AND WOBBLE LEAPAI, WHO RETREATS!!! JAB AND RIGHT HAND FLOORS LEAPAI, HE’S UP AT THE COUNT OF EIGHT. 1:10 LEFT. JAB, RIGHT HAND, JAB, RIGHT HAND, LEFT HOOK, RIGHT, AND LEAPAI IS DOWN, UNDER THE ROPES. HE’S DONE. REFEREE WAVES IT OFF!!!!
KLITSCHKO WINS BY FIFTH ROUND TECHNICAL KNOCKOUT OVER LEAPAI AT THE 2:05 MARK!!!!
Photo by: Frank Augstein –