BREWSTER UPSETS W. KLITSCHKO
WINS BY TKO 5

Round by Round Commentary - by Anne Vitello

ROUND 1
Brewster charges in! And the tall man wraps those long arms around him. First chance he gets, Wlad pumps his left hook. Lamon keeps charging in; Klitschko keeps his head and keeps tying him up. Lamon is all intent, and little or no boxing. Klitshcko fires away when Brewster is at arms' length. Yikes; Lamon breaks away from the rain of punches, and dives in with a low blow. Klitchsko is unfazed. Ouch! Brewster is getting hammered by a very potent left jab. Wlad establishes himself with great authority.

ROUND 2
Again, Lamon comes forward. Surely his only chance is to get inside. Wlad clearly has learned a thing or two in his new American-style training; it's rare to see so much holding in a Klitschko fight. Lamon does get a real punch in now; his left to the body has connected more than once. And Wlad goes after him with prompt payback. Then it's more of Klitschko's jab. When he steps back and angles himself sideways, he is impossible for Lamon to reach. Though Brewster is managing to put his game together, Klitshcko is gaining momentum as well. He executes a nice-looking hook off his jab.

ROUND 3
It is evident that Wladimir Klitschko is transitioning away from his previous amateur style. He is using his size and doing much more physical grappling. There's a fast little left! Lamon Brewster comes in low and shoots his left straight upward to that suspect chin. Can Klitschko recover? He's not going anywhere, and seems secure on his feet. Klitschko is still getting his punches off, though he seems stiff and fatigued. A brutal right finds the mark, bashing Brewster in the face. Lamon keeps coming. But Klitshcko keeps busier.

ROUND 4
Did his survival of the last round inspire Klitshcko, perhaps dispel any of his own self-doubts? Perhaps, if his renewed aggression is any indication. Wlad is pounding Brewster with clean, straight punches. Lamon does manage to get to the body on occasion, but Wlad is dominating. Uh oh, Brewster is in trouble. When the ref does not acknowledge the first knockdown, Wlad puts him down for a second time. And again he gets up. The man is deeply, fiercely motivated! He has no legs, but he has heart and he has punches (wild ones). He flails away, and flings himself at Wlad. They end up on the canvas together.

ROUND 5
Veteran commentator Larry Merchant makes the very important point that Lamon Brewster's corner might pause to consider the amount of punishment he is absorbing tonight. The beating continues. Klitschko is picking his shots, and Lamon just keeps lumbering in. But Wlad is breathing heavily, though he looks like a million bucks he is punched out to an extent. And Brewster just will not quit. OH, and HERE WE GO! Now it's Lamon Brewster, all Lamon Brewster! Wladimir Klitschko makes it through the round by a heartbeat, but falls after the bell and can't seem to get back to his corner unassisted. It's all over! What a night at the fights!

POST-FIGHT COMMENTS:
Lamon Brewster was sky high after his pugilistic resurrection. By way of explaining his victory tonight, he emphasized first his faith: "When God is with you, no man can be against you." He then expressed his patriotism: " I wanted to show that Americans don't lay down." And Lamon also wanted everyone to know that he did study Klitschko and train hard. The newly-crowned champ was more self-contained than his entourage, who had to be kept in line by Larry Merchant.

This may be the end of the road for Wladimir Klitschko (who is fortunate enough to have plenty of other prospects in life). Though he has shown the ability to improve his technique, he just has never done well when up against any kind of real puncher. More than anything, he is missing that crucial intangible: heart. His fatigue tonight could be just as easily chalked up to stress as to muscle or lung depletion. This fight, more than any other in recent memory, demonstrated the tremendous power of the mind: In Brewster's case as an asset and in Klitschko's as a detriment.