As far as a national television showcase for heavyweight contender Wladimir Klitschko is concerned, his six-round bludgeoning of Ray Mercer on Saturday at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J., was an unqualified success.

Yet if those in Camp Klitschko believe that the doubters have been silenced, they won't be. Not yet, at least.

Admittedly, Mercer was as tough as he's ever been, taking shot after brutal shot, rising from a first-round knockdown and plodding ahead with cut and swollen eyes until referee Randy Neuman rescued him from further abuse at the 1:08 mark of the sixth round.

But it was a shell of the old Mercer, a senior citizen in boxing years, who hadn't fought a live body in the last couple of years, and who was tossed directly into the fire against perhaps the most talented heavyweight in the division.

"I'm 41 years old," said a defiant Mercer, now 30-5-1 with 22 knockouts. "If he wants to claim a big victory off that, so be it. (Lennox) Lewis hits harder. He hit me hard in the first round and I never recouped from that."

In the first, Klitschko (39-1, 36 KOs) came out firing at Mercer, who was expected to give the Ukrainian a gut check that U.S. fans have been anticipating. But with rapid-fire jabs and left hooks, and a jackhammer straight right hand, that gut check may not come for a long while, if at all.

With 30 seconds remaining in the round, Klitschko shot a left hook to the head that put Mercer down hard. The former WBO champ remained on his back for a few second before rising and pointing at the current champion, with whom he resumed battle.

"I enjoyed the fight very much," said Klitschko, and that's no surprise, especially when you land 104 of 167 power shots, compared to 5 of 10 for Mercer.

What little offense Mercer did have consisted of jabs that didn't land much, but the ones that did raised swellings under both of 'Steelhammer 's' eyes. Maybe Chris Byrd, Frans Botha, and Derrick Jefferson were working Mercer's corner.

Undeterred, Klitschko continued to hammer Mercer in rounds two and three. Mercer would come forward, get rocked, and come forward again, refusing to give ground, even though his rapidly puffing face refused to cooperate.

"I never saw something like this," said Klitschko. "He has the strongest chin in the world."

Indeed, Mercer may have the toughest whiskers, and Klitschko should know, as he unleashed his entire arsenal on his foe from start to finish. And once the fourth round passed its midway point, the possibility that Mercer may be able to hang on and possibly pull a late round upset had all but disappeared.

With hope fading, Mercer would attempt to drive forward with his all too sporadic rushes, only to have Klitschko sidestep and pound him, the 26-year-old too young, too fast, and too good for the faded New Jersey resident.

"He's slowing down," Mercer's corner yelled to their charge after Round 5, but as it turned out, Klitschko was just getting ready to close the show. Straight lefts and rights ripped through Mercer's guard, and it was evident to all that Mercer was done. Neuman agreed, stopping the bout in the sixth, and saving Mercer from going out on his back.

Grudgingly admitting that Klitschko "has a great chance of beating Lennox Lewis," Mercer talked of coming back, but his best days are long gone.

The opposite is true of Klitschko, who is firmly established as the most compelling challenger to Lewis. And while Chris Byrd is the most deserving of a shot at the crown, indications are that Byrd, decisioned by Klitschko, will be avoided by Lewis.

"I think I can prove my talent in a fight against Lewis, Holyfield, or Tyson," said Klitschko. "From my side, I'm ready to fight Lewis."

It remains to be seen if Klitschko's promoter, Universum, will place its prize pupil in jeopardy of losing. Most media members who picked Klitschko over Mercer deduced that Universum wouldn't have taken the fight if they thought Dr. Wladimir would lose. And while Klitschko's rise reeks of overprotection, his physical skills and performances in the ring speak for themselves.

But what will Lewis' jab do to Klitschko's eyes if Mercer's jab could cause swelling in three rounds? What will happen if Lewis' right hand lands on Klitschko's untested chin? What happens if the fight goes into the late rounds?

Or more importantly, what will the critics say if Klitschko destroys Lewis?