World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko retained his title with a 10th round stoppage against a game, but hopelessly outclassed Albert Sosnowski at the Veltins Arena, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, according to Telegraph.co.uk.
Klitschko kept Sosnowski on the outside, hunted him down over 10 one-sided rounds and, although the UK-based Pole managed to land jabs and threw wild left and right hands in the middle rounds, the challenger eventually tired and the giant Ukrainian measured his victim up for a definitive finish.
It was largely unimpressive from Klitschko, a workmanlike performance at best against an overwhelming underdog who showed great heart and courage, even managing to back Klitschko up on occasions.
Klitschko used his superior skills and size to wear the Pole down, in a championship bout which had looked a mis-match on paper.
Only Sosnowski’s desire to make the most of his opportunity for world title glory stopped it being that. But there was little excitement in the 10 Klitschko-dominated rounds.
Sosnowski landed a good right hand in the eighth, his best round of the fight, though Klitschko won virtually every round, punctuating his heavy right-hand attacks with jabs into the challenger’s face.
By the ninth, Klitschko stepped up his attacks, and took the Pole’s heart with some heavy shots. It was by some way the champion`s most attacking round; by the end of that stanza, Sosnowski was in trouble, on the ropes.
The denouement came quickly in the 10th, Klitschko doubling Sosnowski up with a heavy right hand, and then dropped him in a neutral corner with two, heavier, downward slashes. Referee Jay Nady had seen enough and waved the fight off.
Klitschko, with his fourth defence of the WBC title, following his return to the ring in 2008 after four years away through injury and surgery, moved to 40 wins, two losses. Sosnowski suffered his third loss in 49 career fights.
