Klitschko On Canceling Mormeck Fight

Wladimir Klitschko spoke today about his decision to cancel his fight with Jean-Marc Mormeck,  Here is what he had to say:

"The decision to postpone the fight was the right one. The main thing is your health. I could not enter this fight without being 100% ready. I'm very sorry for the boxing fans who were anticipating this upcoming fight. But, the fight is not being canceled completely, only postponed. The pain came unexpectedly and was unpredictable and uncontrollable. Probably on March 3rd, this fight will happen.

My mother once had a stone in the kidney. She said childbirth was easier than dealing with the stone. I can't compare these two things, but I feel a deep respect for any woman who gives a child to the world. Anyone who has experienced this kind of pain can understand - it is difficult to describe. The last four days, I was in hell and I'm glad that I'm now in a position to give an interview.

A year ago, I unfortunately had to cancel another fight. This is what happens in life and sometimes in sports. When you lose, then nobody cares whether you're ready or whether you were 100%. When I enter the ring, I want to be ready. Right now I'm going to take further tests to make sure that there is no cause for serious concern. I am very pleased with the university clinic in Dusseldorf, they have done everything necessary. Unfortunately, it was not enough so I could go into battle, but I'm glad that life goes on without pain."

Klitschko Mormeck Press Conference

Today was the 1st press conference at the ESPRIT arena in Düsseldorf (Germany) for the heavyweight championship fight between current WBO/IBF/IBO/RING and WBA super heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschkko and voluntary challenger and former WBA/WBC cruiserweight champion Jean-Marc Mormeck (France) that will take place on December 10th.

Mormeck Quotes

“I have overcome every challenge I have set myself in the past. I have tried to win every championship belt in the past and now I have the chance to get them. I am strong enough to do it, I am a warrior in the ring.”

Klitschko Quotes

* he added in response to claims made by Mormeck recently...

“I don’t want to give him any chance, I want to destroy him. I might have a glass jaw, but I will knock you out before you even touch it."

Klitschko Mormeck Press Conference Video

**Wladimir



**Mormeck



*staredown



Bernd Bönte (KMG Group)



*Reporters ask questions..



*On the field...



**Klitschko interview on the field

Klitschko Mormeck Official

It's official WBO/IBF/IBO/RING and Super WBA heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko will defend his titles against his voluntary opponent fromer WBA/WBC cruiserweight championJean-Marc Mormeck (France) on December 10th 2011.


This is just a stay busy fight.  I don't see any way Mormeck will pose any problems for Wladimir even if it was Wlad's worst night and his best...

Wladimir Klitschko Spends Time With Tyson Fury

Both Wladimir Klitschko and up-and-coming heavyweight contender Tyson Fury spent time with one another training under the guidance of Emanuel Steward recently in their training camp in Austria.  Fury had  a few words to say about the encounter as he gets ready for an encounter against a TBA opponent on February 19th.


“It was a pleasure and a great honour spending time in camp with Wladimir Klitschko, it’s given me a great deal of confidence training alongside such a champion, he is definitely a fighter who is at the top of his game.”

“Wlad and his brother, Vitali are both modern day heavyweights who are not only very talented and athletic but also big heavyweights.”

“There has been all sorts of speculation flying around why David Haye isn’t fighting one of the Klitschko brothers, but in my honest opinion I believe it’s because David isn’t big enough to deal with the likes of Wladimir or Vitali.”

“But I’m going to change all that in the future, not only am I talented, athletic, have the determination and toughness but also I’ve I got youth on my side, plus I’m also bigger than the likes of the Klitschko brothers as you can see by the photo.”

“When i realise my dream and become unified heavyweight champion of the world I will avoid no one, I’m sure I will be a dominant heavyweight champion just like Lennox Lewis, only I will be representing the UK and Ireland.”

“I’m really looking forward to my next fight which is at the prestigious Wembley Arena on Saturday 19th February, this is going to be a big year for me, I’m going to give boxing the shot in the arm it needs.”

Wladimir Klitschko and Tyson Fury

Klitschko Solis Press Conference

Today was the 1st press conference in Cologne, Germany for the WBC heavyweight title fight that will happen March 19th at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne between current champ Vitali Klitschko and #1 WBC mandatory challenger Odlanier Solis.  Check out press conference footage here.

