Klitschko machine clicking on all cylinders

It's not news that Vitali Klitschko has lapped the field in the heavyweight division. That should have been obvious years ago. And it really won't be significant news when Klitschko successfully defends his World Boxing Council world title on Saturday in Wroclaw, Poland, by routing Tomasz Adamek.

It's what he does.

Adamek is a classy, talented boxer who would be the favorite against any heavyweight in the world but Klitschko and his younger brother, Wladimir, who holds the International Boxing Federation/ World Boxing Association/ World Boxing Organization versions of the belt.

It's hard to see, though, how Adamek can win more than a round or two against Vitali Klitschko, whose jab is like a telephone pole and is both an offensive and defensive weapon. The jab is so powerful that it actually causes damage to his opponent, but his reach is so long and the jab pops so frequently that it's difficult for opponents to get near him to punch at him.

The result is that in most of his fights, Klitschko takes next-to-no damage. And that will likely be true again on Saturday in front of a crowd of more than 40,000 at a soccer stadium in Adamek's home country. It would be a moral victory for Adamek if he won more than a round or two in the HBO-televised bout.

Boxing historians have disparate opinions of Klitschko. And because the current crop of heavyweights is so weak, it's difficult to place a Klitschko in context against the likes of George Foreman, Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes and the like.

Klitschko has been desperate for a rematch with Lennox Lewis, the one elite heavyweight he met, since he lost a sensational 2003 bout in Los Angeles when a crater-sized cut on Klitschko’s eyeline forced the ringside physician to stop the bout.

Klitschko has spent years pleading for a rematch, but Lewis retired after the bout, was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and has been adamant he'll never consider a fight against any opponent.

Fighting foes he's not only expected to defeat, but dominate, gets frustrating, Klitschko conceded. He longs for the big-time fight he had against Lewis, but alas, there is none to be head. And, given that he's 40, there isn't likely to be that kind of fight out there.

"My dream was always to fight Mike Tyson and we had negotiations about it, but [it didn't come off]," he said. "I have that loss to Lennox Lewis on my record. I have two losses, the one to Chris Byrd and the one to Lennox Lewis, and in my mind, they are not losses. It was the body. I couldn't go forward.

"It would be a dream, a fantasy fight, to think that I could have guys like George Foreman around today to fight against. Muhammad Ali? Oh. It would be the biggest honor for me to have been able to prove my skills against legends like that."

Lewis is the only fighter who provided Klitschko a modicum of a challenge, but Klitschko was ahead four rounds to two on the cards of all three judges when the physician ordered the bout to be stopped by the cut. His other loss, in 2000 to Byrd, came when he injured his shoulder and was forced to quit on the stool. But it turned out he had significant shoulder damage and could have ended his career had he continued.

Fritz Sdunek, Klitschko's trainer, is one of Europe's most acclaimed trainers. He's trained eight Olympic medalists, including one gold medalist, and has coached 14 professional world champions.

He's been around the game a long time and is convinced that Klitschko is one of the best big men who ever pulled on a pair of gloves. He thinks Klitschko would have competed well in any era.

"He's definitely a top 10 heavyweight of all time, especially when you look at how long he has been champion," Sdunek said. "He has never lost a fight in the ring, only by injury. Even though he is unorthodox, Vitali is a complete fighter. Very few boxers have had Vitali's strength, size, determination, speed, power, defensive skills and the ability to take a punch.

"He's one of the most intelligent boxers I've ever seen. Vitali knows how to capitalize on his opponent's weaknesses and he's a great finisher when he gets his opponent hurt."

That's easy to do when the opponents are no-hopers like some of his opponents. But to do that against elite fighters like Foreman, Tyson, Ali would be a much more difficult proposition.

Though it's clearly biased, Sdunek believes Klitschko could have beaten each of the three.

"It would be a difficult fight [against Ali]," Sdunek said. "Vitali would use his size, strength and punching power to win a hard-fought decision. Against Tyson, Vitali would use his jab and left hand to control the fight. When Tyson would come inside, Vitali would use uppercuts. Vitali would win by late-round KO, overpowering him with his size.

"Against Foreman, Vitali would use his speed and jab to outbox him. Vitali would also win by late-round KO, having better stamina."

No one will ever know, but Klitschko shouldn't be penalized for the era he dominated. Yes, he may be fighting in the worst era in heavyweight history, but there is no question he would have been a tough out no matter who or when he fought.

He's that good.

Vitali Klitschko is the real thing.

HBO will air the bout live from Wroclaw at 4:45 p.m. ET and then again on tape delay at 10:30 p.m. The late showing will include a live featherweight bout between Yuriorkis Gamboa and Daniel Ponce de Leon.

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