Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko blog dedicated to the most up-to-date information regarding the professional heavyweight boxers and brothers. Find videos, chat, pictures, polls, interviews, breaking news, upcoming fights, discussions, and major boxing news that related to the Klitschko brothers. Updated often.
Looks like Vitali Klitschko is interested in a fight with current 7 foot tall WBA champion Nicolai Valuev. According to recent news both Vitali and Nick have reached a verbal agreement. The potential for Vitali to fight Valuev opposed to having to face Oleg Maskaev as the WBC wanted him to is because the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in favor of Vitali for him to not have to face the former champion as a mandatory.
Valuev Quotes
“I have reached an agreement with Klitschko and we really want to meet. We’ve talked about the end of September or the beginning of October.“ “It is true. We want to make the fight happen.”
Wilfried Sauerland Quotes
*Valuev's manager
“I know of a phone conversation between Valuev and Vitali. That is why I spoke to Vitali about a potential fight when I met him last weekend at Boris Becker´s wedding. I will get in touch with Vitali in the next days."
On Sunday morning after his big fight and win over Ruslan Chagaev, Wladimir Klitschko answered a few questions after his big win to retain his WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight titles and capture the Ring heavyweight belt. Rulan seemed very down and did not say much.
Question: Who will you fight next?
Wladimir Klitschko: "There is still the American, Chris Arreola, who is unbeaten and there is Alexander Povetkin, also still unbeaten and also David Haye. "I'm very disappointed that Haye wasn't allowed to box today for whatever reason and I'm very happy that we decided not to wait two weeks longer for him, because two weeks would have become seven weeks. We just couldn't depend on Haye because many promises were made and many broken. "But Chagaev's fight with Valuev was off and because of this, we were both forced to come together the way we did and I think it was good for heavyweight boxing.
Question: Wladimir was asked to comment on Valuev.
Wladimir Klitschko: Nikolei Valuev was the first man who was asked - when David Haye dropped out of the fight - and he was the first man who said ‘No’ to the fight. But Chagaev was the man who took it (the fight) and didn’t think too long so I give Chagaev respect for making the decision. There was also a lot of pressure on me from questions off people - that how I would switch in 2 weeks to Southpaw from normal but it wasn’t that difficult thanks to experience which I gained and actually I felt pretty comfortable with Southpaw because one of my sparring partners - Andy Lee, he is much lighter than I but we sparred for speed and he is Southpaw.
Question: On paper it looked like it would be a pretty good fight, but it wasn’t that good a fight actually (as in competitive - because you dominated obviously) - Why was that?
Wladimir Klitschko: That’s a criticism you get when you dominate a fight. If you both end up on the canvas and there’s a lot of blood and one gets up to win the fight - that’s called a competitive fight. It wasn’t that. I’m not looking forward to proving my chin because it’s made from glass and I’d better take care of it! (Laughing) So I want to dominate my fights - like I do, pretty much.
Question: Did everything go according to plan (in the fight) ?
Wladimir Klitschko: Yes, it went as planned with Emanuel Steward and what we were expecting - with Ruslan putting more pressure on me, because that was his only chance to do and not box with me……it’s very difficult to just technically fight with me, he has to go and try to ‘work me down’. I was ready for it and I saw from the middle of the fight that Ruslan was pushing and trying to work me down and I just had to move more on my feet and shift my positions and jab. I believe the Klitschko brothers have almost all of the belts - well, maybe all of them. I just enjoy the process. I’m not thinking about my legacy - I’m not thinking about any titles…I’m just enjoying the process and to get a stronger fighter out there and fighting and beating them.
British Media: Wlad do you have a message for David Haye at all ?
Wladimir Klitschko: I’m very upset about David Haye. Because of him I missed one of the fights in March/April and because of him I moved one of the fights……it was supposed to be at Chelsea Stadium, he could not deliver Chelesea Stadium but I delivered for him - Schalke Stadium. I was shocked when I got the news that David Haye could not fight. I don’t want to blame him, I understand that any athlete can get injury and cannot continue his preparation - so no blame on that. But I do want to put some blame on him. And he mentioned to the press - that he needs 2 more weeks, please postpone for 2 more weeks and I thought ‘ok - because of him, I’m going to postpone it again for 2 weeks’. Then later on - it came back it was going to be 4 weeks then maybe 6 weeks and maybe 7 weeks. I never ever work with such unprofessional people as David Haye and his team - because there was no statement from the doctor - what happened? How much time he officially needs.
He has a big dirty mouth and I told him before, actions speak louder. If you want a chance to fight me - then get in the ‘freakin’ line. A lot of Heavyweights are going through a lot of fights to become a number 1 mandatory. David Haye - because of his mouth - wants to get this chance. Get in the ‘freakin’ line - get some fights - if you can make it, but I think you going to end up on the floor, so I can not rely on David Haye at all. To me this man is immature as a fighter and immature as a person.
