Most of us regular folk have already broken one or more of our New Year's resolutions. Not Emanuel Steward. The Hall of Fame trainer and manager has a list of three things on his 2006 To Do list, and one pledge to himself stands taller--6 ft. 6 inches, to be exact--than the others. Foremost on the King of Kronk's covenant: see to it that by the end of 2006, Wladimir Klitschko is seen as the best heavyweight in the world.

In March, we'll have a good idea if Steward's 2006 is unfolding according to his script, because that's when Klitschko, the Ukrainian-born fighter who went from being seen as 'the heir apparent' to being labeled a weak-chinned bust quicker than you can say "Corrie Sanders is a fast starter," will face off with either Lamon Brewster or Chris Byrd. The bout, which Steward said should be cemented by the end of the week, will take place in Germany.

"We're back and forth on the opponent every day," Steward said. "I'd like it to be Brewster. Wladimir doesn't really care, Brewster or Byrd."

Either matchup would be a rematch for Klitschko. He downed Byrd, now the IBF champion, via unanimous decision on Oct. 14, 2000. That was a fight for the WBO heavyweight crown, and an act of payback after Byrd handed big brother Vitali a loss on his ledger. Six months before Wladimir handled Byrd easily, Vitali threw in the towel against Byrd because of an injured shoulder after the ninth round in a fight he was winning.

Steward's preference for Wladimir's pathway to predominance, Brewster, holds a meaningful win over the younger Klitschko. On April 10, 2004, Wladimir appeared to flame out against Brewster in a contest for the vacant WBO title, and succumbed in the fifth round of the bout. Brewster has defended that belt against Kali Meehan, Andrew Golota and Luan Krasniqi. Questions which arose from Wladimir's KO loss to Sanders, which had subsided after two gimme wins over Fabio Moli and Dannell Nicholson, were again part of the Wladimir scouting report. Does he have the stamina to go the distance? Is his chin damaged goods? Steward doesn't think so, but knows his man needs a superlative performance against Brewster or Byrd to quiet the critics.

"He still hasn't gotten the fans' stamp of approval," Steward said. "An impressive KO versus Brewster, or Byrd, would get him what he needs."

In Steward's mind, Wladimir's last outing, a unanimous decision win against Sam Peter on Sept. 24, was a landmark occasion in the Ukrainian's development. "He took on a man who was the next Tyson, Liston, Foreman," Steward said. "He beat him the hard way. We never complained about rabbit punches. It was a drama type fight."

The win over Peter, another heir apparent who's now dogged with more questions than an SAT, raised Wladimir's confidence level to where it needs to be for him to take his rightful place atop the division, Steward says. "Everybody had no confidence in Wladimir, except his camp," the trainer/manager said. "He overcame all that. Emotionally, there was a lot of tension he wasn't aware of.

The Peter win, Steward feels, can be likened to some of Lennox Lewis' more hard-earned victories, the type of wins that bolster a man's confidence, and convince him that when the going gets rough, he won't lay down and look for a place to hide: "Wladimir grew up in that fight. Most Europeans don't survive those type of fights. Lennox Lewis' "drama fight" was the fight against Frank Bruno and also the fight with Ray Mercer, a battle which he had to come back from defeat."

In March, Steward says, Wladimir will need to perform flawlessly to quiet the questions and critics. "For full credibility and respect of the public, Wladimir needs a solid performance with no staggers or knockdowns," he said. Steward seems positive, without a hint of doubt, that March 18, whether it be against Brewster or Byrd, will be the
beginning of an epic run for Wladimir: "It will begin a dominant streak for the next couple of years, like Lennox had. The year 2006 is going to be Wlad's year."

SPEEDBAG
Now about those other two Steward resolutions.

Steward has his fingers crossed that Irishman Andy Lee, a 6-2 lefty he's just signed, will finish the year as boxing's prospect du jour. A 21-year old middleweight who fought for Ireland in the Athens Olympics (he was the only Irish fighter representing), Lee will debut as a headliner on Feb. 17 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Isn't this a lot to ask of a kid in his first pro fight, Manny? "Hearns' debut was a main event too," Steward says. Lee worked at the Kronk in Belfast, and is enjoying the holidays in Limerick with his gal pal. He's coming to the States next week, and Steward can't wait to show him off. "I'm just as excited as when Roy Jones came out in 1988," Steward said. "I compare him to that level of talent. He's colorful, accurate, and flashier than Michael Moorer at light heavyweight."

Resolution number three: to get undefeated cruiser (9-0) Johnathon Banks, 23, in the title shot mix by the end of the year. "In a division that isn't that exciting, he creates unbelievable excitement," Steward said. Six of Banks' last seven fights have ended via first-round KO. Steward's been hastening Banks' development with top notch sparring against experienced pros, like Oleg Maskaev.