12 Rounds or Less at the World Arena, Berlin, Germany, for the WBC Heavyweight Title

Odds: Klitschko -210, Peter +175

Vitali Klitschko: 35-2-0, with 34 knockouts.

Height: 6 feet, 7 1/2 inches

Weight (last fight): 250 pounds

Reach: 80 inches

Last Fight: Eight Round TKO of Danny Williams on December 11, 2004

Samuel Peter: 30-1-0 with 23 knockouts.

Height: 6 feet, 1/2 inch

Weight (last fight): 250 3/4 pounds

Reach: 77 inches

Last Fight: Sixth Round TKO of Olag Maskaev on March 8, 2008

Analysis:

This is probably the most anticipated heavyweight fight of 2008, which says more about the moribund state of the division than it does about this bout. Vitali Klitschko, older brother to reigning heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko, was once one of the most dominating forces in the ring, before a series of injuries shelved him for the better part of four years. He comes back Saturday to take on the Nigerian-born Sam Peter, who is coming off an impressive KO victory over Maskaev but who was thoroughly dominated by Wladimir Klitschko in a unanimous decision defeat in September of 2005. (Peter did manage to knock down Klitschko three times during that bout, but otherwise looked overmatched and unimpressive.) Many ring analysts feel Peter has upped his game since the loss to Klitschko, although he has not faced the same quality of opponent in any of his previous six matches.

The obvious physical difference between these two fighters is their height, with the towering Klitschko coming in a full seven inches taller than Peter. That physical advantage will make it difficult for Peter to get inside and work effectively: expect Vitali to attempt to use his superior reach to keep Peter at a distance where he can wear down his opponent and eventually stop him.

The big wildcard here, however, is Klitschko’s inactivity. Out of the ring for four years, the now 37-year-old Ukrainian is nine years older than Peter and coming off the kind of layoff that normally produces a significant amount of ring rust. In his prime, however, Vitali Klitschko was a terror, knocking out just about all of his opponents and even giving Lennox Lewis everything he could handle before a bad cut forced Klitschko to retire.

Prediction:

The tale of the tape and the respective records of the two fighters give Klitschko the decisive advantage, which is why the bookies have tagged him as a solid favorite here. However, my gut instinct tells me that Klitschko’s age and inactivity will be telling, and that a focused Peter–hoping for another shot at Vitali’s brother Wladimir–will be able to take advantage of Klitschko’s rust to score the upset. Peter by seventh round TKO.