Vitali Klitschko vs Samuel Peter

Almost four years without a contest, three abandoned comeback attempts and a succession of injuries proved no obstacle to the 37-year-old former champion, who returned without a preparatory bout and regained the WBC heavyweight title at the first attempt. Before a sell-out crowd at the recently opened O2 World in Berlin on 11 October 2008, Vitali Klitschko forced Samuel Peter to retire on his stool after eight one-sided rounds. Peter was never knocked down, but he was steadily beaten to the point where neither he nor his corner could see any profit in continuing.

Klitschko had not boxed since stopping Danny Williams in December 2004. A damaged knee had caused him to withdraw from a proposed defence against Hasim Rahman and announce his retirement in November 2005, whereupon the WBC named him champion emeritus. Further injuries frustrated attempts to return, including a scheduled contest with Jameel McCline in 2007. His emeritus status entitled him to an immediate challenge when he was fit. Peter, nine years younger and recognised by The Ring as the division’s second-ranked contender, had won the full WBC championship by stopping Oleg Maskaev in six rounds seven months earlier. His only defeat in 31 contests had been a points loss to Vitali’s younger brother, Wladimir, in 2005.

The challenger entered with a record of 35 wins and two defeats, 34 of his victories having come inside the distance. He weighed 247 pounds and stood five inches taller than the 254-pound champion. Despite his inactivity, Klitschko was a clear betting favourite. The central question was not whether he possessed the physical advantages, but whether his timing, legs and durability had survived an absence of 46 months. That question was answered almost immediately.

Klitschko established his left jab in the opening round and kept Peter at the end of it. He boxed upright, his left hand frequently low, leaning his upper body away when Peter attempted to cross the gap. The champion advanced behind a tight guard but could not move his feet quickly enough to trap the taller man. Klitschko’s jab struck Peter’s head repeatedly, and the right hand followed whenever Peter paused in front of him. There was little evidence of ring rust. The challenger judged the distance accurately and dictated the pace without unnecessary movement.

Peter landed two firm right hands in the second round, his most useful blows of the contest, but Klitschko accepted them without visible effect and resumed his work. The champion tried to attack the body when he moved inside, yet he was generally made to pay for every advance. Klitschko met him with short hooks and uppercuts, then stepped away before Peter could sustain an attack. By the third round, the difference in hand speed had become pronounced. Peter’s punches were delivered one at a time, while Klitschko was able to score with the jab, straight right and left hook in succession.

The fourth round brought further evidence of Peter’s difficulty. His face was beginning to swell, and his corner urged him to throw more punches and force Klitschko backwards. He was unable to do so. Klitschko did not retreat in straight lines for long and was strong enough to prevent Peter from imposing himself at close quarters. The challenger’s long left continued to break through the guard, and his right hand landed cleanly whenever Peter squared himself to punch. There were no knockdowns and no important fouls, only a steady accumulation of accurate blows.

Peter attempted to increase his work in the fifth and sixth rounds. He pushed forward more urgently and landed occasional punches to the body, but his efforts exposed him to sharper counters. Klitschko intercepted him with uppercuts and straight rights, then returned to the jab before Peter could reorganise. The champion’s celebrated punching power was never brought properly into the contest because he could not establish his feet at the required distance. His swings were often short or wide, and Klitschko saw most of them early enough to withdraw or block them.

The seventh was particularly severe for Peter. Klitschko struck him repeatedly with jabs, left hooks and right crosses, varying his attack between head and body. Peter remained upright, but his responses became fewer, and his expression increasingly resigned. He returned to his corner listening without enthusiasm as instructions were delivered. The physical disparity was now accompanied by a clear loss of confidence. Klitschko, meanwhile, appeared composed and fresh, showing none of the fatigue that might have been expected after his prolonged inactivity.

There was no change in the eighth. Peter made another attempt to come forward, but Klitschko continued to hit him at long range and counter him when he stepped inside. The champion was not helpless, yet he had ceased to offer a realistic threat. At the bell, Peter informed his corner that he did not wish to continue. The contest was recorded as a retirement after eight completed rounds. Two judges had Klitschko ahead 80-72, while the third scored it 79-73. Thus, Peter had been awarded no more than one round by any official.

The result restored Klitschko to the championship he had relinquished without losing it in the ring. It also made Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko the first brothers to hold major versions of the world heavyweight championship simultaneously. Wladimir possessed the IBF and WBO titles, leaving only the WBA belt outside the family. Peter’s surrender was disappointing, but it was not difficult to understand. He had been comprehensively outboxed, his face was marked, and the eighth round offered no indication that the ninth would bring anything except further punishment.

Klitschko’s performance was notable less for violence than for control. He had returned from retirement against an active, powerful champion and allowed him scarcely a useful passage. His height and reach were important, but his timing, balance and judgement made those advantages decisive. Peter could not get near enough to apply sustained pressure, while Klitschko remained capable of landing whenever the champion entered range. The comeback, regarded beforehand as a considerable physical gamble, ended with the returning fighter in possession of the WBC title and the defending champion remaining on his stool.

I thought this was one of Vitali Klitschko’s best performances because of the circumstances. He had been out for nearly four years, was 37 and returned without a warm-up against the reigning WBC champion. Samuel Peter could punch and had dropped Wladimir Klitschko three times in 2005, so this was no harmless comeback. Yet from the opening bell, Vitali made him look painfully limited.

Peter’s problem was his feet. He followed Vitali instead of cutting off the ring, and every time he planted himself to throw, the jab was already in his face. Vitali boxed with that awkward upright stance, leaning away from shots and returning the right hand before Peter could reset. He was not especially quick in the conventional sense, but his judgement of range was first class. Peter landed a couple of decent rights early, but they made no difference.

By the seventh and eighth rounds, Peter had been reduced to walking forward and taking punches. Retiring on his stool was sensible because he had no answer and the punishment was increasing. The scorecards, 80-72 twice and 79-73, were accurate. For a man returning after such a long absence, Vitali did not merely regain the title. He completely exposed the champion’s technical shortcomings.