Vitali Klitschko vs Juan Carlos Gomez Preview & Prediction

Vitali Klitschko is meeting Juan Carlos Gomez in defense of his newly acquired WBC heavyweight title crown. The fight, held in Germany, will take place on March 21, 2009. While Klitschko is one of the best known heavyweights in the world, Gomez is an unknown commodity. He has plied his craft almost exclusively in Germany, rarely making his way onto American television. Both men are heavy hitters, and the fight promises fireworks.

Vitali Klitschko
36 (35) - 2

 

Juan Carlos Gomez
44 (35) – 1

 

Klitschko only recently returned from an extended hiatus, during which time he suffered a handful of injuries and failed to make his way into the ring. Finally healthy, he returned against Nigerian Sam Peter and thoroughly and viciously destructed him over a brutal nine rounds. His jab was active and forceful, and his thunderous power never allowed Peter to get into the fight.

With 35 knockouts amongst his 36 wins, if you step in the ring against Vitali, you better be ready for the power he brings. Less fluid of a boxer than his brother, but with the better chin and a more aggressive style, Vitali is a fan favorite, even in the States. Gomez is a mandatory challenger for him, but the fight will prove to be entertaining, as it is not at all likely that both will be left standing when the final bell rings.

Gomez is no slouch, also knocking out 35 opponents, among his 44 career victories. However, his quality of opposition is significantly lower and it is not clear how he will respond to the force of Klitschko, or what his game plan will be.

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In his favor is that Klitschko still has only been in the ring once over the last four plus years. It is possible that Klitschko will be suffering from another nagging injury, or that he will be unprepared for a game opponent. With Gomez’s punching power, he may be able to catch Vitali early and change the fight. If he can hit Klitschko hard enough that he must change his own aggressive tendencies, he may be able to go in for the kill, or survive to win a decision.

But barring that, Klitschko’s power will take its toll and wear down Gomez. Eventually forced to wing one punch at a time in hopes of landing the knockout blow, Vitali will batter Gomez into submission. The referee or the corner stops the fight in the 9 th round, and Vitali adds to his impressive, near perfect, knockout ratio.

By Jake Emen
ProFighting-fans.com Staff Writer & Director of Boxing Content