Page 22 - aruba-today-20170805

A22 sports
Saturday 5 auguSt 2017
Klitschko was dominant but never really got his due

By TIM DAHLBERG That they also sucked up
AP Sports Columnist most of the air of a heavy-
Wladimir Klitschko had to weight division with few
lose before he finally be- contenders was a regret-
came accepted by most table legacy. Wladimir
fight fans. Klitschko could have fought
Now that he’s retiring, more in the U.S., and the
maybe it’s time to fully ap- defensive style he devel-
preciate the former heavy- oped with the late trainer
weight champion who nev- Emanuel Steward after be-
er seemed to get his due. ing knocked out by Brews-
Klitschko was as dominant ter was never going to be
as he was boring, holding pleasing to boxing fans
pieces of the heavyweight who like their heavyweights
title for the better part of a to trade punches.
decade in a reign not seen Klitschko himself admitted
since the days of Joe Louis. before his final fight that
His fights weren’t always he had been boring even
works of art, but they were while beating everyone
the work of a boxer who who was put in front of him.
understood how to control Ironic, then, that in his last
space and distance in the fight Klitschko not only put
ring. on the show of his career
American boxing fans nev- against Joshua but won
er warmed to him, but he a lot of new fans doing it.
could fill soccer stadiums in This is a Saturday, April 29, 2017 file photo of Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, left, as he lands Among them were the
a punch on British boxer Anthony Joshua, in the bout for Joshua’s IBF and the vacant WBA Super
Germany. Fans there didn’t World and IBO heavyweight titles at Wembley stadium in London. 90,000 people packed into
complain about his cau- Associated Press Wembley Stadium in Lon-
tious style, instead reveling don who came to cheer
in his ability to dominate an out loss to Lamon Brewster trying to establish them- me laugh. for the fearsome English
opponent from the first bell in 2004. selves in the United States I reminded Wladimir of the slugger but left with new re-
to the last. Outside the ring there was even as the heavyweight meeting when we talked spect for Klitschko.
His brother Vitali — now the a lot to like about both of division was teetering on before his loss to Anthony He had Joshua down in
mayor of Kiev — came first them. They held advanced life support. Joshua in April and he not that fight and appeared
and between them the college degrees, spoke We talked some boxing, only remembered it, but on his way to a win before
two Ukrainians raised in the four languages and refused sure, but it was clear right also the name of the motel Joshua stopped him in the
old Soviet athletic system to talk trash about their op- away that these two be- they were staying in. 11th round in a wild slug-
pretty much dispatched ponents or anyone else. hemoths were comfortable Two unpretentious broth- fest. The fight was a classic,
anyone in their path. Vitali I remember meeting them discussing anything — and ers, two heavyweights who so good that there were
Klitschko came within a for the first time at an ex- in almost any language. made it clear right away plans to do it again in Las
bad cut of beating Lennox tended stay motel off the They also liked to tell jokes, they would never fight Vegas in November.
Lewis in 2003, and Wladimir Las Vegas Strip, where they and were eager to see each other because they That’s not going to happen
didn’t lose for 11 years after were staying. It was the if they could do it well promised their mother they now, but it’s not necessarily
suffering a shocking knock- early 2000s and they were enough in English to make wouldn’t. a bad thing. q

Ailing knee knocks defending

champ Wawrinka out of US Open

By BRIAN MAHONEY Wawrinka said in a state- al, but was eliminated by to my top level and play
AP Sports Writer ment through his agency. Daniil Medvedev in the first many more years,” Wawrin-
NEW YORK (AP) — Stan He joins the man he beat in round at Wimbledon. ka said.
Wawrinka chose long-term last year’s final at Flushing The 32-year-old Swiss was Wawrinka follows his former
health over a U.S. Open Meadows, Novak Djokovic, clearly bothered by his left Olympic doubles and Da-
title defense. in calling it quits for this sea- knee then, icing it during vis Cup champion team-
The defending champion son because of injury. changeovers. He said after mate in having to cut short
pulled out of the tourna- Like Roger Federer last the defeat the knee had his season because of his
ment Friday because of an year, Wawrinka couldn’t been a problem on and knee. Federer sat out the In this July 3, 2017, file photo,
injured knee, saying he de- make it to New York for the off all season and he need- second half of 2016 but has Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka
cided to undergo a “medi- season’s final major, which ed to figure out what was returned strong this year, ices his knee during a break
in his men’s singles match
cal intervention” and sit out begins Aug. 28. wrong. winning two majors and against Russia’s Daniil
the rest of 2017. He did not The fourth-ranked Wawrin- Wawrinka finishes with a 26- beating Wawrinka in the fi- Medvedev, on the opening
provide any specifics about ka added last year’s title 11 record with just one title nals at Indian Wells. day at the Wimbledon Tennis
the injury or treatment. to his 2014 Australian Open this season. He says he is Djokovic decided late last Championships, in London.
“This was the only solution and 2015 French Open looking toward his recovery month he would miss the consecutive Grand Slam
to make sure I will be able championships. He got and playing in 2018. U.S. Open because of an tournaments. He aims to
to compete at the top lev- back to the finals in Paris in “I love this sport and I will injured right elbow, ending return to the ATP Tour in
el for many more years,” June, losing to Rafael Nad- work hard to get back his streak of playing in 51 January.q