I am posting this specifically for Armando and Sean. Klitschko, in this fight, is far from his peak. For that reason I like this as a study for young fighters. Mercer has a good blind jab—aimed at the taller man’s eyes—which he uses well but not enough, and a strong high power jab which most short men never cultivate.

If you fellows can vary your jab, stiff arm with the left, forearm check with the right, and have good extension on your straight right and turn that jab into a high shovel hook, then you should be able to do this to any short man that does not have good angles and lateral movement.

The weakness of Klitschko here, is “looming” over the target from the waste and letting his hands come together on his chest, which other fighters would make him pay for. Driving his shoulder all the way through after the right leaves him exposed for the double hook counter. A Tyson could have caught him with that. To guard against the hook counter to the right throw a cleanup punch with the left, not a hook, but a jab. Once you have hammered a man repeatedly with the right and he is still there, then you need to step off line and go back to driving the jab, as you will need to catch this guy stepping in.

It is driving me crazy that Klitschko is not throwing a cleanup punch, but finishing with the right.

If Mercer could have executed some U—hustles, C-steps, posts and fades he could have done something. At 37:01Mercer scored a nasty jab. If he had good movement he could have won this.

Mercer is one tough dude.