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One-half of the most dominant duo in boxing, Vitali Klitschko, put his title on the line against British contender Dereck "Del Boy" Chisora today (Sat., Feb. 18, 2012) in Germany.
Controversy blossomed at the weigh-ins yesterday when Chisora slapped Klitschko, which cost him a quarter of his purse. Chisora continued his mind games up until the bell, spitting on Wladimir Klitschko during the pre-fight staredowns. Many expected an infuriated Vitali to run roughshod over Chisora.
Not so much.
While the opening rounds were fairly one-sided in favor of the champion, Chisora upped his punch output, forcing the enormous Klitschko to backpedal and taking him out of his comfort zone. While his winging overhands tended to fall short, Chisora's constant body attack looked to be paying dividends, making Klitschko look every bit the 40-year-old man that he is.
Unfortunately, Klitschko, being such a veteran and all, took control in the later rounds with his range and powerful right hand. And while Chisora did manage to give a solid effort in the final round, "Del Boy" still came up short, losing on scores of 118-110 (x2) and 119-111.
MMAmania.com, admittedly turned off by Chisora's antics, had it 119-109 for Klitschko.
While Vitali got the win, as expected, he looked much more vulnerable than he has since returning to the sport, and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here. Chisora proved himself a durable, gritty contender capable of giving any heavyweight a headache. It will be interesting to see where they both go from here.
For complete results and blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the fight click here.