STALEMATE?

Context is everything. A couple of years ago, Wladimir Klitschko's eighth-round stoppage of Frans Botha in Stuttgart, Germany, on 16 March would have been seen as an impressive victory over an experienced opponent. Lennox Lewis beat him to it, however, managing the same job in less than two rounds in July 2000.

Of course, every fight must be judged on its own merits. But, for Klitschko, seen by some as the replacement for Lewis and Tyson at the top of the heavyweight tree, comparisons will be made.

If we forget about the Lewis fight for a moment, and reflect instead on the fact that Botha, 33, had partaken in two other heavyweight title fights in the mid-'90s before bullying Mike Tyson for the best part of five rounds in January 1999, then, evidently, the South African was entering the ring as a very experienced campaigner.

For Botha, this was probably the last shot at a world title of any meaningful description. It was in this city, in this arena in fact, that Botha became world champion for the only time in his career when he outpointed Germany's Axel Schulz for the IBF version of the title in December 1995. He was later stripped of the belt after failing a drug test and the fight was ruled a no contest. Motivation indeed to do well on his return to the city, particularly as he has always maintained his innocence as regards this matter.

The size of the job here, though, was imposing - literally. Klitschko, standing at 6ft 6ins and weighing 242lbs (17st 4lbs), brought a height advantage of five inches to the ring. In terms of reach, power and ability, Botha was deemed, on paper at least, to be hopelessly outgunned.

The game plan of Botha was obvious and crude. His only hope was to frustrate the Ukranian and this he did from the opening bell by rushing in with shots aimed both to the body and the head before holding on to Klitschko's midriff whenever he got in close. It wasn't winning him points on the scorecards, but at least it was keeping him out of harm's way.

Klitschko, making the third defence of his WBO title, did what he could to contain Botha's spoiling tactics, using his strong left jab where possible. It wasn't until the end of the second round, though, that Klitschko was able to land anything of consequence. A heavy left hook followed by a solid right caught Botha, but this was only a brief moment of skill in an otherwise dull round.

Anybody who had seen Klitschko's fight against Monte Barrett on the undercard of Lewis-Botha would have been familiar with this sight. When an opponent chooses to hold, Klitschko tends to be dragged into a waiting game. It is as if he cannot impose himself very easily on the action when this happens, particularly in the early part of a fight.

And this went on for the first four rounds. Klitschko was totting up the points for a clear lead, but brief glimpses of his superiority were annulled by Botha's spoiling style. Whistles were heard from the crowd of 10,500 spectators in the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle.

Holding on to somebody with Klitschko's upper-body power saps a lot of strength and, by the fifth round, Botha was beginning to look weary. So much so that the fight began to favour Klitschko's style of boxing. Botha continued to hold, but not to the degree of the earlier rounds. As a result, Klitschko was able to find his range and, by the sixth, he was catching Botha regularly with the right hand as well as the left jab.

From this point on, it was only a matter of time for Botha. It was clear in the seventh that any reserves of strength had now deserted him. He looked hopelessly vulnerable, providing target practice for Klitschko, who waited for a chance to finish off his man.

One minute from the end of the round, a heavy right sailed over the top of Botha's guard and rocked him. He somehow held on until the bell but, by now, it was looking very bleak.

Shortly into the eighth, Klitschko connected solidly with a short right. He followed up with a barrage of lefts and rights and Botha went down for the first time. He was able to beat the bell but referee Genaro Rodriguez had seen enough and stopped the contest after 48 seconds of the round.

Botha may well have been able to continue but the fight was well beyond salvation.

All in all, it was a very disciplined showing from Klitschko, whose record now stands at 38-1 (35 early). Not once did he seem to get frustrated during the early rounds. Instead, he bided his time and waited for the opportunity to arise. And when it did, he took it without having to be asked twice.

Yet, in spite of all this, his performance didn't really satisfy.

'It was, of course, not an easy job,' said Klitschko afterwards. 'For Frans Botha it was the last opportunity [to be world champion] and he wanted to take that opportunity.'

'I was slower than normal, I must admit. But I tried not to think about what Lennox Lewis or Mike Tyson did [in their respective fights with Botha]. Instead, for me the result was important and the round in which it happened was uninteresting.'

Hang on a minute. Botha belly-flopped against Lewis and a recent string of wins against low level opposition hardly made him a heavyweight force, last chance or not.

One cannot help remembering what Lennox Lewis was able to do to Botha. While Klitschko was pretty passive in allowing himself to be held for the first four rounds, Lennox never permitted that to happen. Instead, Lewis immediately showed Botha who was the boss.

So, if Lennox could do this, why couldn't Klitschko achieve something similar? With similar height and reach advantages to those of Lewis, and with power in both hands, surely Klitschko should've got the job done quicker.

Experience is certainly a factor here. Lennox has faced many of the top names in the division. Of Klitschko's opponents, only Chris Byrd can be described as top drawer.

Klitschko has time in hand, however. Against Botha, he was a few days shy of his 26th birthday. There's no time like the present, though. After building his reputation with wins against the likes of Botha and Charles Shufford, he needs to move up a level, particularly if he is to make his mark in America, where the real riches are to be found.

For this fight, he collected a reputed 1m Euros (about £600,000). Lucrative enough for what turned out to be a relatively straightforward assignment, but a far cry from the amounts demanded by other current heavyweight champions.

The bigger purses can come, but Klitschko has to earn them. He already has the advantage of being the world's leading white heavyweight, a fact that, rightly or not, is still important on a marketing level. Now he needs to establish himself, not only in the eyes of the American public but also before the casinos and pay-per-view networks. To do this he must take on fighters who are already highly regarded.

Klitschko's handlers may say that meaningful fights are thin on the ground, and with good reason. Lewis and Tyson are otherwise engaged this year.

Other possibilities do exist. The winner of David Tua-Fres Oquendo (scheduled to take place as this issue went to press) would certainly help him make the breakthough into the American market. Such a fight might dispel some of the lingering doubts. A lot of Klitschko's critics would love to know what happens when somebody really hits him. If he can stand up to a powerful fighter such as Tua, then Klitschko would really gain credibility.

Looking elsewhere, the winner of Shannon Briggs-Jameel McCline would also be an appealing test at this moment in time.

There are also questions against the team behind Klitschko. No argument, Universum, the Hamburg-based promotional outfit, have done a wonderful job in getting Klitschko to this level. However, at the very top level, their promises have rung a little shallow.

Not only have they yet to provide a truly meaningful opponent for Klitschko, but other Universum-backed fighters have also seen proposed big fights fail to materialise. WBO light-heavyweight champion Dariusz Michalczewski, for example, looks as far away as ever from a defining encounter with Roy Jones Jr. Perhaps Universum lack the clout to really take on the world.

An affiliation with a top American promoter may make all the difference. Whatever the whys and wherefores, something needs to be done, because Klitschko's profile in America could and should be a lot higher.

Progress may be made with Tommy Brooks. Word has it that Tyson's former trainer will link up with Universum later in the springtime. Possibly he will work with Fritz Sdunek, Klitschko's current trainer, to provide guidance for the tougher fights that cannot be so far away. As they say, watch this space.