Wladimir Klitschko vs. Kubrat Pulev: Winner, Scorecard and Analysis

Wladimir Klitschko  (63-3, 53 KOs) manhandled Kubrat Pulev (20-1, 11KOs) on his way to a 17th heavyweight championship title defence in Saturday in Hamburg, Germany, beating the challenger by knockout in the fifth round.

Pulev was dropped twice in the opening round and never seemed to trouble Klitschko one bit, showing great heart to make it to the fifth before being rocked by a fantastic left hook. 

The atmosphere in Hamburg was truly electric ahead of the bout, with both fighters entering the ring accompanied by impressive displays. ESPN's Dan Rafael remains a fan of Klitschko's iconic entry:

Pulev displayed a solid jab early in the first round but ran straight into a tremendous left hook from Klitschko, knocking him to the canvas within 80 seconds of the opening bell.

The Bulgarian's knees gave away as he tried to get up, but he was allowed to continue, going straight back down following the next combination. Pulev survived the first round, but only barely.

Round By Round Boxing couldn't believe what they saw in the first round:

Pulev came out far more measured in the second round but showed no head movement whatsoever, and it seemed like only a matter of time before his Ukrainian opponent would strike again.

A massive right hook stunned Pulev in the third and the knees appeared to go again, before a left and a push sent him back to the canvas. Pulev somehow managed to survive the round, but the bout felt like it could be stopped any second.

Dan Rafael was thoroughly unimpressed with the Bulgarian:

Klitschko tuned back the aggressiveness in the fourth round, opting to work his jab and clinch whenever necessary. Pulev was grateful, going to work on the body in an attempt to wear out the defending champion.

A cut opened up in the corner of the Bulgarian's eye early in the fourth, and paired with the frustration of the constant clinches, Pulev resorted to throwing punches at the back of Klitschko's head.

Klitschko's left hook started the fight and it would also end it in the fifth, dropping Pulev for the final time. Ladbrokes shared the final shot:

Boxing News was satisfied with the performance they just witnessed:

Klitschko's 17th title defence was one of the more impressive displays we've seen in a long time, as the 38-year-old was aggressive and fought with eagerness and intensity.

Pulev came into this bout undefeated, but the Bulgarian was overmatched from the opening bell and never troubled Klitschko in the slightest. Heavyweight contender Derek Chisora expressed his admiration:

ESPN's Dan Rafael had Pulev's thoughts after the fight:

Shannon Briggs enjoyed the fight ringside and immediately called out Klitschko as soon as the bout was over, as shared by Boxing360:

If Saturday's impressive performance was any indication, however, there doesn't appear to be a single fighter capable of slowing down Klitschko as he marches toward Joe Louis' record of 25 consecutive heavyweight title defences.

HBO undoubtedly got their money's worth on Saturday, with Klitschko giving the fans exactly what they wanted: a dominant, aggressive performance that highlighted his dominance of the weight class in emphatic fashion.

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