He was the heir apparent, the charismatic future of the heavyweight division. But after a stunning two-round stoppage loss at the hands of 37-year-old South African Corrie Sanders at the Preussag Arena in Hanover, Germany, on Saturday, Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko saw his title aspirations burst along with the hopes of many in the boxing establishment.

The end came 27 seconds into the second round, when referee Genaro Rodriguez halted the bout after Klitschko hit the canvas for the fourth time.

With the pre-fight pageantry dragging on for what proved to be longer than the fight, Sanders was not intimidated by his heavily favored foe, despite fighting on foreign soil in front of 11,000 pro-Klitschko supporters.

Using his southpaw jab to set up his offense, Sanders caught Klitschko with a stiff left hand 45 seconds into the opening frame. It was a precursor of things to come, because as the final minute approached, 'Steelhammer' got caught inside with a short left hook that dropped him hard to the canvas.

Klitschko staggered up but was sent right back to the floor seconds later. He rose a second time and the bell intervened, with the 26-year-old staggering back to his corner, complete with a cut over his left eye.

"When he walked to the corner he was gone," Sanders said.

Another stiff left moments into the second put Klitschko on the seat of his trunks, and after rising a third time, a final barrage put him on the floor again, shocking the packed house and prompting the stoppage.

Sanders (39-2 with 29 KOs) -- a former policeman not to be confused with U.S. heavyweight Corey Sanders -- took home the WBO heavyweight title with the victory, but more importantly, he has made himself a player in a shaken up heavyweight division.

Not bad for a guy had fought only three rounds in the previous three years.

Klitschko, 26, a native of Kiev, Ukraine, now living in Germany, has a significantly cloudier future, though he remains optimistic.

"I got caught with a lucky punch, what can I say?" said Klitschko, 40-2 with 37 KOs. "These kinds of things should not happen, but they do. I left my guard down and he took advantage. Some of the greatest champions in history have come back after losing. My idol, Max Schmeling, Muhammad Ali, even Lennox Lewis lost and they came back. I am certain I will do the same."

Unfortunately for Klitschko, Ali and Lewis' losses didn't happen against Corrie Sanders and Klitschko's first conqueror, journeyman Ross Purrity (Sanders' chief sparring partner for this fight.)

Expected to lead the division through the coming years, Klitschko's loss has left many in the boxing biz egg-faced.

Undoubtedly leading the brigade is HBO, the pay cable giant that recently signed Klitschko to a lucrative multi-fight deal and that has hyped him incessantly, with the eventual goal being a mega-fight with heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis.

Lewis has to be disappointed as well, as he now sees another possible big money bout fall by the wayside, leaving him little in the way of options except a rematch with Mike Tyson or a bout with Wladimir's brother, Vitali, the current No. 1 WBC contender who actually challenged Sanders in the ring after Saturday's fight.

If it's any consolation, Sanders, who received a pre-fight pep talk from Lewis, is promoted by Golden Gloves, the sister company of the champ's Lion Promotions -- both of which are owned by UK-based Sports Media Entertainment. So in a way, Lewis got his main rival knocked off. Funny game, boxing.

Other interested parties have to be heavyweight contenders Jameel McCline and Ray Mercer.

McCline was listless in being stopped by Klitschko last December, and two or three more forward steps by the tentative McCline, and he may have been the one wearing the WBO heavyweight belt today. The same goes for Mercer, who was also less than Pryor-esque in his pursuance of Klitschko last June, but was still able to mark up his foe's eyes before succumbing in six rounds.

But that's why they fight them, and just when Klitschko was starting to convert some skeptics, he's back at Square One. At least after getting up from each knockdown he suffered, his heart isn't the question mark -- just his chin and quality of opposition.

And after you couple Sanders' upset of Klitschko with Roy Jones Jr.'s masterful dismantling of John Ruiz last week, you've got a heavyweight division that is suddenly interesting again -- in other words, no one is safe.