Around the Net: Klitschko Batters Brave Briggs

Shannon Briggs somehow made it through twelve rounds against Vitali Klitschko in a fight that was most notable for the remarkable amount of leather absorbed by the brave visiting fighter.  Briggs showed tremendous courage and deserved to have someone looking out for his best interests, but instead was left to endure the sort of beating no fighter should ever suffer.  If anyone with a lick of sense had been refereeing the bout or working his corner, Briggs would have been saved from at least 3 or 4 rounds of totally needless punishment.

With all the ducking and dodging near the top of the sport these days, the best in the world often have to seek opponents well below their level - when that happens and a challenger is clearly way out of his depth, common sense needs to prevail.  Hopefully next time someone has the fighter's best interests at heart, as this was the type of evening that boxing can really do without.

Let's take a look around the net for more post-fight reaction...

Bad Left Hook - Vitali Klitschko dominates Shannon Briggs over 12 rounds

Klitschko (41-2, 38 KO) looked spry from the get-go, starting much faster than usual. To be totally honest, he seemed to have almost no respect for what Briggs (51-6-1, 45 KO) brought to the table, and he increasingly battered Briggs throughout the entire fight. There were several rounds that could have been scored 10-8 without knockdowns, and the judges did go that way. Two scores were 120-107, and one was 120-105. Bad Left Hook had it 120-106.

Safe Side of the Ropes - Another Soulless Klitschko Night As Brave But Overmatched Shannon Briggs Takes A Shellacking

After a ridiculous and excruciating fanfare the bout played out as expected. Briggs barely managed to throw a punch and instead took a wince inducing battering which left him in intensive care, his once handsome mug fractured in multiple spots. It was an awful thing to sit through. Harking back a month I was left similarly turned off after watching Wladimir jab and grab the bejesus out of Sam Peter, ten rounds of tedium which made me want to bite my own tongue to see if I was still conscious. Was that worse than this I ask myself?

The Queensbury Rules - An Aggressive Vitali Klitschko Absolutely Slaughters A Too-Tough Shannon Briggs (And A Foolishly Brave Corner/Referee Doesn't Stop It)

Up next for Vitali, the ESPN3 commentating crew suggested, could be Tomasz Adamek. Alternately, the winner of the title eliminator between Odlanier Solis and Ray Austin could step to the plate. I like Vitali-Adamek and Vitali-Solis better than his recent caliber of opposition, which, again, is no fault of his own, as he and his brother have tried to or have beaten everyone they can get into the ring. Both Vitali-Adamek and Vitali-Solis sound like foregone conclusions to me, although I'd be intrigued to see what Solis' speed and modicum of power could do to Vitali. But at least for today, the only thing boring about a Klitschko fight was the inevitability of the outcome, rather than the rote execution.

Boxing Scene - "Fighting Words" – We’ve Been Getting Busy, Now It’s Time To Get It On

The fight never should’ve gone the distance. It should’ve been stopped far earlier.

And this isn’t just a case of hindsight being 20/20.

The referee, Ian John-Lewis, was quoted by German newspaper Bild as saying he was "one or two shots" away from stopping the fight. "It was a heavyweight world championship," the referee was quoted as saying. "These are tough guys, and as long as a man fights back you have to give him a chance."

Not when a guy is that far outclassed. And not when his chances of coming back are getting even slimmer the later the fight gets and the more punishment he takes. If the corner doesn’t stop the fight (and his trainer should’ve), then it’s up to the referee to protect the fighter when the fighter is too tough for his own good.

Boxing Scene - Vitali Klitschko-Shannon Briggs: Post-Fight Report Card

The last four rounds were sick farce. Briggs landed one surprising right in the eleventh that caught Klitschko squared up, a surprise to both men. Klitschko quickly returned to beating the hell out of Briggs. It was brutal stuff and Briggs trip to the hospital afterwards spoke to the senselessness of it. This was a mismatch going in. There was no reason to allow room for tragedy.

I understand where some might argue for the continuance because of Briggs final round WBO belt winning knockout of Sergiy Lyakhovich in 2006 in a fight he was losing. The difference this time was that the first eleven rounds weren’t some of the most uneventful ever seen in a Heavyweight fight. Klitschko had Briggs in pocket early and rarely let up.

ESPN - Shannon Briggs recovering in hospital after brutal defeat to Vitali Klitschko

Cohen said rumors that Briggs, 38, had suffered a brain hemorrhage were not true and that he was resting at the hospital and had even joked around with him before he left Germany.

"I wouldn't be here [in New York] if he wasn't OK," Cohen said. "He was in intensive care after the fight for precautionary reasons. The injuries are not life-threatening. He's just banged up, but it's not life-threatening or very serious. Other than the injuries I described, everything else is OK.

"He walked out of the arena on his own. They wanted to put him on as stretcher, but he wouldn't let them. He's going to be fine."

Boxing Scene - Klitschko Plans March Return: "I Want Haye, Valuev"

Klitschko has lost very few rounds since returning to boxing in 2008. He does see a problem coming up, a lack of opponents. He hopes to get Haye or Valuev. If he doesn't get either, then it will likely be the winner of the WBC mandatory eliminator on December 17, being contested between Ray Austin and Odlanier Solis. Klitschko has two fights left on his very lucrative television contract with German network RTL.

"I am the strongest boxer in the world. I have the problem that there are no more opponents. Haye has an offer of a 50-50 split and there are no options. Another candidate is Nikolai Valuev, the Russian giant in the Sauerland stable, if he is fit after the recent shoulder surgery," Klitschko said.