13 years ago
Wladimir Klitschko vs Jean Marc Mormeck
Date: 3rd March 2012
Venue: ESPRIT arena, Duesseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen
Title: WBA, IBF, WBO & IBO World Heavyweight Titles
Promoter: Tom Loeffler
Referee: Luis Pabon
Tv: RTL
Wladimir Klitschko
(
56
-
3
-
0
)
Weight: 244¾ lbs
Jean Marc Mormeck
(
36
-
4
-
0
)
Weight: 216 lbs
In a highly anticipated yet ultimately one-sided affair, Wladimir Klitschko successfully defended his IBF, WBA, WBO, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight titles with a dominant fourth-round knockout victory over French challenger Jean-Marc Mormeck at the ESPRIT arena in Duesseldorf, Germany on March 3, 2012.
The fight, originally scheduled for December 10, 2011, had to be postponed due to Klitschko undergoing surgery to remove a kidney stone. Despite the delay, the Ukrainian champion showed no signs of ring rust as he methodically picked apart the undersized and overmatched Mormeck.
Klitschko, who entered the ring as a massive favourite with odds as high as 20-to-1, used his significant height and reached advantages to control the pace of the fight from the opening bell. The 6-foot-6 champion utilized his jab to keep Mormeck at bay while leaning on the French fighter to sap his energy.
As the rounds progressed, Klitschko began to unleash his powerful right hand, dropping Mormeck with a clean shot in the second round. The challenger, who had only fought three times as a heavyweight before this bout, appeared utterly outclassed by the dominant champion.
In the fourth round, Klitschko ended the mismatch, landing a devastating three-punch combination—a left hook, right hand, and another left—that sent Mormeck crashing to the canvas. Although the Frenchman attempted to beat the count, referee Luis Pabon waved off the contest at one minute and 12 seconds into the round.
The victory marked Klitschko's 50th career knockout, moving him into sole possession of fifth place on the all-time list for knockouts by a heavyweight champion, surpassing the likes of Joe Louis and Jack Dempsey. The Ukrainian improved his record to 18-2 with 15 knockouts in world title fights, further solidifying his status as the preeminent heavyweight of his era.
With no apparent challengers, Klitschko expressed interest in potential future opponents such as Tyson Fury, David Price, Alexander Povetkin, Seth Mitchell, and Chris Arreola. He also mentioned the possibility of fighting in the United States later in the year, with Cristobal Arreola being a potential opponent.
The fight generated a massive worldwide television audience, with an estimated 500 million viewers tuning in to watch the heavyweight champion in action. In Germany alone, the bout averaged 12.26 million viewers with a 50.3% audience share while attracting 9.28 million viewers in Ukraine.
Despite the lopsided nature of the contest, Wladimir Klitschko's dominant performance against Jean-Marc Mormeck reminded him of his unrivaled supremacy in the heavyweight division. As the champion continues his historic title reign, boxing fans eagerly await his next challenge, hoping for a worthy adversary to test the seemingly invincible Ukrainian.
Wladimir Klitschko vs Jean Marc Mormeck on YouTube
