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Both fighters came out with a very cautious strategy in the early rounds. Brock was unable to get inside as Klitschko utilized his much longer jab to control several of the rounds with ease. Brock tried to go to the body, but was unable to hurt Klitschko or land much of anything to the head.

The defense of Brock made Klitschko switch up his game plan, throwing his right hand more often than his left.

During the fifth, there was a clash of heads that opened up a cut above the left eye of Klitschko that got worse in the sixth. In the seventh, Klitschko began to open up with big jabs, followed by combinations that were pushing Brock back. For unknown reasons Brock stood right in front of Klistchko as he landed a combination that was punctuated by a right hand that sent Brock down and flat on his face.

As the referee reached the count of eight, Brock was able to rise to his feet and was barely able to stand, which made the ref immediately stop the fight.

The heavyweight landscape has changed in the last few weeks.

Brooklyn’s Shannon Briggs knocked off Sergei Liakhovich to capture the WBO heavyweight title. Briggs has something most heavyweights are missing from the division – charisma. A muscle bound 260-pound fighter with golden blonde braids is a look that few fans can forget. Briggs has mantained a loyal following for the last couple of years, and now that he won his first major title, he is traveling to meet with fans and media in order to market himself towards a bigger fight.

Briggs is marketable enough to make a money fight with Klitschko. He is not the fastest, but certainly one of the biggest punchers at the weight. Briggs has knocked out his last twelve opponents. Very dangerous in the early rounds, Klitschko will need be careful and take Briggs into the late rounds where he is very vulnerable.

Liakhovich on the other hand is attempting go get his title back, by way of a petition. The handlers of Liakhovich are protesting the win of Shannon Briggs, claiming the fight was stopped several seconds after the twelfth and final round was technically over. Liakhovich was knocked out of the ring and onto the timkeeper’s table by a barrage of punches by Briggs as the final seconds of the round were coming to close.

When Liakhovich hit the timekeeper’s table, the referee called a halt to the fight. The legal debate over whether or not the knockout was legit is probably going to result in a rematch, not a reversal of the decision. The petition by Liakhovich is certainly going to put any bout between Klitschko and Briggs on hold, for the moment.

The undefeated WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev would certainly bring dollar signs for a unification bout, but he also brings promoter Don King who will seek options on the winner. If Klitschko allows King to get options, the fight can be made. But, KliItschko has said on many occasions that he will never give King options. It will be quite difficult to get King to not include option for his promotional company in the deal.

An old face returns to the heavyweight ranks, four-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield. He may be 42-years-old and well past his prime, but he can still sell a lot of tickets, the general public knows him like the back of their hand, and the fight would generate a lot of press.

It was two years ago that Holyfield was medically suspended by the New York State Athletic Commission, citing that they felt the former champion no longer had the ability to fight. The fact that Holyfield has returned this year to pile up a 2 fight win streak, one of the wins over a legit contender in Fres Oquendo, and then gains a final title shot in the process – is a script fit for a movie, and makes a spectacular pre-fight angle.

Holyfield also gets a lot of press from the newspaper and television media, which could benefit Klitschko by making his more well known with the general public.

The problem with the heavyweight division is being able to get the average person to remember the name of the actual champion. There was a time when the heavyweight champion was one the most well known sports figures in the world. That time has passed, the general public is unable to recite the names of the current champions.

Holyfield is not the fastest, the youngest or the strongest, but he is the most well known fighter in the heavyweight division and a bout backed by a major media blitz can make Klitschko a lot of money, and pick up a lot of new fans along the way.

The problem with making Klitschko-Holyfield is that on paper, it is still a mismatch to many. Klitschko also wants to fight the other champions in order to unify the division. He wants titles and recognition, but as history has shown us in the past – a lot of money can change the mind of any fighter.