14 years ago

Date: 20th March 2010

Venue: ESPRIT arena, Duesseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen

Title: IBF, WBO & IBO World Heavyweight Titles

Promoter: Tom Loeffler

Tv: Primetime PPV & RTL

Wladimir Klitschko
( 53 - 3 - 0 )
Weight: 244¾ lbs

Eddie Chambers
( 35 - 1 - 0 )
Weight: 209½ lbs

On March 20, 2010, Wladimir Klitschko successfully defended his IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight titles with a stunning 12th-round knockout of American challenger Eddie Chambers at the ESPRIT Arena in Duesseldorf, Germany. The highly anticipated bout, which was televised in approximately 110 countries, showcased Klitschko's dominance and cemented his status as the top heavyweight in the world.

Chambers, who entered the fight as a 4½ to 1 betting underdog and weighed in at a career-low 209½ lbs, struggled to find his rhythm against the taller, heavier champion. Klitschko, who earned €6 million ($8.1 million) for the fight, controlled the pace with his powerful jab and superior reach, keeping Chambers at bay throughout most of the contest.

Despite Chambers' attempts to close the distance and work inside, Klitschko remained composed and continued to pick apart his challenger with precise punches. The Ukrainian nearly floored Chambers in the second round with a big right hand, but the American managed to survive by clinching and holding on.

As the fight progressed, Klitschko's dominance became increasingly evident, with Chambers rarely landing any significant blows. The champion's corner, including his older brother Vitali, urged him to step up the pace and seek a knockout, but Klitschko remained patient, content to rack up points with his jab.

In the 12th and final round, with just five seconds remaining, Klitschko unleashed a devastating left hook that sent Chambers crashing to the canvas. The referee didn't bother to count, as the American was clearly in no condition to continue. The knockout marked the only stoppage loss of Chambers' career, improving Klitschko's record to 53-3 with 48 knockouts.

The fight, which averaged 12.59 million viewers in Germany and generated 300,000 pay-per-view buys in the United States and Canada, underscored the Klitschko brothers' immense popularity in Germany. The event, attended by over 51,500 fans, was a testament to the brothers' ability to draw massive crowds and create an electric atmosphere in their adopted home country.

Despite the impressive victory, Klitschko's performance was not without criticism. His trainer, Emanuel Steward, expressed frustration with the champion's cautious approach and lack of urgency to finish the fight earlier. This critique would later influence the training style Steward's nephew, Sugarhill, employed when working with Tyson Fury in his recent victories over Deontay Wilder.

In the fight's aftermath, Klitschko set his sights on a potential showdown with British heavyweight David Haye, expressing his willingness to face him "in a soccer arena or a car park if necessary." As for Chambers, the loss marked the beginning of a decline in his career, as he would never again compete at the world-class level.

The Klitschko-Chambers bout served as a stark reminder of the state of the American heavyweight scene at the time, which had fallen from its once-lofty heights. It would be several years before the division's resurgence, led by the likes of Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua, and Tyson Fury, would reignite global interest in the sport's glamour division.