Vitali Klitschko Quotes

“I have great respect for my opponent. But I will prove that the belt belongs to me. I am confident for this fight. My goal is a knockout win.”

“I have fought a lot of strong opponents but I have never been in the ring with an Olympic gold medallist,” said Klitschko. “I expect a very tough and close fight against a very talented young boxer who comes to take the belt from me. I won’t let that happen though. I will show why I am the champion and defend my title.”

Fritz Sdunek Quotes

*Klitschko's trainer

“Solis is a very successful amateur, but still no great boxing opponent.”

Odlanier Solis Quotes

“We will see the best fight of all time.”

When asked about the toughest fight of his life he smiles and says, “What makes you think that this will be my toughest fight? Can you tell me what makes a boxer a strong or superior boxer? So far all guys I fought had two arms and two legs. I would understand your question if I would fight an opponent with three fists for the first time…”

Ahmet Öner Quotes

**Solis' promoter

“We will make history and put an end to the era of Klitschko.”

** atacking Klitschko's management...

“Usually the team of the challenger starts with thanking the champion’s team for the opportunity”, Oner said. “I’m sorry that we can’t do it this way this time. The Klitschkos did everything they could to avoid this fight. They tried to sneak out of it over and over again. So we don’t thank them. We had to work very hard to get to this point and we deserved this chance. I want to thank the WBC and president Jose Sulaiman and, of course, I thank RTL because they kept the ‘Klitschko legend’ alive over the last years even though they only fought tomato cans in terribly boring snoozers. We will indemnify the German boxing fans for all the sh*tty Klitschko fights they had to endure over the years with one of the greatest heavyweight bouts ever. To me this is history in the making. It is the first time in history that a Cuban A class heavyweight has left the country to fight for the world championship as a pro. Boxing fans will always argue how Ali would have looked against Stevenson and what would have happened if Tyson and Savon would have fought in their primes. In this generation for the first time we have the chance to see what happens when the best Cuban heavyweight fights the best heavyweight of the rest of the world. I put my money on Cuba.”

Klitschko Solis Press Conference Pictures

**Video showcasing pictures...

Vitali Klitschko Talks Politics

WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko recently talked about his time in Ukraine's political ring as a member of the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform party which is also known as "Punch." He launched into politics back in 2006 and last April started a Reform party which campaigned on a platform of anti-corruption. Here is what Vitali had to say:

On similarities between boxing and politics

 

"In every way, in life, in politics, you have to show your skills. You have to defend yourself. You have to defend your mind -- not physically -- you have to use your strong mentality, you use your brain skills to defend your position."

On using your mind in politics and not your fists

 

**Referring to alot of heated discussions that have resulted in fist fights in Ukrainian politics..

"I am actually 20 years in sport, in boxing, and never ever in 20 years I use my skills outside of the ring.

It's painful to see that if a politician doesn't have brain power to defend his position, he tries to use his muscles -- this politician doesn't have a future."

On the Klitschko Brothers Foundation

 

** Formed in 2003 aiming to promote healthy lifestyles for children through sport.

"We try to give the young generation the opportunity to develop himself through sport. We try to use the power what has sport to change the world and bring attention to the people the problems that have our society."

On himself and his brother Wladimir

 

"My brother is not just brother -- he's my best friend. We understand each other very well, we help each other and maybe that's why we're lucky and successful in sport.

"We make a condition in sport also: we never fight each other but we play each other at table tennis, chess. The life without a brother would be so boring and that's why I'm thankful to my parents I have my brother Wladimir. "

---

Klitschko Chisora Is On!

It's official current WBO, IBF, IBO, and Ring heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko will make a voluntary defense December 11th fight against the British and Commonwealth heavyweight beltholder Dereck Chisora at the SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany.

Klitschko Quotes

“I know that Dereck Chisora is a very dangerous opponent. He’s young, he’s fast and he’s a very hard puncher. My coach, Emanuel Steward, has warned me about Chisora and reminded me about the great Muhammad Ali, who lost his championship in 1978 to Leon Spinks in his eighth professional fight. I definitely will not underestimate Chisora and will prepare myself as intensely as I always do and try to give Chisora no chance. The atmosphere for all of my fights in Mannheim has been great and I will always remember the SAP Arena where I won my second world championship against Chris Byrd. That is one of the highlights of my career.”

