The three and a half inch reach and height was just too much for the shorter Chris Arreola whose initial plan appeared to be to stay in close and bang away. Vitali’s experience was very apparent in this fight and he surgically took Arreola apart. The spectacle drew an approximate 16,000 fans from the Los Angeles Staples Center and most were hoping that Arreola would bring the title back to the U.S. and be the first Mexican-American Heavy weight champion.

Fighting out of the Blue Corner Chris Arreola came charging out to do battle with at the sound of the first bell. Klitschko met the challenger in the center of the ring and immediately started banging away with his left jab and an almost immediate right over the top. Klitschko started to maintain the distance with the jab trying to keep Arreola at bay and not allowing Arreola to get in. Klitschko took great advantage of his reach and height. Arreola tried to bang away at the body, while Klitschko continued to bang away at Chris’s head. At the end of the first round Klitschko was the dominate fighter.

The second round found Klitschko continuing to jab and use lateral movement and side step each and every Arreola attack. Chris was largely ineffective, but trying very hard to get in and land some big punches. Chris was constantly pursuing Vitali, being tempted to come in by Vitali’s open stance and lowered hands. Chris’s could only keep his hands up to avoid being battered as he was being measured by Vitali. The second round again went to Vitali.

Chris was making Vitali work hard for the punches he was landing. Chris had some small successes but they were not enough to win the third round. Klitschko was taking Chris a part bit by bit. Chris at this point was getting hammered. The closer he got the more punishment he absorbed. Vitali was schooling Chris, and not letting him have an inch of ground.

At the start of the fourth round Chris was relentless in his pursuit of Vitali doing everything he could do to get on the inside and bang away at the taller Vitali. It appeared that Chris was starting to wear down. The steady left jabs followed by heavy rights from Vitali were staring to frustrate Chris. The occasional Vitali left hook was another effective method of keeping Chris off him, although a short left hook from Chris in the later part of the round found its target followed by a roar from the crowd for their hometown hero.

The bigger man kept Chris form landing any effective punches by using his height and reach advantage with constant lateral movement in the fifth round. Chris could not cut the ring down and was constantly pursuing Vitali. Vitali was just too much of a moving target. Klitschko was fighting a magnificent defensive fight, proving that he had mastered the art of “hit and don’t get hit.” Vitali was being very effective, and maintained a coolness sticking to his game plan. This fight was scheduled for twelve rounds and it was looking more and more at this point like Chris was starting to tire. His head was being used as a punching bag and his face beginning to show the signs of it.

Round number 6 and 7 found more of the same. Arreola was constantly trying to get inside the taller man with no real success, consistently absorbing a steady diet of Klitschko leather. Showing a degree of frustration, Arreola landed a right hand to the kidney area on a clinch which the referee warned him about. This fight was beginning to boil down to who was the better conditioned and more experienced skilled fighter.

At the sound of the bell for the eighth round, Vitali absorbed four right hands to his left rib cage and walked away like he had been swatting away a fly. One of Chris’s better moments came in this round, with a couple left jabs followed by a right hook momentarily shook up Vitali but never really landed flush. The eighth round was a good showing for Chris though he started bleeding heavily from the nose and continued to absorb more punishment, none the less showing extraordinary heart.

The ninth round found Vitali looking more confident that he had this pretty much wrapped up. Chris was nailed with two right hands that look like they took a toll on him, followed moments later by a small left hook and then a bigger right hook. Arreola continued to take punishment. It was an exercise in futility. He was being given a education in boxing by Vitali.

The tenth round found Klitschko ahead on all cards. Chris continued to pursue Vitali, showing real heart but it just wasn’t enough. He was absorbing heavy punishment, but still pressing the fight. Vitali at this point was hitting Chris at will. The strategy of trying to get inside was not working against the taller Klitschko it was strictly an up hill battle from the start.

The fight came to a conclusion when Henry Ramirez the trainer of Chris Arreola
 

felt his fighter had absorbed enough punishment and for the safety of his fighter ended the fight. Ramirez is to be commended for his decision. Chris will fight again. Arreola became very emotional and understandably so. His dream of becoming the Heavy Weight Champion was over for the moment. Never had he wanted a victory so bad, and to make boxing history. He was just out classed by the bigger and more experienced fighter.

Punch stats at the end of the fight showed Klitschko throwing 802 thrown, 301 punches landed, compared with Arreola throwing only 331 landing only 86. Total power punches by Klitschko were 283 thrown landed 151, compared with 107 thrown by Arreola and landing only 24.

At the post fight conference Vitali paid a lot of respect for Chris Arreola and believes that with more experience Chris will be a great champion. He was very surprised at how Chris continued to press the fight and absorb some of his best punches. He had nothing but praise for Chris. Arreola stated: “I’m not going to let this fight break me. I’m going to come back stronger than ever. I’m not a loser.” Will these two ever meet again? Who knows, but one thing is for certain, if Chris is to become the champion he has to do more to perfect his art. Saturday night he was just up against a bigger, more experienced and skillful fighter. One loss does not end a career, Chris will be back stronger, wiser and with a vengeance. Who is next on the list for the giant man from the Ukraine? We will anxiously wait and see.