Klitschko wins third world heavyweight crown
Exactly 1,400 days after his last fight Vitali Klitschko beat
champion Samuel Peter on Saturday to regain the WBC heavyweight belt and
seal the Klitschko brothers’ world domination of the division.
The 37-year-old Klitschko - elder brother of IBF, WBO and IBO
heavyweight champion Vladimir - added the WBC crown to the family’s
collection having last fought in December 2004 before a knee injury led
to his temporary retirement.
In his first fight for four years, Klitschko dethroned Nigeria’s
Peter who retired at the end of the eighth round to hand Klitschko a
technical knock-out and crown him world champion for the third time.
“I knew there was no risk coming back to the ring,” said a delighted
Klitschko.
“I worked hard and made my dream a reality.”
And after an emotional celebration with his brother in the Berlin
ring, Vladmimir said his elder sibling had done the family name proud.
“You proved that you are the better of the Klitschkos, I am proud of
you.”
Vitali had won his first world title against Herbie Hide in 1999 when
he won the WBO title which he then lost to Chris Byrd in 2000.
He returned to the ring to win both the WBC and IBO crowns which he
lost to Lennox Lewis in 2003.
Having won back and defended the WBC title against Danny Williams in
December 2004, Klitschko was forced to retire until Saturday night’s
spectacular return.
Peter, dubbed the “Nigerian Nightmare” with a record of 30 wins and
now 2 defeats, managed just once defence of the title he won against
Russia’s Oleg Maskaev on March 8 and never threatened Klitschko.
The Nigerian made a good start and caught the Ukrainian on the
shoulder in the first round with a heavy shot as he took advantage of
Klitschko’s low guard.
But Klitschko, who boasts the highest overall knockout ratio of any
heavyweight champion with 36 wins and now 35 knock-outs, caught the
Nigerian with several shots to the face in the second.
In an impressive build-up, the Pussycat Dolls sang and five former
heavyweight champions - Evander Holyfield, George Foreman, Joe Frazier,
Mike Tyson and Lewis - all sent video messages of support for Klitschko.
And the Ukrainian was rarely troubled as he constantly landed telling
punches while Peter rarely made telling contact.
Having promised their mother they would both be world champions at
the same time, Vitali then fulfilled his side of the bargain with
several damaging combinations and at the end of the eighth round Peter
signalled he had endured enough.
BERLIN, Sunday (AFP)
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