Vitali Klitschko retained his WBC heavyweight belt on Saturday after defeating Manuel Charr in dominant fashion in Moscow.
But, the match didn't end how most expected.
The bout didn't culminate in a knockout from the powerful hands of either fighter, nor did it end in a decision. Instead, it was a brutal cut to the eye of Charr that sealed the deal for Klitschko's victory and ninth title defense.
Charr (21-1) wasn't able to get anything going against the champ. Klitschko, now 45-2, owned Diamond Boy in every facet of this fight and was simply too much for the former kickboxer to overcome. Charr spent his four rounds being on the wrong end of power shots.
In the second round, Klitschko sent the Lebanese-born German down to the canvas with a solid right hand, and it was in the fourth round that Klitschko opened up a gash on Charr's right eye. At the suggestion of the ringside doctor, the referee was forced to call the fight. While that ending might have been mightily disappointing in most instances, for all intents and purposes, this fight had already been decided and allowing it to continue was simply delaying the inevitable.
With this win, there is really nobody left for Klitschko to fight, other than his own brother Wladimir, of course. But, since those two continue to refuse to fight each other, that leaves no viable candidate to dethrone the heavyweight champ.
As for Klitschko, he has political aspirations in his native Ukraine, and this could very well be his last fight. The Ukrainian election is set to take place on October 28, and if Klitschko is elected into office, his days in the ring could be over.
This might not have been the ideal ending to his career, if in fact it is, but it is a perfect example of just how dominant the 41-year-old Klitschko has been during his career.
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