mertek's blog: HBO Boxing: Vitali Klitschko vs Chris Arreola

Thursday, October 1, 2009

HBO Boxing: Vitali Klitschko vs Chris Arreola

Native Ukrainian Vitali "Dr. Iron Fist" Klitschko (37-2, 36 KOs), who now resides in Los Angeles, is the elder of the PhD- and heavyweight title-holding Klitschko brothers. Widely regarded, along with sibling Wladimir, as the class of the heavyweight division, Vitali's commanding 6'7" presence and exceptional knockout power make him a formidable opponent. He is returning to the site of his legendary battle with Hall of Famer Lennox Lewis in June 2003, when a cut above Klitschko's left eye ended the fight after six hard-hitting rounds. Resuming his career in 2008 after four years away from boxing, he subsequently knocked out former heavyweight titleholder Samuel Peter, as well as the undefeated Juan Carlos Gomez.
Hailing from Riverside, Cal., Cristobal "Nightmare" Arreola (27-0, 24 KOs) hopes to use his hometown advantage to take down the taller Klitschko. At 6'4", Arreola is hardly undersized or underpowered, impressively knocking out 24 of his 27 opponents while going undefeated against the likes of Travis Walker, Jameel McCline and Chazz Witherspoon. Now, the fast-rising 28-year-old has a chance to send shockwaves through the boxing world and become the first heavyweight titleholder of Mexican heritage.