In Germany, the fight will be shown live and exclusively on RTL. SKY will broadcast the bout PPV live.

Klitschko Briggs Is On!

Its official. WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko  won 40 (KO 38) + lost 2 (KO 2) + drawn 0  will face former champion Shannon Briggs  won 51 (KO 45) + lost 5 (KO 2) + drawn 1  on October 16th at the O2 World Arena in, Hamburg, Germany. This will be the 1st time Vitali has fought in city he and his family moved to in 1996 and he is excited about fighting there again.

Vitali Klitschko Quotes

“I am really happy that I will have a fight in Hamburg again, the place where I started my professional career. The o2 World is a great arena and the fans in Hamburg are real box experts and will make a perfect atmosphere. Shannon Briggs is not only big at talking but also big in the ring and a very tough challenger. He is more experienced than me, has more professional fights on his record and is one of the hardest punchers in the division. I will be very well prepared together with my trainer Fritz Sdunek.”

Shannon Briggs Quotes

“For a long time I have been trying hard to fight a Klitschko. Most of their opponents are scared to death when they step into the ring. I will put Klitschko on pressure and take the fight to him. Klitschko can enjoy his belt for a few more weeks; after October 16 it will be mine!”

Bernd Bönte Quotes

** Managing Director of Klitschko Management Group (KMG)

“This is going to be a dramatic fight between two of the biggest punching heavyweights. We are glad that this fight will take place in Hamburg. Last time Vitali fought here the o2 World Hamburg did not even exist. It will be a great fight night in a fantastic arena.“

Wladimir Klitschko Talks About Haye

Wladimir Klitschko had a few words recently regarding David Haye who may be a potential opponent in the future and who was supposed to be an opponent in the past before Haye backed out of his and his brothers planned fights with him.  Here's what Wladimir had to say:


"I am ready to fight against David Haye anywhere in this world," Klitschko said. "He (Haye) just needs to make the next step. Sign the contract, get in the ring and get the fight.
"I have no respect for this man because he is nothing but a little dog who just runs away when the big dog turns around.
"It's not about the money and the business, it's about pride (for him). But I think he owes it to the fans."

He was speaking at the Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt, where he will fight Nigerian Samuel Peter on September 11th, and said, ""Right now (Haye) is just not important to me."


Here are some videos where Wladimir talks about Haye and a video where Haye had to be almost chased down to give any input on Klitschko (funny how he seems uncomfortable talking about Klitschko).

Tyson Says Haye Should Avoid The Klitschko's

In a recent interview the former baddest man on the planet "Iron" Mike Tyson gave his opinion on a possible matchup of David Haye vs one of the Klitschko brothers, and has stated that Haye needs to establish himself at heavyweight by fighting alot of the up-and-coming Russian boxing prospects and guys that Klitschko's have beaten like Chris Arreola and Ruslan Chagaev before thinking about jumping in the ring with either brother.   Here is the video where Tyson gives his opinion.

Klitschko Side On Don King's Valuev Offer

Just recently Don King has said that he is willing to accept the $2.5 million offer from Klitschko's team for Vitali Klitschko to face the former WBC champion Nicolai Valuev that he manages. The problem is Klitschko's team offered this way back at the beginning of the year.

Here's what Klitschko's adviser Shelly Finkel had to say about this situation:

"We offered them the $2.5 million when we had the May date and the soccer stadium as a venue."


and Vitali Klitschko's manager Bernd Boente had this to say:

“That was eight months ago for a stadium fight. Now for weeks we offered them 1.5 million and that’s it. Still more than he gets or even got in any other fight. Valuev comes from a clear defeat against Haye, and all but the judges saw a loss against Holyfield. This is a typical King game. He has nowhere to go. Austin fights Solis for the mandatory position and Valuev has two options left: fight Vitali or fight Haye in a rematch. But we will definitely not raise the money. If Valuev wouldn’t be over seven foot we wouldn’t even discuss a fight. He can take it or fight Haye again.”

