Boxing: Jeers all the way as title stays with Klitschko

Wladimir Klitschko, the so-called "future of the heavyweight division", retained his World Boxing Organisation heavyweight title in Las Vegas on Saturday night, stopping a seemingly intimidated and unsure Jameel "Big Time" McCline in 10 well-booed rounds.

But if the younger brother of Vitali Klitschko is the future of the heavyweight division, the future is as bleak as the present. "There is no future," Dino Duva, an American promoter in the sparsely populated Mandalay Bay Events Center, said. "Klitschko did a little bit. McCline did less."

"I can beat both these guys," Mike Tyson was overhead saying at ringside. "I've never been so unimpressed by a winner in my life," commented Carl Moretti, a vice-president at Main Events, which until recently used to promote Lennox Lewis in the United States. "Maybe Roy Jones Jnr is the best heavyweight in the world," Moretti added.

Only 6,580 customers showed up in an arena which can seat 12,000 for what promised to be a terrific double-header but wasn't. In the co-feature, the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jnr (29-0, 20 knockouts) scored another unanimous 12-round decision over Jose Luis Castillo, the Mexican he defeated somewhat controversially last April to win the World Boxing Council lightweight championship. This time, however, Mayweather left no doubt as to his superiority.

Klitschko left many doubts. Yes, the Ukrainian is big, 6ft 7in, 240lb. Yes, he can punch a bit. Two left hooks and a right hand sent McCline down in his own corner at the end of the 10th round and the New Yorker's trainer, Jimmy Glenn, refused to let him out for the 11th round, saying "He was running tired and I didn't want him to get hurt."

But the WBO champion, 40-1 with 37 knockouts, looked easy to hit and the few times McCline raised his hands in anger, he seemed to have no taste for the battle. "I don't want to prove my head, how hard it is," he said in English, his fourth language.

Kery Davis of Home Box Office, the powerful television network that has both Klitschkos under contract, said "he's such a nice kid, you want to keep the jury out."

In other words, let us give Dr Wladimir Klitschko – like his big brother Vitali, with a doctorate in sports science from the University of Kiev – another chance before ruling him just another disappointment.

"This was a big stage for him," Davis, an HBO vice-president, said, "and it wasn't a spectacular performance, but he's got to get used to it."

Wladimir is only 26, an age well before heavyweights usually hit their peak, pointed out his promoter, the German Klaus-Peter Kohl.

While Vitali, 31, next challenges Lewis for what is almost universally regarded as the real heavyweight championship, probably some time in April now, Wladimir will probably return in the spring in Germany, perhaps against the British champion, Danny Williams, according to Davis.

"This was a very important fight for Wladimir," Kohl said. "And he remembers his fight with Ross Purritty [his only loss, a 10th-round stoppage in 1998], he won every round, all nine rounds, but in the 10th round, he was empty. He learned from this. For me, he did well, he was patient. Give him a little more time, then he will be the greatest."

McCline was a "Big Time" disappointment. The underdog, who has boxed for only six years, seemed scared from the start – "nervous," Glenn said.

McCline, a match physically for Klitschko, was so tentative he threw only 307 punches – just 30.7 a round – and landed only 61, according to the statistics. Not that Klitschko was much busier, throwing only 433 punches and landing 183, which is why the booing got very loud in the middle rounds.

When a German reporter talked about quitting, McCline finally showed some fight. "I didn't quit, I'm no quitter," he said. "My corner stopped the fight."

They probably could not watch any more, either, preferring to go back to the future.

PROFESSIONAL PROMOTION (Las Vegas) World Boxing Organisation heavyweight championship: V Klitschko (Ukr, holder) bt J McCline (US) 10th round technical knockout; World Boxing Council lightweight championship: F Mayweather Jnr (US, holder) bt J Castillo (Mex) unanimously on points.