Wladimir Klitschko - illustration by Trevor Von Eeden
Boxiana: Volume 1 is available through Troubador Publishing, Amazon in the UK, Amazon in the USA and all good traditional and online booksellers.
Over the past couple of months, this blog has been featuring a series of exclusive previews of content from Boxiana: Volume 1, which will hopefully whet your appetite and persuade you to buy the full volume, which will be available as a paperback book (RRP £9.99) or ebook (RRP £3.99) from 28 November.
Today I'm presenting an extract from Corey Quincy's article about Wladimir Klitschko's reign as World Heavyweight Champion - Corey raises some fascinating points as he examines in an honest and up-front manner Wlad's virtues - and flaws! You can also read an interview with Corey here.
Boxiana: Volume 1 preview
THE KLITSCHKO CONUNDRUM
Corey Quincy examines the title reign of Wladimir Klitschko and argues that, no
matter how displeasing aesthetically, his story is an inarguable Ukrainian
success story …
Righting the wrongs of his early career has long been a goal
of Wladimir Klitschko. Once upon a time, the unified Heavyweight
champion's sights were set on mere optimization.
Kneeling to the dastardly truth braced upon his career by Ross Puritty, and
(soon after) Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster through traumatic knockout
defeats would have been a considerable error in judgment, but an understandable
and plausible reaction to that sour time period. The 1996 Super Heavyweight
Olympic Gold Medalist's new status as the punchline to innumerable jokes
created little empathy within the boxing community. As his age progressed and
his fan base shrunk, interest from the masses quickly plummeted. TV networks
lost interest, and he was nearly branded as a domestic-European level boxer who
had failed to make the transition to true world class.
Simultaneously, applicant after applicant for the post-Tyson/
Lewis/ Bowe/ Holyfield heavyweight throne were lined up and, eventually,
knocked down again. Touted US hopefuls such as Joe Mesi, Dominick Guinn, and
oh-so-many more were being showcased like poodles at a dog show by distraught
groups of top promoters sick and tired of scrambling to find their next
cash-grabbing heavyweight freak show. It seemed as though the mine of
heavyweight talent, so rich and abundant in previous decades, was depleted. A
worldwide heavyweight drought had begun. Maybe we just had to live with it; as
rising stars stepped up to the plate in the lower weight classes, the
heavyweight division was conspicuous only by its paucity of talent. Or maybe one
man could return to shake things up?
Back at square one, we saw Wladimir's older brother Vitali
Klitschko enter prominence through the early years of the 20th century, and
retire from late 2004 through 2008. Throughout that time period, Wladimir’s
resurgence began. After escaping with a close unanimous decision victory over
Samuel Peter in September 2005, Klitschko continued to ameliorate, busting
Chris Byrd up in seven rounds in their rematch of a meeting six years prior.
The real X-factor was Klitschko’s work with the great
Emmanuel Steward, who molded his well-reputed defensive game and boxing
techniques. The elevation shown by Klitschko was further denoted as the
Ukrainian steamrolled opponent after opponent, including earlier vanquisher
Brewster, Calvin Brock, Sultan Ibragimov, Tony Thompson, Ruslan Chagaev, Eddie
Chambers, and another earlier adversary in Peter, who he battered and stopped
in ten to head up a superb run from 2006-2010.
And so to today. Wladimir Klitschko has now been the unified, lineal,
consensual (call it what you will) World Heavyweight Champion for more than
five years and hasn’t lost a fight since 2004. Within the past four years he
has topped his largest threats in the form of previously undefeated Russian
Alexander Povetkin, as well as hard-hitting British superstar and former
Cruiserweight champion David Haye.
Yet, for all his successes and despite an amazing career
ledger, at the time of print, of 62-3 (with 52 knockouts) hypercritical fans
and stubborn mainstream media still won't cease their criticism - and with much
justification. A certain void is still unfilled. A void which has nothing to do
with any characteristics of Klitschko as the living, breathing, human being he
is. Namely
what we might call ‘The Tyson-factor’. The heavyweight title fights that have traditionally excited
the collective public imagination are led by a war cry, and not a stiff jab. A
Klitschko mega-bout invariably features a weary young puncher and an immovable
wall - not two men looking to lay it all on the line in a ferocious slug-fest.
Wladimir is by no means boring, not to mention that he is a national icon in
his native Ukraine, but fans want competition, and Klitschko simply cannot
provide that.
THE FULL ARTICLE WILL APPEAR IN THE PRINT AND EBOOK EDITION OF BOXIANA: VOLUME 1, TO BE PUBLISHED ON 28 NOVEMBER
COREY QUINCY is an ambitious boxing writer and avid fan with over three years of experience. Boxing is his bread-and-butter. Watching classic fights is like exploring the most perfect art gallery. Sugar Ray Robinson is his Leonardo Da Vinci, Muhammad Ali his Picasso, and Willie Pep his Michelangelo. Corey, from a rural town in northeastern Pennsylvania, USA, enjoys relaxation, is fascinated by modern innovations and technologies, relishes time with his family, regularly follows Basketball, European Soccer, MMA, and, of course, loves typing his thoughts on pugilism. He’s contributed to FIGHTHYPE.com, Boxing World Magazine, Ringnews24 and Boxiana among many other platforms. You can tweet him @Quincyboxingfan and email him at Coreyg100@yahoo.com. He spends approximately a quarter of his waking moments scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, and reading emails – and he loves to talk before and after each and every fight!
Further exclusive previews of Volume 1 content, as well as further information about Boxiana's contributors will feature on the Boxiana blog in the coming weeks.
Boxiana: Volume 1 is available through Troubador Publishing, Amazon in the UK, Amazon in the USA and all good traditional and online booksellers.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
An anthology of new boxing writing Boxiana:
Volume 1 will be published on 28 November 2014 through Matador
Publishing, in both paperback book and eBook formats. Boxiana editor Luke
G. Williams said: “In a world dominated by 140 character limits and
the 24-hour news cycle, brevity and superficiality have become de
rigueur. Boxiana takes a different approach; by using
long-form journalism to take an in-depth look at boxing’s past, present and
future, we are hoping that Boxiana will become a
vital new voice in sports writing.”
In Volume 1:
Trevor Von Eeden, author of graphic novel The Original Johnson, analyses
the significance of Jack Johnson; Mario Mungia tries his hand
at amateur boxing; Ben Williams uncovers his grandfather’s
bare-knuckle career; James Hernandez catches up with Jon
Thaxton; Matthew Ogborn ponders boxers and retirement; rising
light heavyweight Chris Hobbs recounts his life in the
military and the ring; Rowland Stone recalls a heady night in
1992; Corey Quincy attempts to solve the Wladimir Klitschko
conundrum and Luke G. Williams examines the meteoric rise of
Deontay Wilder and the under-rated career of Chris Byrd.
Enquiries / review copies: +44 7958 319765 / lgw007@yahoo.com
Follow @boxianajournal
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