After watching WBO/IBF/IBO/RING heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko easily dismantle WBA "champion in recess" Ruslan Chagaev last Saturday, 3 time amateur champion and 2004 Olympic gold medalist “La Sombra” Odlanier Solis 14-0 says he could beat Klitschko and end his reign. This is what he said:
“To me this fight showed why nobody is interested in heavyweight boxing at the moment. Of course, Klitschko looked strong but that was merely because his opponent did absolutely nothing. It seems to me that all the guys who enter the ring with either Klitschko freeze with respect or are just not good enough to actually challenge the champions. I am the only worthy challenger out there..”
“I would knock out both Klitschkos as well. I am the one who will end their reign and I am ready to prove it anytime anyplace.”
After defeating the #3 ring magazine and WBA "champion in recess" Ruslan Chagaev last Saturday, Wladimir Klitschko(53-3, 47 KOs) has stated that he now wants to have a fight with current WBA champion Nicolai Valuev(50-1, 34 KOs). This is what he said:
"Now I want to fight for the WBA belt and I promise you I will be back here again."
This would be 1 of the more interesting if not the most interesting fights out there for Wladimir due to the size disadvantage Klitschko would face for once and the WBA title at stake. Hope it happens.
Here are a few words from Wladimir Klitschko and Ruslan Chagaev after their IBF/WBO/IBF/RING heavyweight championship match last Saturday, June 20th.
Klitschko Quotes
“It’s unbelievable and wonderful. I’m overjoyed to be the winner here. Five years ago, after the defeat against Corrie Sanders I was at the bottom. Since then, I’ve only wanted to make the critics eat their words. I love my sport, like I’ve never loved it….This was not my best fight. I gave my all, but I didn’t show everything. My best and my toughest fight lies yet ahead of me.”
Chagaev Quotes
“I simply just couldn’t find the key to victory against Wladimir today. I’m sorry for my many fans and the great public here in Schalke.”
This is the full fight video for the heavyweight title fight between current WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (53-3, 47 KOs) and WBA "champion in recess" Ruslan Chagaev(25-1-1, 17 KOs) which happened on Saturday, June 20th in front of 60,000+ at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Video is in German..
Klitschko Ring Entrance
German Video Version
Klitschko vs Chagaev Part 1
Rounds 1-3
Klitschko vs Chagaev Part 2
Rounds 4-6
Klitschko vs Chagaev Part 3
Rounds 7-9
Klitschko vs Chagaev Part 4
End of Fight
English Version
Klitschko vs Chagaev Part 1
Includes Fighter introductions by Michael Buffer. Rounds 1 and 2.
Klitschko vs Chagaev Part 2
Rounds 3-5
Klitschko vs Chagaev Part 3
Rounds 6-8
Klitschko vs Chagaev Part 4
End of 8-End of Fight
Klitschko vs. Chagaev Post Fight
Klitschko Interview After Fight
In English--- talks about being proud of beating Chagaev and being angry with Haye.
Tonight, Wladimir Klitschko(now (53-3, 47 KOs) ) defeated Ruslan Chagaev( now (25-1-1, 17 KOs)) by 10th round TKO to capture the RING heavyweight belt and retain his WBO/IBF/IBO belts in front of 60,000+ at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
Klitschko looked clearly dominant from the opening bell working behind his jab with great footwork and a stiff right cross. In round 2 a right cross caught Chagaev right on the chin and Chagaev was down.
The next few rounds saw more of the same with Chagaevs face getting red and partially swollen from the shots that kept landing.
In round 7, Chagaev landed his best punch at the end of the round when Wladimir dropped his guard which I believe was a result of Klitschko thinking the round had ended.
In round 8 Klitschko opened up a cut on Chagaev and easily dominated another round.
At the end of round 9 Klitschko looked like he was just about to finish him but Chagaev was saved by the bell. Chagaev never came out for round 10 as decided for his corner just as the 10th round bell rang, so the fight was labeled a 10th round TKO for Wladimir.
Chagaev put on a good performance and had a solid defense but it was not enough to take on all of Wladidmir's advantages.
Look for Wladimir to take on Alexander Povetkin next his IBF #1 mandatory. Come back for more up-to-date information.
The WBA today has offically announced on their website that todays championship fight between current WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and WBA "champion in recess" Ruslan Chagaev will not be for the WBA belt. This is what was said by WBA Legal Director Robert E. Mack:
“Please be informed that the WBA will not complete its review of either the matter relating to the cancelled Helsinki heavyweight title bout or the recent Chagaev special permit request until after 21 June 2009, nor has it sanctioned any heavyweight title unification bout,”
This fight will be for the vacant RING magazine belt and Wladimir's belts are still on the line.
On Saturday, June 20th, this is where you can watch online the WBO, IBF, and RING heavyweight title fight between current WBO/IBF champion Wladimir Klitschko and WBA "champion in recess" Ruslan Chagaev live here on the blog. Fight time is 5 pm ET/2 pm CT.