"That offer was for a fight that went to Sosnowski. They rejected it. King wanted $2.5 million net, plus he wanted Russian and U.S. TV rights. The guy is completely nuts. It's typical Don King. It's a joke. What he put out was a lie. That offer is over and not available anymore.

"The time of year is different, the venue is different, the exchange rate with the Euro is different. The Sauerland people wanted it for May. They begged for it. But Don didn't want it and now it's over."

"We have offered them $1.5 million for the next fight. We will not raise it one dollar. It has been on the table for weeks. King can't get more than that for Valuev against anyone else and he knows it. Let him go fight Haye again or wait forever."

---

Let's see how this turns out. I would like to see Klitschko vs Valuev, but don't think it will happen as long as Don King is part of the equation.

Valuev's Team: We'll Accept $2.5 Million

In the past Vitali Klitschko's team had shown interest in fight former WBA champion "The Beast from the East" Nicolai Valuev (50-2, 34 KOs) and had offered $1 million and up to $2.5 for Valuev to face Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KOs), but the fight never materialized.

Here's what Team Valuev has said just today:

“No more lies, K2. No more posturing. No more subterfuge. No more deceit.”

Valuev's promoter Don King also said:

“Due to many incorrect representations in the past, I want to make it perfectly clear that K2 Promotions has offered Nikolai Valuev $2.5 million to face Vitali Klitschko, and on behalf of Team Valuev, we are accepting their offer. Nikolai Valuev is the pride of Russia and the Russian people, and he wants to fight for his country and his fans. I hope K2 keeps their word. I hope we are done with the excuses, be they physical, financial or otherwise. Let’s get it on. Let’s go to the mat. My man Niko is going to knock Vitali out.”

Vitali Klitschko Interview After Sosnowski Fight

This is a interview of the WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko after his fight with Albert Sosnowski.. This is a translation so it's not perfect.

During the fight I had the impression that you became a bit tired and decided it was "time to finish"

Vitali: Tired? I don't think so. I'm in such good shape I could box even 25 rounds. I wasn't tired. The one who became tired was rather Sosnowski so I decided: "It's time to finish him."

Was it your plan for the fight not to be in a hurry and..

Vitali: Why should I hurry? I had 12 rounds, I was sure that I can finish the fight until the 11th round.

I had an impression it was quite hard for you to enter this fight in the first round.

Vitali: Yes, but it wasn't an easy rival. I want to repeat once more: Sosnowski is a good fighter. NObody becomes the European champion by mistake after all. He's young and win-starved. He did everything to win but it turned out to be insufficient to beat me.

We saw that Sosnowski hit you powerfully in the third, fifth, and eighth rounds. Did you have even one hard moment in the bout?

Vitali: I didn't have any hard moments but the rival was constantly attacking. He has a dangerous punch. He is quite a powerful sportsman. Every one of his blows is menacing and can finish a bout however, I wasn't hit by such a blow.

Today we inquired after your new contract with RTL. What could you say about it?

Vitali: This is a extension of our previous contract.

If you were able to choose your next opponent who would it be: Valuev, Haye?

Vitali: It makes no difference. However, I'd prefer Haye because he has a belt which me and my brother lack.

How probable is the contest against Haye?

Vitali: I'm ready. Haye makes alot of announcements but apart from it, he should know how to enter the ring. He can't decide to enter the ring until now.

What do you think about the future of Sosnowski in the heavyweight division?

Vitali: He showed his character. I'm convinced that he won a lot in this fight despite the defeat. He won fondness of the audience and those people who supported him previously. Everyone can see: he's a serious fighter with an interesting future ahead of him. He can also get more experience. I'm convinced that he'll receive a chance to fight for a world title again.

Recently Don King said that the contest Vitali Klitschko , Nicolai Valuev simply must happen. Do you still believe in it?

Vitali: It's very hard to sit at one table with Don King and negotiate. People are interested in this fight. I would like this battle to happen in the foreseeable future.

Don King signed a contract with Andriy Kotelnik: How could you comment on that?

