If you didn’t get a chance to see it over the July 4 weekend in Germany, you can watch the video of American heavyweight Eddie Chambers’ dominant win over Alexander Dimitrenko above and in the other six parts after the jump. Happy birthday America!
Here are a few of my thoughts on it:
- As I’ve always had a soft spot for Chambers, it’s really nice to see him put together such a thoroughly good performance. Really, if you like to see smart technicians ply their craft, this is about as fun as it gets, and it’s the best Chambers has ever looked, both technically and from an entertainment standpoint. (And in his midsection, although there’s still a little goo there.) By contrast, Dimitrenko — who’d not impressed me much before — is completely lost. A good deal of that was Chambers’ fault. It’s all a big circle of life and stuff.
- I still wouldn’t pick Chambers to beat Wladimir Klitschko — Wlad owes him a fight some time, since this win made Chambers his mandatory challenger — but I do think he’s a more viable opponent in light of this performance than I once would have thought. He doesn’t have the power to hurt Klitschko, and surviving 12 rounds and outboxing Wlad is a risky proposition. But look at all of Wlad’s most recent opponents and tell me if any of them are anywhere near as fast, or as good defensively, as Chambers is. Getting inside a 6’7″ Dimitrenko’s jab is a far easier proposition than getting inside a 6’7″ Klitschko’s jab, but being fast and being good defensively is a start.
- Goossen Tutor Promotions is thrilled about this win, as it should be. It now has two men who can make a case for being the best American heavyweight, Chris Arreola and now Chambers, although from the look of things (like holding a big news conference with Arreola recently; by contrast, Chambers gets his today) they hadn’t quite anticipated Chambers would be the one to break out of the pack. The plan is to keep Chambers busy before he gets Klitschko. It’s a good idea. Chambers is saying all the right things about liking his new body, but a long rest between fights is a motive to slip back into plumper habits. Plus, if Chambers’ trainer is right, Chambers is still improving. He’ll need all the improving he can muster if he’s to have a shot at beating Klitschko.