There will also be a chat event starting right before the fight for those who would like to chat with other Klitschko fans while watching the fight. Go here for the Klitschko chat event. You will be able to watch the fight there as well.
This is a preview video in German for the heavyweight championship match this Saturday between current WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and WBA "champ in recess" Ruslan Chagaev.
Current WBC champion "Dr. Ironfist" Vitali Klitschko has won the 2009 Laureus Comeback Award as selected by the Laureus World Sports Academy. The announcement for the Laureus Comeback Award was made by the Laureus World Sports Academy Chairman, Edwin Moses, and fellow Academy members Boris Becker and Katarina Witt in Dortmund, Germany just before his brother Wladimir Klitschko’s fight against Ruslan Chagaev this Saturday, June 20th.
Today was the weigh in for the heavyweight championship fight tomorrow night between current WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and WBA "champion in recess" Ruslan Chagaev at Karstadt Sports, the biggest dealer of sporting goods in Dortmund where 2000 spectators were on hand with introductions by Michael Buffer.
Ruslan Chagaev´s weight was 102 Kilos (225 Pounds), and Wladimir Klitschko weighed in at 109 Kilos (240 Pounds).
Here is more footage of the press training on June 17, 2009 with just Wladimir Klitschko(WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champ) as he shows off his skill prior to his heavyweight championship fight with Ruslan Chagaev(WBA "champion in recess" this Saturday, June 20th. The fight will also be for the vacant RING magazine belt.
and here's another quick video of Wladimir in his public workout:
In response to what the AAPRP(The American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians) said about not wanting the fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Ruslan Chagaev to go on for medical safety reasons, Universum Box-Promotion
Even the Statement of the Association of Professional Ringside Physicians is obviously based on incorrect information. Universum-Physician Michael Ehnert: “The American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians states that there is a “low hepatitis B viral load” in the case of Ruslan Chagaev. The facts are there has never been a proof of viruses or HBV-DNA in high sensitive PCR-tests since 2003. After achieving Hepatitis B many years ago Ruslan Chagaev has never been sick due to hepatitis B. He is just a healthy carrier of hepatitis antigen with constantly normal liver enzymes. Infection doesn’t mean illness. According to international expert opinions Ruslan Chagaev is regarded as non-infectious.”
Furthermore, Dr. Heiner Wedemeyer, who is the Secretary General of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), involved in several activities of the German Liver Foundation and the German network of Excellence on Viral Hepatitis (Hep-Net), had contacted Universum independently and stated the following: “Ruslan Chagaev is completely healthy according to the documents. I don’t follow the interpretation of my colleague from the Finnish lab. It was probably done more for legal protection rather than scientific facts. There is no infectivity and Ruslan Chagaev would have without a doubt boxed for the third time without danger. Mr. Chagaev has a completely normal liver function and is not considered to be ill, he is just a bearer of the hepatitis B antigen.”
Wedemeyer, also urges all athletes to combat the risk of contracting hepatitis with vaccinations. “We at the Liver Foundation say that every athlete should inoculate themselves against hepatitis and we have already carried out this initiative with the German Olympic team in 2008.”
The AAPRP(The American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians) recommends that the heavyweight fight this Saturday, June 20th between current WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and WBA "champion in recess" Ruslan Chagaev not go because of Ruslan's hepatitis status and the medical safety issues involved with that kind of an infection. This is what they said:
As it has been reported that Mr. Ruslan Chagaev has tested positive for the Hepatitis B Virus, the American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians (the “AAPRP”) is recommending that the proposed contest between Mr. Ruslan Chagaev and Mr. Vladimir Klitschko be postponed due to medical safety issues. The AAPRP also recommends that this fight not take place and suggests that Mr. Chagaev not be permitted to fight (anyone) until, and unless, he can demonstrate a “negative hepatitis status.
In several recent media accounts, it has been stated that Mr. Chagaev has a “low hepatitis B viral load” and therefore poses “no risk” of transmitting this dangerous virus. The AAPRP disagrees with this assertion. Although the risk of transmission of the Hepatitis B Virus may be minimal, the risk is not zero. Additionally, given the fact that Hepatitis B is a very virulent virus and easily transmitted, it is even more important to be prudent in order to not only protect Mr. Chagaev’s opponent, but also the referee, judges, sanctioning body officials, cornermen, ringside physicians and ringside observers who may be at risk of contracting this dangerous virus. As boxing is obviously considered a “blood sport”, it is very common for blood to splatter on the individuals immediately adjacent at ringside. The conjunctiva (eye) route of transfer for this virus is well documented….so any person seated at ringside, who is not immunized, may be at risk.
Furthermore, statistics suggest that if Mr. Chagaev were to share needles with another individual, the transmission rate of Hepatitis B could be as high as 30%. If blood from a cut on Mr. Chagaev were to come into direct contact with a cut on another fighter, the transmission rate could be as high as 10%. Should blood squirt from Mr. Chagaev and hit another individual in the eye (i.e. Judge, referee, cornerman or media) the transmission rate could be as high as 5%. Therefore, the risk is obviously greater than zero and could put others at ringside (beside his opponent) at risk for acquiring this virus.