Vitali: Don King is a shark. I can express only my sympathy for Andriy Kotelnik. He signed a contract.. Do you know the saying about Don King? His hair stand so as to cover his horns. That's why he has this kind of hairstyle. Kotelnik will find out who's the person he signed the contract with.

Does Don King lead Andriy to a slaughter making him fight against Devon Alexander?

Vitali: Let's not look ahead. I can tell you one thing: I don't even know one sportsman who remained happy after the end of a contract with Don King.

Here's the video of the Vitali Klitschko interview...

Wladimir Klitschko Fanhouse Boxing Interview

Here's a interview I personally missed from Fanhouse Boxing back in April where Wladimir talks about his past, and future fights, fighting his brother, and how much he despises David Haye.


FanHouse: Why did you choose to make this video calling out David Haye?

Wladimir Klitschko: Because this is the only fight that I want. You can read an article, but I wanted to make it personally, so that the boxing fans could actually see that I want to make this fight. We can make this fight. We've been chasing David Haye around and calling him out. But he has been bitching out on a fight against us.

But now, he can make the fight. I can make the fight. There are rules within the IBF that allows me, as the champion, if I'm going to fight a championship unification, to move the mandatory aside. I have time, and I want to show the world and the boxing fans. It's enough. Now, David Haye can make the fight as well. He knows about it, and we need to make the fight.

I will not be risking losing any title. I just made my mandatory defense of the WBO title against Eddie Chambers. The next mandatory defense is supposed to be against Alexander Povetkin, and I will do it if David Haye decides not to fight me. But I know that the IBF or any other organization will move to take the fight with David Haye if there is going to be a unification fight.

David Haye is the only title that the Klitschko brothers do not have. We have the IBF, we have the IBO, we have the WBO, we have the WBC, and The Ring Magazine championship. But we don't have the WBA. That's the only title we don't have. That's why want the unification.

I doubt that since I've been champion for such a long time that any of the organizations would stop me from making a championship unification against a David Haye.




FH: Has any other fighter every angered you as much as David Haye has?

Klitschko: Never, never, ever. I can't stand this guy. The way that he presents himself in the public, and the way that he presented my brother and myself with our heads cut off. The way that he represents the sport, I don't really like it for the public.

When he's presenting himself with our heads cut off, I can't take it, I can't stand it and I want to fight this guy. It's personal. I think that David Haye deserves to get his punishment from a real champion, and that's why I'm really pushing for it right now.


FH: Has K-2 Promotions made any attempts to contact Sauerland Promotions on behalf of David Haye to make this go forward?

Klitschko: We are in negotiations, and it's pretty complicated, because Golden Boy Promotions is involved in a certain way with David Haye, and Sauerland is involved. David has an option to fight a rematch with Nikolay Valuev, but now, probably, he will not. So, he can make it, and we are in negotiations.

But I wanted the public to know that I did not pull out of the fight last year in June. I did everything to make this fight happen, and it was David Haye who pulled out. Then, Vitali was supposed to fight him, and he bailed out again. And then, he talks so much bad things '-- that he wanted to do this and he wanted to do that.

But action speaks louder than words, and he never came forward. So it's been all talk. That's why I'm looking forward to getting him into the ring, why I want to show the public that I'm ready for him. I don't know what he's ready for. I always say that my best fight is in front of me and never in the past.

I'm always looking for my most difficult fight and expecting it in every fight, but of course, this fight with David Haye would be really exciting, because I'll get challenged. My performance is as good as the challenge. But an angry Wladimir Klitschko could be the best one.


FH: In which country would a Wladimir Klitschko-David Haye fight take place?

Klitschko: The Haye fight would be such an exciting, extraordinary fight because he's such an extraordinary talker. So he talks and promotes himself very good. So I think that this fight would be very interesting for American boxing fans and the fans around the world.

Where is the fight going to be staged? That depends on the broadcaster -- HBO or Showtime -- what they want to do. Either it's going to be a pay per view fight, or there's going to be another case to make the fight happen. We just have to have interest from American television. That's No. 1.

And then, you'd have to see which arena could make it happen. It could be in any country. Right now, it's important to make the deal with David Haye. It's not just about the money, it's about the last belt that the Klitschkos don't have, and we have a personal issue with David Haye, and that's why I want this fight so badly. I'm really pushing it and looking forward to it.


