Peter-Klitschko predictions!

October 10, 2008

By Alexey Potapov and Alexey Sukachev

On the eve of the upcoming WBC heavyweight showdown between the reigning champion Samuel Peter (30-1, 23 KOs) from Nigeria and "champion emeritus" Vitaly Klitschko (35-2, 34 KOs), Fightnews has asked several world champions from the ex-USSR, both former and reigning, to give their opinions about the October 11 collision of two elite heavyweights. Here are the condensed answers of various post-Soviet boxing celebrities.

Ruslan Chagaev, WBA heavyweight champion in recess (Uzbekistan): Both boxers have even chances to win on October 11. For me it´s a fifty-fifty match-up. Vitaly is by far a more experienced fighter of two. Maybe, just maybe this will be a big advantage for him. If the bout is going twelve rounds, I think Klitschko will take his title back.

Nikolai Valuev, WBA heavyweight champion (Russia): If I had been Vitaly Klitschko, I wouldn't have risked a comeback in boxing after four years of absence. But his decision is certainly a reputable one. Though, this long layoff is strong blow for him, I think his spirit and his will to win have not gone far away. Thanks to them, Klitschko has a considerable chance to go through this hard challenge and right to the victory.

The most important tip for Klitschko is as follows: don't let Peter come to close quarters where Sam is profusely dangerous. If he forces Peter to stay on distance, the victory will be Klitschko's. But if Klitschko loses, it will cause him, both as a boxer and as a politician, a bigger damage. I consider this fight can go a full distance and I wish Klitschko a victory.

Andreas Kotelnik, WBA junior welterweight champion (Ukraine): Samuel Peter is a world champion and he is a proud boxer. He occurs to be at the peak of his career, and I'm sure Vitaly will find out that this duel will not be as simple as he is maybe thinking about it right now. I will pick Peter's knockout power and his granite chin as Nigerian's most notable advantages.

Vitaly is a very strong boxer with a superb power and damaging blows as well. He is also a fighter of fascinating will. Speaking about his weaknesses, I cannot help to admit his long absence out of the ring. I would not have come back in boxing after four years of hiatus. It's clearly a fifty-fifty fight but Peter could have a small advantage. I don't see this fight going a full distance.

Sergiy Dzinziruk, WBO junior middleweight champion (Ukraine): In spite of the fact that Vitaly was out of the ring for almost four years, I don't think it was that bad for him. It will help him to percept a burning hunger right inside his body and soul. For example, there was a period when future Hall-of-Famer Oscar De La Hoya had not been boxing for two years. And it didn't cost him even a bit when he demolished Mayorga in five rounds or so.

However, I think it was necessary for Klitschko to conduct a tune-up fight before challenging Samuel Peter. But Klitschko knows this better. I think if Klitschko loses this clash it is a must for him to leave pro boxing for good. But I feel that Vitaly has a great opportunity to overcome Nigerian Nightmare. If he can avoid Peter's power in the first half of a fight, he will win it. And it'll be a stoppage victory.

Denis Inkin, WBO super middleweight champion (Russia): Our former compatriot (and now German citizen) Robert Stieglitz has not been fighting for a year and he lost his confidence and physical conditions just enough to lose to his bitter rival Alejandro Berrio. On the other hand, I was out for ten months but it didn't prevent me from winning a title. I guess Vitaly knows himself better than anybody else. So his comeback is well-measured action and I don't think he hadn't calculated this before.

Klitschko's most notable strength is his unique fighting style. He is way too clumsy for a well-schooled fighter but his specific rawness is what makes him such a dangerous opponent. Peter is a usual American fighter though he is coming from Africa. He is predictable.

Usually I don't make any predictions. In fact there was a tendency in the past that all my predictions came the wrong way around. But I see Klitschko as a winner and I will root for him. I think he will get a decision.

Dmitry Kirillov, former IBF super flyweight champion (Russia): Motivation is a key for this interesting collision. I don't know what Klitschko was thinking about. If his return is a business trip or a hard political decision I guess he is doing a wrong thing. If so he must stay as far from boxing as he can or he will be forced into retirement by Peter's severe blows.

But if he is well prepared and I guess he is and if he is one hundred percent into boxing I definitely think he has all what it takes to defeat the reigning champion. And his determination will help him to avoid the considerable loss of fighting skills, especially after he decided not to make any tune-ups during his preparation.

You are waiting for nothing because I won't make any predictions. Both pugilists' chances are even and the only thing that I can tell you about the upcoming match is that it will not last the distance.