Unless everyone at ringside (Judges, referees, ringside physicians, commission members, sanctioning body officials, trainers, cornermen, media reporters, ring girls, television technicians, spectators and of course the fighters opponent) has documented immunity to Hepatitis B (a three shot hepatitis immunity vaccination series given over a 6 month period with a subsequent documented blood test confirming immunity), protection against exposure to this dangerous virus cannot be guaranteed. Finally, if bleeding does occur, the individuals responsible for cleaning the ring as well as those handling the gloves must also be immune to minimize the risk as well.
The American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians considers safety our number one priority and will work with local and international commissions to insure that all precautions are taken to protect all individuals involved in professional boxing.
Come back to the blog for a response from Chagaev's team!
Here are some new quotes from Wladimir Klitschko and Ruslan Chagaev and their respective trainers ahead of their championship fight this Saturday, June 20th...
Wladimir Klitschko: “He’s the best opponent you could have asked for. Ruslan is the ideal solution after the cancellation of David Haye. He is the third best boxer after my brother Vitali and myself. He holds the WBA belt. He is the true world champion as he has defeated Nikolai Valuev.” —– Ruslan Chagaev: It has always been a big dream to fight at Schalke. Now it becomes reality. I have met the football team of Schalke 04 previous to my fight in 2008 against Matt Skelton. I gave them a boxing lesson together with my trainer Michael Timm. They were very nice. In general the people here are very kind and honest. I’m so excited about the fight. The size difference to Wladimir doesn’t bother me. I have prepared myself to Valuev who is also tall and heavy. I’m expecting to fight for 12 rounds. It is in god’s hands what going to happen on Saturday. I don’t want to say much as I want to let my hands speak in the ring.” —– Vitali Klitschko: “Chagaev is stronger, than Haye, but he talks less. He’s a very strong boxer….I’m sure that Wladimir or me would knock out Haye.” —– Klitschko trainer Emanuel Steward: “In three of the last of seven fights Wladimir boxed against lefthanders, and in amateur boxing he had huge experience when it was necessary to prepare for some opponents in just days. In the first few days Wladimir felt comfortable.” —– Chagaev trainer Michael Timm: “The size of Klitschko has not caused problems as we prepared to Valuev who is even larger than Klitschko. But, certainly we know, that Klitschko is a better boxer, moves quickly and can change tactics. We also prepare for that. We have a recipe for victory, but I certainly shall not tell it to you.”
The following is the career boxing record for "White Tyson" Ruslan Chagaev:
25 Wins, 0 Losses, 1 Draw, 17 Knockouts
1997 08-21 -- Donnie Penelton, Aurora, IL, KO 1 09-03 -- Brian Jones, Rosemont, IL, KO 2
2001 09-21 -- Everett Martin, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, TKO 4
2002 04-14 -- Val Smith, Las Vegas, NV, KO 1 05-11 -- Chris Isaac, Biloxi, MS, W 8 10-05 -- Rob Calloway, Detroit, MI, D Tech Dec 3
2003 05-22 -- Zakeem Graham, Yonkers, NY, TKO 3 11-18 -- Daniel Frank, Hamburg, Germany, KO 2
2004 02-17 -- Sedreck Fields, Lübeck, Germany, W 6 03-30 -- Alexei Varakin, Aachen, Germany, KO 2 05-18 -- Wade Lewis, Lübeck, Germany, TKO 1 06-22 -- Sedreck Fields, Tirol, Austria, KO 2 07-31 -- Garing Lane, Stuttgart, Germany, KO 5 10-26 -- Willie Williams, Rostock, Germany, KO 3 11-16 -- Asmir Vojnovic, Cuxhaven, Germany, TKO 4 12-14 -- Tommy Connelly, Tirol, Austria, TKO 2
2005 03-26 -- Sherman Williams, Riesa, Germany, W 8 09-28 -- Jucimar Francisco Hipolito, Hamburg, Germany, TKO 1 10-22 -- Mark Krence, Saale, Germany, KO 5
2006 01-07 -- Rob Calloway, München, Germany, KO 2 03-11 -- Vladimir Virchis, Hamburg, Germany, W 12 07-15 -- Michael Sprott, Hamburg, Germany, TKO 8 11-18 -- John Ruiz, Düsseldorf, Germany, W 12
2007 04-14 -- Nikolay Valuev, Stuttgart, Germany, W 12 *RECAP* (Won WBA Heavyweight Title)
2008 01-19 -- Matt Skelton, Dusseldorf, Germany, W 12 (Retained WBA Heavyweight Title)
2009 02-07 -- Carl Davis Drumond, Rostock, Germany, W Tech Dec 6 (Retained WBA Heavyweight Title) 06-20 -- Wladimir Klitschko, Gelsenkirchen, Germany, ??? (For IBF/WBO/RING Heavyweight Titles)
Ahead of his heavyweight championship fight this Saturday with current WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, WBA "champion in recess" Ruslan Chagaev was interviewed by RTL...
