Vitali Klitschko vs Manuel Charr

Vitali Klitschko retained the World Boxing Council heavyweight championship by stopping Manuel Charr in the fourth round at the Olimpiyskiy indoor arena in Moscow on September 8, 2012. Klitschko, aged 41, weighed 248½ pounds and entered with 44 victories against two defeats. Charr, a 27-year-old Beirut-born German resident, weighed 241¾ pounds and was unbeaten in 21 contests, although he had not previously met an opponent of championship standing. The challenger was ranked seventh by the WBC. Guido Cavalleri of Italy was the referee.

Klitschko began in his customary upright manner, carrying his hands low and judging the distance with the left jab. Charr kept both gloves high in a compact guard and waited for an opportunity to rush inside. The champion invited him to lead, then stepped away or struck first. Charr’s defence caught some of the early punches, but he offered little in return and had difficulty reaching Klitschko’s head. The first round belonged plainly to the champion, whose jab controlled both the distance and the pace.

Charr attempted more in the second. He came forward in short bursts and managed to land a hook and an uppercut, neither of which troubled Klitschko. The champion continued to jab into and around the guard, adding straight rights and occasional blows to the body. Late in the round, Charr mounted his most determined attack, but as he advanced, Klitschko met him with a right hand to the head. Charr fell to the canvas close to the bell. He rose without appearing badly hurt and returned to his corner, but the knockdown increased an already considerable deficit.

The pattern stayed the same in the third round. Klitschko remained patient, striking the challenger’s gloves when no clear target was available and driving the jab through whenever Charr’s guard opened. Charr tried to advance more regularly and landed an occasional left hook, but he was made to pay for nearly every attempt. Klitschko’s reach allowed him to score while remaining beyond the challenger’s best punching distance, and his right hand repeatedly followed the jab. Charr remained willing and physically sound, but had not found a dependable method of reaching the champion.

Klitschko opened the fourth with further jabs and right hands to the body. Charr continued to press, accepting punches in the hope of getting close enough to answer. During one such advance, Klitschko caught him with a short left hook and opened a cut above the challenger’s right eye. Blood quickly ran down the side of Charr’s face. He attempted to fight on and drove forward with a right hand, but Klitschko met him with another firm counter and restored the distance.

Cavalleri interrupted the action and brought Charr to the ringside physician. After examining the wound, the doctor advised stopping the contest. The referee accepted the recommendation and ended the fight at 2 minutes 4 seconds of the fourth round, with 56 seconds remaining. Charr reacted angrily, kicking and striking the ropes and calling upon Klitschko to continue. His handlers were required to restrain him as sections of the crowd booed and whistled at his protest. The wound was bleeding heavily, although Charr remained on his feet and was plainly willing to box.

The official verdict was a technical knockout for Klitschko, who improved his record to 45 wins and two defeats. It was his ninth successive defence since regaining the WBC championship from Samuel Peter in 2008. Klitschko said afterwards that he was disappointed not to have secured an unquestioned knockout and acknowledged that both men had wished to continue, but accepted that responsibility for the stoppage rested with the doctor and referee. Charr maintained that the physician, rather than Klitschko, had defeated him and later sought a rematch.

The premature ending prevented a conclusive test of Charr’s endurance, but the completed action had been controlled throughout by Klitschko. The champion had won the opening rounds with the jab, scored the only knockdown and caused the decisive cut with a legal punch. Charr’s courage was not in doubt, but his tight guard and occasional rushes had provided too little offence against an opponent who understood distance and timing far better. The bout proved to be Klitschko’s final appearance. He did not formally retire until the following year, when his increasing political responsibilities in Ukraine brought his long championship career to a close.

By this stage Vitali Klitschko was 41 and slowing, but he still understood distance better than nearly every heavyweight around him. Manuel Charr was unbeaten and brave, yet his record had been built below world level. He had no answer for Klitschko’s height, jab and awkward timing.

Charr stood behind a tight guard and waited too long. When he did rush forward, Klitschko leaned away, caught him coming in and dropped him with a right late in the second. The cut from a short left hook ended matters in the fourth.

The stoppage was unsatisfactory but understandable. Charr wanted to continue and made that very clear, although he was losing every round and the cut was bleeding badly. He was not robbed of a likely victory; he was denied the chance to lose on his own terms. It proved to be Klitschko’s final fight, controlled, efficient and thoroughly one-sided.