PUNCHLines
JULIAN TURNER
Last Saturday night there was a thrilling battle of wits between two evenly-matched competitors who showcased their skills, accuracy and nerve before one eventually triumphed.
I wish I was talking about the heavyweight fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Tony Thompson in Germany but the best clash I saw last weekend was the six-red snooker semi-final between Ratchapol Pu-Ob-Orm (James Wattana) and Ricky Walden at the Montien Riverside Hotel in Bangkok.
If Klitschko and Thompson had been able to deliver such a great contest, it really would have put heavyweight boxing back on the map again.
Just a few hours after Walden had edged past Ratchapol 7-6 in their best-of-13 frames tussle, IBF and WBO champion Wladimir squared up to former sparring partner Thompson in Hamburg.
I went to bed at 1am and set my alarm for 3am to watch it live, not expecting a great deal after Klitschko's ghastly safety-first display against Sultan Ibragimov in February.
I was struggling to keep my eyes open until TrueVisions showed a clip from the press conference in which Klitschko blamed Ibragimov for that pitiful last performance in New York.
I'm not sure how Ibragimov had prevented Wladimir from throwing his right hand but at least his cheeky alibi made me wake me up a little before the fight started.
When it did get underway, the the first few rounds were decent enough as Thompson went on the attack.
The fact the pair were almost the same height (6ft 6in, 197cm) meant Germany-based Ukrainian Klitschko had to get involved instead of standing back and firing from distance.
But as the action wore on, Thompson became dispirited and often trudged back to the corner with a sad look on his face.
No doubt this was because of Klitschko's heavy shots, so credit must be given to the champion for breaking an acceptable - but not exceptional - challenger's heart.
Yet still he persisted with his wild leaping in and holding, a tactic that often resembles a drowning man making a last-gasp reach for a lifebelt.
Klitschko has all the physical tools at his disposal but opts for an efficient approach, which hardly endears him to many fans.
Thompson was ready for the taking after the seventh round but it took Klitschko until the 11th to knock him out with a stunning one-punch (short right hand) finish.
I'm not saying it was a bad fight because I enjoyed it but there was still something missing from Klitschko's victory.
Heavyweight boxing is different to all the other weight divisions and attracts the most interest because everyone wants to see who is at the top of the food chain. If somebody doesn't give it everything then it leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
I often have that feeling when watching Klitschko because he seems to do just enough to win, rather than doing everything to win. There is a huge difference.
With Thompson out of the way (he was the WBO number one contender), then it will be interesting to see who the champion faces next.
It should be Russian Alexander Povetkin and the Olympic super-heavyweight gold medal winner (Athens) has the skills to triumph.
Whether he can take the champion's power remains to be seen because Klitschko hits hard enough to deter even the most gifted operator from getting too close.
Britain's David Haye has suggested himself as the next opponent but he has just moved up from cruiserweight and it would be foolish to jump straight in with the best in the, admittedly weak, heavyweight division.
Haye has explosive power so a fight with Klitschko is unlikely to go the distance, either way.
Whatever happens I can only hope that the next big heavyweight title fight takes a cue from that snooker match because the flagship division needs a decent break to get boxing fans back in the frame again.
Julian Turner is the Bangkok Post's Deputy Sports Editor.
Email: juliant@bangkokpost.co.th
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