Klitschko-Chambers round-by-round blog
7:00 p.m. -- Buffer says the official time of the kayo is 2:55 of the last round, meaning Klitschko knocked out Chambers with five seconds to go.
6:57 p.m. -- Klitschko is standing on the turnbuckles and playing to the crowd. Chambers sitting on stool surrounded by team. What a pulverizing left hook! Still awaiting the official announcement from Michael Buffer.
6:55 p.m. -- Chambers has been crumpled on the canvas for at least two minutes.
ROUND 12 -- Chambers has the earmuffs on, while Klitschko throws combos. He's really gunning for the stoppage, but Eddie's legs are still fresh. Klitschko is really letting the right hand fly now and the crowd loves it. With 15 seconds left, Klitschko lands a vicious left hand to Chambers' right temple and the challenger is down. For the count! A knockout victory for Wladimir Klitschko with just 12 seconds left in the final round!
ROUND 11 -- Klitschko continues to try and set Chambers up for the right-handed closer, but Chambers continues to evade punches impressively. Deft head movement and footwork from the challenger. This hasn't been Wladimir Klitschko at his finest. He's been imprecise all night -- Chambers has something to do with that -- but his inability to apply pressure and finish off an overmatched and outclassed opponent is troublesome. Steward is not happy with Klitschko's work rate. "You do not need to have another bulls--- decision," Steward says. KLITSCHKO 10-9
ROUND 10 -- After nearly a five-minute delay, we're under way again and Chambers is trying to parry and counter. The crowd is buzzing and imploring Klitschko to finish it. Eddie can't navigate inside, but Wlad can't seem to close the deal either. With two rounds to go, Chambers needs a miracle stoppage to win. KLITSCHKO 10-9
6:40 p.m. -- Interesting. Chambers' right glove is broken and the referee orders a replacement. They've cut off the old one and they're lacing up the new one while Klitschko stands in a neutral corner. The crowd is whistling and jeering Chambers even though the delay is not his fault. That said, the extra recovery time is a definite benefit for the challenger.
ROUND 9 -- Wlad still measuring. With a lopsided advantage on the cards, he can afford to be patient. The story of the past five rounds has been the Klitschko jab, a weapon that's been as dominant today as ever before. Chambers lunges in for the occasional wild hook or overhand punch, but he's been unable to cause any substantial damage through 27 minutes. Straight right from Klitschko near the end of the round wobbles Chambers but he's OK. KLITSCHKO 10-9
ROUND 8 -- Chambers' face looks a bit swollen but he's still evading Klitschko's punches (for the most part). The champ appears to be setting Chambers up for the straight right, but the Philadelphian won't accommodate. It's all jabs from Klitschko (until a powerful straight right with 40 seconds left). No punch stats available on today's fight, but I can't imagine Chambers threw more than 30 punches in that round. He's looking just about ready to go. KLITSCHKO 10-9
ROUND 7 -- As Klitschko's jabbing moves from punching to pawing, the crowd starts to sense there's something building here. A straight left and a straight right from Klitschko both rock Chambers, who bounces off the ropes. Another strong right from Klitschko with 55 seconds left. Eddie is getting inside a little more than before -- landing the occasional uppercut, a hook to the right temple -- but it's Klitschko all the way. "You're not the big dummy they thought you were," Emanuel Steward tells the champ. KLITSCHKO 10-9
ROUND 6 -- Klitschko continues to measure distance with the left and keep Chambers to the outside. It's very much playing out like the typical Klitschko fight -- but Chambers is still in there. The champ scoring with the jab again and again. Klitschko lands a strong right to the face with about 12 seconds left. Chambers' corner is not pleased with the performance. Says one of Chambers' seconds: "You let six rounds go and it's going to be seven coming up." KLITSCHKO 10-9
ROUND 5 -- Five, six, seven, eight thudding left jabs from Klitschko to open the fifth. The champ continues to bounce around -- well-conditioned as always -- and he's starting to throw the right. Chambers lands a soft overhand right but it doesn't do much. With one minute to go, Klitschko gets Chambers on the ropes but can't land enough punches to put the challenger in danger. They clinch and it seems like Eddie is trying to lift Klitschko yet again, but Rodriguez preempts. Eddie is trying to get inside but can't seem to crack the code. Stylistically, the risk-averse Chambers is starting to look a lot like Joshua Clottey last week against Manny Pacquiao. If there's no Plan B, it's already over. KLITSCHKO 10-9