Ruslan, what does it mean for you to fight against triple champion Wladimir Klitschko so soon after the cancellation of the Valuev fight?
“The cancellation of the fight against Nikolai Valuev for me was a real shock. I was really broken up in Helsinki, it was a difficult time for me. But thank God, Wladimir Klitschko suddenly wanted to fight against me. That’s real luck for me. A chance like this comes only once in a lifetime.”
How do you feel about the the assertion that you are ill?
“I know I’m healthy and I don’t understand the Sauerland politics. But, now everything is good. “
How long did it take you to accept the offer from the Klitschko management?
“Actually, after the cancellation in Helsinki I wanted to take a holiday with my family and had already bought the tickets. The day before departure, I called my coach and told him that I’m flying out on holiday and he said okay. A half hour later he called back and said ‘Ruslan, I am sorry, but you must now fight against Wladimir Klitschko.’ I immediately and without hesitation agreed to it because this is a dream for me. And my family will arrive here on Friday. ”
How important is your family?
“My family is number one in my life. My wife is a real help for me. If I’m tired, she knows and she can motivate me. And my children Artur and Alan are my treasure and my great love. ”
Did you ever think about ending your career due to your Achilles tendon injury?
“You know, that was a very difficult time. The last two years were not normal. Again and again there were setbacks. But life has its ups and downs, and now it’s an ‘up,’ thank God.”
Is the short preparation for this fight difficult?
“No, because I had prepared so intensively for the fight against Valuev beforehand. After the cancellation, I had to forget about everything. Get rid of all the bad thoughts and think positive. I didn’t change my training plan. Nikolai is big and heavy, and is a righthander, as is Wladimir. So for me it’s not a big difference and therefore no problem for me. After the cancellation, I had a few days break, then came the offer and since then I’ve been on full throttle. Wladimir might be the world’s best boxer, he has two belts, but I have more motivation because I want to have three belts.”
Have you identified any weaknesses in Wladimir Klitschko?
“This we’ll see in the ring. Of course, there are advantages to being a big boxer, but it’s also a handicap. I am smaller, but I’m venomous. So he will have to make adjustments also.“
How are you going to approach the fight against Wladimir?
“Of course I have a few tactics, but they are top secret. 50% will be decided in the head, 50% by the body. ”
Do you think it’ll go twelve rounds?
“I’m prepared to go 12 rounds. But only God knows what will happen. ”
How do you deal with the idea of fighting in front of 60,000 spectators?
“It’s okay, I think it is not a problem for me to box before so many spectators. I think this will motivate me.”
What do you really think about Wladimir Klitschko?
“He is a good, friendly man and a good boxer. The ring is just business. “
Today current WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko(52-3, 46 KOs) and WBA "champion in recess" Ruslan Chagaev(25-0-1, 17 KOs) met for press training at the Mercedes Benz Center in Essen, Germany prior to their fight this Saturday, June 20th in Schalke. Both fighters looked in good condition during their open workout. The fight will also be for the vacant RING magazine and it has not been confirmed but their is a possibility it could also be for Chagaev's WBA belt as well!
Here are some good links to the German RTL site showing some new videos leading up to the heavyweight championship bout between Wladimir Klitschko and Ruslan Chagaev this Saturday, June 20th. Videos are in German....
Ahead of the heavyweight title fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Ruslan Chagaev I have a few words on how I predict the fight will come out. This is assuming the fight doesn't at the last second get cancelled due to Chagaev suffering an injury or not passing any last minute test.
I think this fight is a total mismatch. Sure Chagaev is good, but I don't think he is as good as he was mainly due to inactivity due to injuries and health issues. Even if he was in perfect mind and body I think that his style minus being a southpaw is a perfect match up for Wladimir.
I think he's a perfect match up because his ability to move in is not going to work with the faster on his feet Wladimir and he does not have that great of a defense to overcome the speed of Wladimir's punches. He will not be able to get inside to do combos, and I don't think he has the power to luck out on a hayemaker on Wladimir. Any chance he has of trying to rush Wladimir will be met with too much power. If he does get inside he's not going to be able to wrestle or push around Wladimir. So I think Chagaev is in deep water.
Chagaev has had experience fighting taller fighters as seen when he defeated Nicolai Valuev the 7 foot behemoth, but moving against the slow and plodding Valuev and moving against Klitschko who is also much taller are 2 different things.
I see Chagaev using some good angles for the 1st couple rounds and not getting hit with anything too substantial, but still eating some jabs and getting frustrated at the great footwork of Wladimir. Wladimir will continue to stay out of range and I think that it is inevitable that Chagaev will have to keep a higher than normal pace due to the foot speed of Wladimir which will open himself up more for shots and slow his own pace. I think Chagaev can take a good shot so I predict the fight will most likely be a TKO victory for Wlad where the ref sees enough of the determined Chagaev getting beaten and stops the fight. I think this will happen around round 5.
