WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO KO12 EDDIE CHAMBERS

The way a fight ends is what stays in the mind, and Wladimir Klitschko’s explosive finish against Eddie Chambers on Saturday night made up for the routine nature of what had gone before.

After methodically jabbing his way through most of the first 11 rounds, Klitschko finally heeded the urgings of his trainer, Emanuel Steward, and went after Chambers with a last-round onslaught that earned him a dramatic victory with just seconds remaining in the contest.

This is what heavyweight champions are supposed to do — knock out their challengers.

Klitschko had seemed on the verge of a spectacular win when a right hand staggered Chambers in the second round. Chambers was determined not to get stopped, though, and, hunkered down behind his tight defence, he was able to absorb many punches on arms and gloves in the rounds that followed.

Gradually, though, the resistance was being pounded out of him. Chambers couldn’t block all the jabs and the right hands, and the ones that got through were having a wearing-down effect.

Klitschko was too big, too strong, too powerful and too talented for Chambers to have a chance of getting into the fight. The smaller man was being beaten into submission by the accumulated effect of Klitschko’s punches. The ordeal was both physical and mental for Chambers. He was outmatched in every department and he couldn’t do a thing. When Chambers tried to land the right hand or left hook he was invariably too far away, and when his punches fell short he found himself being punished for his misses because he had opened himself up for Klitschko’s accurate, through-the-middle punches.

If Klitschko’s steady application of the metronomic jab and the heavy right hand was not enough for Chambers to worry about, there was also the threat of the Ukrainian’s underrated left hook. Chambers was under siege, like infantry pinned down by artillery fire, and it was clear very early that his position was a hopeless one.

I thought that Chambers showed gameness to endure as long as he did. Really, his corner could have pulled him out after the 10th round because he couldn’t win and, as he tired, he was becoming ever-more vulnerable to getting hurt and stopped. In short, Chambers could have been spared getting flattened.

Still, it looked as if Chambers was going to cross the finish line, if barely. Klitschko just didn’t seem prepared to commit himself to the all-out offensive that was needed to close the show.

After 11 rounds, Klitschko seemed prepared to settle for a wide win on points similar to the much-criticised one over Sultan Ibragimov. Trainer Steward was having none of it, though — not this time. “You do not need to have another bullshit decision, I’m telling you,” an exasperated Steward informed Klitschko. With three minutes remaining, Klitschko got the message. He did what Steward had been demanding and went in and let his hands go, and the weary and broken-down Chambers couldn’t quite make it to the final bell.

Klitschko's left hook provided the type of crushing finish that he needed to produce against an outclassed opponent. It was late in the fight, true, but better late than never.

If David Haye can produce a similar sort of ending against John Ruiz on April 3 the stage will be set for what has become a rarity — a heavyweight fight that will truly excite the boxing public.