Vitali Klitschko has not lost a match in nine years, but he might be in trouble when he faces Manuel Charr for the WBC Heavyweight Title.
The sport of boxing has been waiting for something to happen in the prestigious heavyweight division. Klitschko has won his last 12 matches and kept the title throughout. Meanwhile, the next best fighter in the division is his brother Wladimir and the two refuse to fight each other.
Many believe this upcoming title defense to be more of the same, as evident by Bovada's (-5000) line in favor of the champ. This means a $50 bet on Klitschko will only get you one dollar in return.
Fortunately, Manuel Charr has the tools to provide a tougher match than expected. His trainer, Valery Belov, thinks that he has what it takes to at least make this fight last the distance, according to Boxing News 24.
The site also had an interview with Charr himself in which he said that his game plan is "volition, power and the heart of a fighter." This type of confidence will be very important going into match against a reputable opponent.
However, confidence is not everything.
Fortunately, Charr is no slouch in the ring. Although he is relatively unknown, he has made his way through 21 fights with an undefeated record and 11 knockouts. He earned the WBC International Silver Heavyweight Title with a win over Marcelo Luiz Nascimento and successfully defended it in his last win over Taras Bidenko.
It is true that the German is untested with only one win over a top-50 opponent, but no one has proven to be better than him at this point in his young career.
On the other side, Klitschko is on the tail end of his very successful run. The 41-year-old boxer will run out of steam eventually and he does not have many fights left in him. According to his businessman Bernd Boente, this might be his last fight. According to Boxing Insider, Boente said:
First of all [Vitali] has to win that fight on September 8 in Moscow against Manuel Charr, and then he’s on the campaign trail for the [Ukrainian] Parliamentary elections October 28, and if he’s elected I guess he will probably quit boxing.
Between potential retirement and another career in politics, it is apparent that the Ukranian is not completely focus on the bout ahead of him. This is a recipe for disaster if Charr is hungry enough for a victory.
The Boxing Scene reported that the challenger said that he is "1000 percent sure" he will win the match. Not everyone feels the same way, but he has a chance if he comes out strong.
In this sport, anything can happen.
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