FH: How do you explain how you have gone from being knocked out by Ross Puritty, Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster, to winning 12 straight fights, nine of them by knockouts, with eight wins over Americans over six years?

Klitschko: I definitely feel that I thought that, like, three years ago, that that was my peak. But I keep peaking, and peaking, and peaking and I just love the sport. And I understand that I'm a professional, and I believe that I understand more about what it is to be a true athlete and a professional boxer.

I prepare for my fights so well, that my opponents actually have no chance to compete with me. I'm actually as good as my challenger is in the ring. If my challenger is not that good, then I get critiqued or criticized for kind of being boring. But let's face it, out of the 53 wins that I have, 48 of them, I've ended up with a TKO or a KO. So 48 fighters didn't make it.

I definitely can punch in the earlier rounds or the late rounds with both hands -- the right hand or the left hand. I just feel so confident so comfortable about me being in the ring, like I never ever have.


FH: How do you feel about your last performance against Eddie Chambers?

Klitschko: Eddie Chambers was just such an experienced fighter. He had around 35 fights, and he has beaten Samuel Peter and Calvin Brock, and this guy and that guy. He had beaten an unbeaten fighter, a Ukrainian, Alexander Dimitrenko, who is even taller than I am. And he did it in such an impressive way.

I think that Eddie was really, really good, and that he was very, very fast. But after the fourth or fifth round, his strategy completely collapsed, and he just lost confidence. And then, instead of trying to win the fight, he was doing the same thing that Sultan Ibragimov did against me in Madison Square Garden in New York.

He was just trying not to get punched and not get knocked out in a very defensive way. And when you have one fighter being offensive, and the other, defensive, it's very difficult to make a competitive fight, and an exciting fight. Also, one week before my fight, we saw the Manny Pacquiao fight against Joshua Clottey.

It was the same situation. Pacquiao was so dominant, but his opponent didn't give him a chance. Pacquiao couldn't finish the fight earlier. When one of the fighters is really defensive and doesn't want to fight, then you can chase him forever. So I was chasing Eddie Chambers for the last round, and [trainer] Emmanuel [Steward] was pushing me, like, 'Come on, do it.!'

And I was trying. I got even upset myself, and I was like, 'Manny, relax, I'm trying.' But, Eddie was awkward and was really fast and crazy awkward with his upper body the way he ducks from the punches and stuff like that. It wasn't that easily, but, eventually, one punch, and that was it.

But I felt really confident in that fight. I knew that he couldn't really reach me, and that he couldn't really touch me. I knew that I as winning every round. I was putting myself under pressure.



FH: What's your assessment of the American heavyweight?

Klitschko: In the U.S., people talk like the heavyweight division is dead. In Europe, we're saying the heavyweight division is alive. In two days, we have sell outs of over 60,000 people attending fights in soccer stadiums. We have ratings of 14 million people in Germany watching the fight. It doesn't matter which one of the Klitschko brothers are fighting, people are getting excited.

And we're very excited and thankful for that. In the U.S., we need the broadcasters, HBO, to broadcast the fight. Last fight, with Chambers, I was very upset that HBO didn't broadcast, because you have to give credit to the best American challenger, Eddie Chambers. He's American, and he flew overseas and he was fighting the heavyweight championship of the world.

To not show it, you're kind of disrespectful to the sport, and, ultimately, disrespectful to Eddie Chambers. Emmanuel keeps telling me, 'Wladimir, you just have to keep winning the fights, keep winning the fights, and those big fights are coming up.'

He says, 'It was the same situation with Mike Tyson, it was the same situation, with Lennox Lewis, it was the same situation with Evander Holyfield, same thing with Joe Louis.' You have to just stay focused and stay active, and the big fights in the U.S. with American contenders will come up, and it will be exciting again.

I trust Manny, and I think that he's right. I just have to keep winning, and that's what I'm doing.


FH: Finally, would you fight your brother under any circumstances?

Klitschko: There's always an exception to every rule. If the world was going to go down, and our fight could save the world, probably, we're going to make the fight.