So my prediction is Wladimir by 5th round TKO over Chagaev.
The following are pictures in a slide show format of training, press conference, and much more(will be updated over time), for the heavyweight championship fight between current WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and WBA "champion in recess" Ruslan Chagaev ahead of their big fight this Saturday, June 20th.
You can watch the heavyweight title fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Ruslan Chagaev this Saturday, June 20th online with ESPN 360 streaming video. It will depend on your current Internet service provider whether you can have access to watching this online, but if you can and don't get ESPN classic this will make a great way to watch the fight online.
For more information you can check out the ESPN 360 main page here, and the schedule for events here. On the schedule choose upcoming events and you can choose more than 3 days.
You can also watch via Internet stream here and find different peer-to-peer networks that you can use to watch the fight. The p2p networks will list when fight night approaches!
** More options for online viewing will be listed when they become available
Besides being able to watch this Saturday's heavyweight title fight between Wladidmir Klitschko and Ruslan Chagaev in the US on ESPN classic, you can also watch the fight online with ESPN 360. It will depend on your current Internet service provider whether you can have access to watching this online, but if you can and don't get ESPN classic this will make a great way to watch the fight online.
For more information you can check out the ESPN 360 main page here, and the schedule for events here. On the schedule choose upcoming events and you can choose more than 3 days.
According to Ruslan Chagaev's manager Klaus-Peter Kohl, the WBA title might also be at stake when Chagaev takes on current WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko this Saturday, June 20th.
The confusion over the belt is because Ruslan is currently labelled the WBA "champion in recess" while Nicolai Valuev is labeled WBA champion.
Chagaev's promotional company Universum has sent the request to the WBA to sanction the fight. According to Kolh the WBA will make its decision on Wednesday.
Universum-Promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl Quote
“We have applied for a special request with the WBA, that Ruslan will be defending his WBA title and it will be a unification bout. The opposition will have time until Wednesday to comment on that case. We will be awaiting a decision by the WBA until then. We haven’t heard anything official yet and we are remain calm. For us it is clear and that will remain so that Ruslan Chagaev is the only and full WBA world champion. This was shown in the split of the purse for the cancelled fight against Valuev in Helsinki. Ruslan would have received 55 percent and Valuev 45 percent but everyone can form their own opionion about this.“
On Monday, June 15th current WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir "Steelhammer" Klitschko and WBA "champion in recess" Ruslan Chagaev held a press conference in Gelsenkirchen ahead of their fight this Saturday, June 20th at the Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Here is what was said at the press conference translated from German to English:
Klaus-Peter Kohl: "We have applied for the WBA to make this fight to also be for Ruslan WBA title to make it a unification bout." "We haven't heard anything official yet. It is clear to us that Ruslan Chagaev is the only and full WBA world champion."
"We feel this way because of the purse split for the cancelled fight against Valuev, Ruslan would have received 55% to Valuev’s 45% but everyone can form their own opinion on that."
Emmanuel Stewart: " Wladimir told me to speak in German , Sorry!" "I’m very excited about the fight between Wladimir and Chagaev because in America we felt this was the best fight that could be made for Wladimir Klitschko....David Haye was fighting him (Wladimir) only because he has a big mouth, he had never done anything in the Heavyweight division to qualify him for a heavyweight championship fight" "When we first were told about the cancellation of David Haye the first thing that Wladimir told his Manager was ‘Get me whoever you can, I am going to fight on June 20th if we cancel the fight we’re going to disappoint a lot of people, I’m not going to waste my time. I don’t care who you get, you don’t need to check with me… I’m going to fight." "Valuev was mentioned but Chagaev was the best choice as Chagaev was already in training to fight someone who was much taller than Wladimir." "The handicap is Wladimir’s because he is fighting a Southpaw." (as David Haye is an Orthodox fighter). Wladimir interrupted "OK, but I’ve fought three Southpaws in my last 7 fights anyway’. "But we feel it’s the best fight that can be made at this time in the Heavyweight Division for Wladimir."
"I think this fight is going to be a very crucial fight in the heavyweight division and I’m very excited about it and the fact that the fans are still buying tickets and excited, because this is a better fight than the David Haye one was."
Ruslan Chagaev: "It has always been a dream for me to fight in Schalke, And Now its Becoming a reality". "I have met the football team of Schalke previous to my fight in 2008 against Matt Skelton. I gave them a boxing lession with my trainer Michael Timm." "I'm so excited about the fight and Wladimir’s size difference doesn't bother me because of I have already prepared myself for Valuev who taller and heavier." "I'm expecting to fight for the full 12 rounds, It’s in god's hands what will happen on Saturday. "I don't have much more to say as my hands will speak in the ring."
Wladimir Klitschko: "Chagaev is the best opponent I could have asked for. He is the ideal solutions after the cancellation from David Haye. He is the third best boxer after my brother and myself."