ROUND 4 -- Klitschko is trying to finish Chambers, upping the tempo and throwing combos in the middle of the ring from the bell. Chambers keeps moving forward, unintimidated. The lateral movement we've heard about throughout the week from the Chambers camp is happening -- Eddie is executing the fight plan -- but there's just not enough offense. He's a little too concerned with Wladimir's straight right after that near-disaster at the end of the second. With a minute to go, it's looking like another round for Klitschko unless Chambers can do something special. Klitschko keep using that left jab to set up the right but Chambers' steady movement is making it difficult. The challenger is still in the fight, but down 4-0 on the cards. KLITSCHKO 10-9
ROUND 3 -- Klitschko is dealing. He's not landing many punches but he's the busier fighter and establishing a steady rhythm with the jab. Chambers still appears to be regrouping after that powerful straight right that nearly floored him at the end of the second. When Chambers does manage to get inside -- for the first time today -- he puts everything into a strong right to the body that Klitschko doesn't even seem to feel. Possible cut under Chambers' eye. Another round for Klitschko, but Chambers did well to recover. KLITSCHKO 10-9
ROUND 2 -- Another cautious opening. Less than a minute in, Chambers lifts Klitschko into the air a second time and dumps him to the canvas. It's obvious Chambers is trying to anger Klitschko and disrupt his rhythm so he'll make a mistake. And Klitschko does appear angry. The champ settles and scores with the jab, but Chambers enjoys pockets of success with the jab as well. With 34 seconds left, Klitschko uncoils a vicious straight right hand that nearly ends the fight. The challenger somehow stays on his feet, but Chambers is hurt. KLITSCHKO 10-9
ROUND 1 -- Slow opening for both fighters and the German crowd buzzes for action. Chambers is ducking and evading Klitschko's jab but can't close the distance. When Klitschko tries to clinch midway through the round, Chambers actually lifts Klitschko into the air for a good 3-4 seconds. It's almost a psychological ploy to show he's not afraid of the weight difference -- but the champion is not amused. Klitschko tags Chambers with a strong right hand with about 45 seconds left, but it doesn't seem to faze the challenger. Eddie is jabbing well and enjoyed some limited success in the opening round, but it still goes to the champ. KLITSCHKO 10-9
6:02 p.m. -- Rodriguez gives last instructions at center of ring and we're just about ready to go. Can Chambers pull off an upset on the order of Hasim Rahman knocking out Lennox Lewis in South Africa on April 22, 2001?
6:00 p.m. -- "Let's get ready to rum-ble!"
5:59 p.m. -- Buffer announces the judges (Manfred Kuchler, Tom Miller and Dave Parris) and the referee (Genaro Rodriguez).
5:57 p.m. -- Now it's "Shche ne vmerla Ukraina" -- better known as the national anthem of the Ukraine. Klitschko appears locked in and prepared for the task at hand.
5:56 p.m. -- Anthem time. First, "The Star-Spangled Banner" for Chambers. He's rocking back and forth, looking a little nervous, but appears to have worked up a good sweat.
5:52 p.m. -- Klitschko coming to the ring wearing red robe with gold trim. The Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Can't Stop" -- the champion's signature ring-walk song -- plays over the arena system. Up the stairs and into the arena comes Klitschko.
5:49 p.m. -- Arena darkens. MichaelBuffer steps to the center of the ring and announces "Fast" Eddie Chambers. A 30-second video montage of Chambers plays before the challenger makes his way to the ring with trainer Rob Murray and entourage. Chambers is wearing a black satin robe with red trim.
5:45 p.m. -- Ring walks in 10 minutes.
5:40 p.m. -- The 6-foot-6 Klitschko tipped the scales at 245 pounds at Friday's weigh-in, while the 6-foot-1 Chambers came in at a svelte 209. As Don Steinberg observed in Saturday's Philadelphia Inquirer, the ratio between the two bodies is roughly the same a middleweight (160 pounds) fighting a lightweight (135).
5:30 p.m. -- We're about a half-hour from the opening bell of the heavyweight title fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Philadelphia's Eddie Chambers.
The fight is only available in the U.S. on Internet Pay-Per-View (Klitschko.com, $14.95), since no American network wanted to pay the license fee to go up against March Madness. But for the past hour -- at least at the SI offices in Manhattan -- the site has been returning a DNS error. (Fortunately, the standard live video streaming sites have come to the rescue.)
Despite the tepid interest stateside, Klitschko-Chambers expects to draw over more than 50,000 fans to Dusseldorf's Esprit Arena and more than 100 other countries are televising it.
It's been nearly six years since Klitschko lost a fight, and he's an 8-to-1 favorite to make a 12th straight successful title defense today.