---

I hope this fight happens soon between Haye and Klitschko. This was back in April and here we are almost the middle of June and Haye is still SILENT...

Sosnowski Aims To Be 1st Polish Heavyweight Champ

Heavyweight contender and former EU champion Albert Sosnowski (45-2-1, 27 KOs) is very confident ahead of his WBC heavyweight championship fight this Saturday, May 29th against current WBC champ Viatli Klitschko (39-2, 37 KOs) and plans on becoming the 1st Polish heavyweight champion. Here's what he had to say...


On Adamek defeating Arreola

“I would like to continue this way of winning fights by Polish boxers."

On how he will be different than other Klitschko opponents

“You can make the assumption that those guys lost before they even stepped in the ring. I am going into the ring to win and whatever presents itself, body punches, head punches, whatever, I will try to win.”

“I don’t want to say too much because I want to exploit his weaknesses. Klitschko fights in a very unorthodox way. The way he leaves himself open after he punches gives me some idea of what I would like to do, some of the defensive liabilities I’d like to exploit. Of course, I have to be aware of the punches from both hands because he can knock people out with either hand. Everything is prepared. The question is how we do it in the ring.”

On being the underdog

“Of course, I’ve heard the pundits say I have no chance, but it really doesn’t matter because the people who I listen to and trust, my trainers, my family, my girlfriend, of course my manager, they believe in me and whatever is being said by others makes no difference. I’m happy and we all believe I have a chance to win.”

On what he learned from his loss to Lawrence

“I made a mistake preparing for this fight. I know what I did wrong. But the loss to Zuri Lawrence catapulted me to a different part of my career, a better part of my career…winning all those fights and the European championship.”

On what he learned since

“You have to believe in yourself. You have to believe in every minute of every round that what you’re doing is right. Fighting against Klitschko is a different thing altogether, obviously, but it’s the heavyweight division and Vitali Klitschko is just a man, just like me.”

Steward: Haye Disappearing From Wladimir Klitschko

Wladimir Klitschko's trainer Emanuel Steward recently talked about how he believes Haye is scared of Wladimir Klitschko. He says ever since Wladimir posted a video calling out Haye, Haye has remained silent and only let his manager talk which he never done before. Here's what Steward had to say:

"Wladimir is a lot meaner and tougher than people realize. He looks like a sweet guy but there is a real mean dark side. I know he's that way. He's always trying to talk proper and making sure that he's always using the proper English words. He's always trying to be so nice and polite. He [Haye] followed us for two post-fights, he's all up on the stage threatening Wladimir and now that Wladimir called him back, he's disappeared. He’s got laryngitis. The only talking is coming from his manager. The manager was never talking before so why's he talking? I can’t say 'why wont he sign the contract' - because he signed the contract and he still wont fight.

Vitali: Klitschko's Will End Haye's Career

Ahead of this Saturday's WBC heavyweight championship fight between Vitali Klitschko (39-2, 37 KOs) and Albert Sosnowski (45-2-1, 27 KOs), Vitali has warned Dave Haye that either he or his brother will ruin Haye's career.

“I want to fight David Haye very much. Wladimir wants to fight against him also. I want to fight David Haye because he has the WBA world title. Wladimir wants to fight him because it’s personal. Wladimir says he’s not interested in his title. David Haye touched him so deeply that Wladimir wants to shut his mouth in the ring.

“David Haye understands the fact that the Klitschko brothers will be the end of his career. The fight against me will be much shorter than against Wladimir because Wladimir will beat him badly all twelve rounds and then knock him out. I will give him a much easier proposal. I’ll knock him out in three, maximum four rounds!”

Klitschko Sosnowski Final Presser

Today was the final press conference in Gelsenkirchen, Germany ahead of the WBC heavyweight championship fight the Saturday, May 29th between current champion Vitali Klitschko (39-2, 37 KOs) and Albert Sosonwski (45-2-1, 27 KOs). Both, are confident and on a mission ahead of their fight this Saturday, May 29th.

Vitali Klitschko Quotes

“Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis had this belt. It’s not for nothing that I own it now! I want [the belt] to prove that I’m the best in the world.”