"He also holds the WBA belt and is the true world champion as he already shown by defeating Nikolai Valuev."
Michael Timm (Chagaev-Trainer): "We didn't come here to be just make up the numbers, We are here to win the this fight on Saturday." "Ruslan has the talent and we have worked so hard he has had no break in his training and we are very happy to have this chance." "I would also like to thank Wladimir for taking this fight."
Here are some additional quotes.....
Wladimir Klitschko: “It’s sad that David cannot compete. However, I’m looking into the future and forward to fighting against Ruslan. He is WBA Champion, very experienced and a tough challenger. For my preparation, I had to change my sparring partners from orthodox to southpaw.“
Ruslan Chagaev: “Last week my fight against Valuev was cancelled. Now I am fighting against Wladimir Klitschko in front of 60.000 spectators. I am looking forward to the arena in Schalke, the crowd as well as Klitschko’s three belts which I will take home with me. I have no fear of Wladimir. I’m also a world champion, not only him. I’ve always said I would box against anyone. The size difference doesn’t bother me. That’s Wladimir’s problem because I have already defeated a big boxer in Valuev.
Bernd Boente, manager Klitschko: “We always wanted to stick to June 20 as we do not want to disappoint the Schalke fans. Ruslan Chagaev is reigning WBA Champion and a high-class boxer. The fight night in Schalke will take place as planned and I am sure we all will have an unforgettable evening“
Klaus-Peter Kohl, Universum Box-Promotion: “This is a huge chance for Ruslan. Negotiations with the Klitschko Management have been very professional and quick. The planned event is simply gigantic and will find its place in the history of boxing.”
Ruslan Chagaev’s trainer Michael Timm: The chances are fifty-fifty. Ruslan is WBA champion and Wladimir and has a few more belts. There is a lot on the line, but both have their chances. Above all I’m happy for Ruslan. After the theater in Helsinki, he now gets the fair chance that he deserves. We’re still in training. Next week we’ll go once again into sparring, and then we’ll refine and work on our tactics. Wladimir is good at moving in reverse, has a good jab. But Ruslan is a strong guy who can take a punch and then fire back. I’m glad that we can offer great event to the boxing fans.“
Before his big fight on June 20th with Ruslan Chagaev, current WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir KLitschko and a short question and answer session and goes over different topics like who he looks up to, what he wanted to do as a profession growing up, and more. Here's the video of that Q & A session:
Ray Mercer, a former heavyweight boxing champion who is now 48 years old, made boxing looks good as he knocked out former MMA heavyweight star Tim Sylvia in 9 seconds Birmingham, Alabama on . They originally were going to fight a boxing match but at the last minute the contest was found to be illegal and Mercer agreed to go ahead and make the fight happen with MMA rules. Mercer before the fight said that he hopes that Sylvia goes ahead and stands up and fights him since that was originally what they were going to do -- box. So how much Sylvia did not use his full MMA arsenal is under question, but there is no question that even if Sylvia was holding back a little and just using boxing, there wouldn't have been enough time even if he did use other skills in 9 seconds to really matter. The fight happened on Saturday, June 13th...
It's been confirmed that Sky Sports 2 will show the WBO/IBF/IBO/RING heavyweight title fight between current champ Wladimir Klitschko and Ruslan Chagaev this Saturday, June 20th, at 10 pm for UK residents.
This video talks about it and has Chagaev giving a few words about his new opportunity fighting Wladimir Klitschko.
If you are looking for information on where, and what time you can watch the WBO/IBF/IBO/RING heavyweight championship fight between current WBO/IBF/IBO champion Wladimir Klitschko and WBA "champion in recess" Ruslan Chagaev, this is where you will find up-to-date information. The fight will happen this Saturday, June 20th.
ESPN classic will air the fight live from Germany at 5pm ET/2pm PT. This is confirmed. HBO is not showing the fight since Haye backed out with an injury.
Germany
RTL live at 10 pm.
Hungary
Fight will be shown on Sport 1
United Kingdom
Sky Sports 2 will air the fight live at 10 pm!
Middle East
Aljazeera Sport Channel
Watch Klitschko vs. Chagaev Online
Watch the fight online with ESPN 360. It will depend on your current Internet service provider whether you can have access to watching this online, but if you can and don't get ESPN classic this will make a great way to watch the fight online.
For more information you can check out the ESPN 360 main page here, and the schedule for events here. On the schedule choose upcoming events and you can choose more than 3 days.
At 3:45 pm CT(4:45 ET, 1:45 PT) before the fight starts at 4 pm CT/5 pm ET. there will be a chat even on here for fans around the world to discuss the Wladimir Klitschko vs. Ruslan Chagaev fight as they watch it unfold. You can get to the chat event here.
This is the full fight card for the June 20th heavyweight championship fight between current WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and "WBA champion in recess" Ruslan Chagaev, which is also for the vacant RING magazine title.
At Gelsenkirchen, Germany (ESPN Classic): Wladimir Klitschko vs. Ruslan Chagaev, 12 rounds, for vacant Ring magazine and Klitschko's IBF/WBO heavyweight title
Alexander Ustinov vs. Michael Sprott, 10 rounds, heavyweights
Johnathon Banks vs. Paul Butlin, 8 rounds, heavyweights
Andy Lee vs. Olegs Fedotovs, 8 rounds, middleweights
Cedric Boswell vs. Serdar Uysal, 6 rounds, heavyweights
Gabor Veto vs. Omer Yilmaz, 4 or 6 rounds, junior welterweights
Daniel Kaefer vs. Omar Siala, 4 or 6 rounds, junior middleweights
It has been confirmed that ESPN classic will show the heavyweight championship fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Ruslan Chagaev. The fight will be for Wladimir's WBO, IBF, and IBO belts and the vacant and prestigious RING magazine heavyweight belt. The fight will be shown live from Germany on ESPN classic at 5 pm ET on Saturday, June 20th.
Klitschko Quotes
“I’m very proud that ESPN, the No. 1 sports channel worldwide, will cover my upcoming fight,” Klitschko said. “Now all the fans in the United States can watch this fight between two champions.”
Doug Loughrey Quotes
*Director of programming & acquisitions at ESPN
“We continually seek boxing content that serves fans across multiple platforms. We are pleased to offer up another championship bout.”
According to what was recently said by the current WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, there may be a possibility he could face his older brother and WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko to determine who is #1 in the world.
The only thing that has prevented this from happening in the past was they both swore to never fight each other as wished by their mother. But, Wladimir has stated that they could talk to their mom again and see if she has any different views now that they are both champions and the worldwide demand for such a fight would be astronomical. Here is what was said:
Wladimir On Why He Could Not Fight His Brother
"because our mother would go crazy"
Wladimir On Talking To Their Mom
"We are going to talk to our mother again because we know how much interest such a fight would create and it would mean that one of us would be the supreme heavyweight champion. Of course she would not be happy and if we did fight I would be very worried about the health of my brother because it would be very bloody and very bad. We are very competitive and it would be for real. There would be no fix."
Wladimir On Who Would Win
"I am the better technical boxer but he is the stronger of the two. It would be interesting."
In a recent live video interview David Haye talks about how he will eventually fight one of the Klitschko brothers since pulling out with a training injury for his June 20th showdown with Wladimir Klitschko. He also expresses his disappointment with not being able to go through with the fight.
On the 4th of July, Alexander Dimitrenko(won 29 (KO 19) + lost 0 (KO 0) + drawn 0 = 29) and "Fast" Eddie Chambers(won 34 (KO 18) + lost 1 (KO 0) + drawn 0 = 35) will fight in a WBO heavyweight title eliminator. The winner has the mandatory status to face Wladimir Klitschko for his WBO/IBF/IBO(and potentially RING if he wins against Ruslan Chagaev on June 20th) belts. The following is a great location to get tickets for this big fight. Select your link based on your language of preference; English, Español, Italiano, or Français.
World Ticket Shop
This is a reputable online retailer of all kinds of tickets, and they have discount Dimitrenko/Chambers tickets in stock.
Here's a quick live video interview where David Haye, who just pulled out of his fight with Wladimir Klitschko with a back injury, talks about his future plans with a possible showdown with Wladimir's older brother Vitali.
For the 1st time since he pulled out of his heavyweight championship match with current champion Wladimir Klitschko, David Haye talks about the injury that kept him from living his dream and future plans. Here is a live video interview at a London press conference where he talks about why he pulled out:
It is rumored that inside sources say that ESPN classic might pick up the rights to broadcast the WBO/IBF/IBO and RING heavyweight title fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Ruslan Chagaev now that HBO has declined to show it. HBO was originally going to broadcast the fight when it was Klitschko vs. David Haye, but now that Haye has dropped out due to a back training injury, HBO has stepped aside.
If ESPN does show the fight this will be the 2nd Klitschko fight in a row they will broadcast since last March when they showed Vitali Klitschko vs. Gomez.
Since David Haye pulled out of his heavyweight championship match with Wladimir Klitschko with a training injury there are now tickets available for the new heavyweight championship match on June 20th now with current WBO/IBF/IBO Wladimir Klitschko vs. WBA "champion in recess" Ruslan Chagaev. The fight will also be for the vacant RING heavyweight belt.
Here's a good place where you can get your tickets broken down with links by your language preference. Hope this helps!
WorldTicket Shop
This is a reputable online retailer for tickets of all kinds including boxing and so far nobody has said anything bad about this retailer only thanked me for the links!
Last night Hamburg, Germany based and #5 WBA ranked Denis Boytsov impressively defeated his stablemate and #2 WBA ranked Taras Bidenko by 6th round KO at the 2:00 minute mark in Oberhausen. With this win Boytsov retained his WBA Intercontinental title and added the WBO Europa title.
The fight showed us that Boytsov has very heavy hands and will be up for a title shot very soon.
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