Albert Sosnowski Quotes

“I realize that all the experts consider me a longshot, but Klitschko will regret having given me this opportunity. He’s already passed his prime. Many of his fights have been against living punching bags who had already lost in the locker room. You only have an opportunity like this once in a lifetime and I want to use it. I’ll show Vitali and become be the first Polish heavyweight champion!”

Klitschko Sosnowski Final Press Conference Video

** Just shows parts of the press conference

Sosnowski Interview Before Klitschko Fight

Albert Sosnowski was recently interviewed ahead of his WBC heavyweight championship fight with current champ Vitali Klitschk ahead of their title clash this Saturday, May 29th. Here's the actual transcript of the interview.


Do you feel the pressure connected with the fight at the moment?

Yes, the final countdown to the fight already started. The remaining day will surely go very fast. I'm rather calm by now but sometimes I have thoughts mobilizing me to intensified work. This is the fight of my life, I want to take the chance because such occasion may not happen again. Everything goes well by now. My training sessions go satisfactorily, especially sparring. Apart from that, I'm healthy, I didn't catch any injury which makes me really glad. There's anything which hampers my hard preparations. Additionally, we cooperate with a psychologist in order to be well mentally prepared. It will help me to maintain full concentration despite of the big pressure. We'll see. Let's hope that everything will be 110% completed. I hope that the top of my form will fall on May 29th which will allow me to perform excellently.

You know very well what to expect from the Klitschko: jabs, powerful left blows dealt from a distance. The whole world knows his style of boxing. What will you use so as to surprise him?

That's right. Vitali Klitschko is a magnificent fighter having his specific style of boxing. The style is unpredictable, he deals various kinds of punches. He has both left and right hand atomic. Everybody knows that his clean punch results in KO. How do I want to surprise him? Among others by my positive approach to the bout. I'll enter the ring in order to defeat him. I won't have the clash already lost before the first bell. It's not enough for me that I face the world champion Vitali Klitschko. The endurance to the final bell won't be enough to satisfy me. I want to show my character, the self-confidence and the belief in the final victory. The crucial issue will be my speed, aggressiveness, and determination which will make him a bit nervous and hamper him. Subsequently, I'll try to take a risk regardless of the fact that the possibility of my defeat by KO will be higher. I'll be definitely striving to surprise him somehow, to take a serious risk. Surely, I won't be focusing only on avoiding KO but I'll be fighting to win victory over him, I can promise. Will I be successful? It will be verified in the ring.

At first sight, the tactics to fight the Klitschko brothers may look very simple: to shorten the distance. However nobody has succeeded in doing it by now. Where's the key to push the way through his jabs?

As I said previously, the key element will be my mentality, my approach to the contest. The majority of boxers who came face-to-face with the Klitschko's had their bouts already lost in their warm-up rooms. Their dream already came true when they got the fight against one of the Klitschko brothers. The high salary they had been proposed fully compensated the probably poor performance in the ring. That was enough for them and obviously they were paralyzed in the ring later. Frankly speaking, I don't know how will it will look like in my case. However, I must have a proper speed, a tight defense, and good movement. Klitschko's not a machine, he also can have a bad day, or just disregard me. But we don't count on that. I expect Vitali perfectly prepared, showing his best. Thus, we work form this angle. If it will happen differently, it will be only advantageous for me. I'm concentrated on myself. If we compared his and my boxing skills, our experiences and all the remaining elements, it would turn out that my chances are only minimal or I'm deprived of chances completely. On the other hand, my self-confidence, a proper mental approach or simply a fluke, may cause that the whole bout looks differently. I
believe that if I only have one opportunity, I'll take such a chance in the championship bout. I don't want to promise so much, I don't need to make loud announcement, to speak high-flown words. However, I'm determined to achieve a big success. Everything shapes up very well in this way. I'm content with my cooperation with the head coach Fiodor Lapin. I'm satisfied with my attitude to the fight and my tactical plan. Our talks conclude that we believe in the success which motivates the whole team to the intensified work.

Your sparring partners were David Price and Evgeni Orlov. Price is the type of a fighter who can imitate Vitali Klitschko with his great left jab. How do your sparrrings look like?

Actually, David Price only just only became a (? maybe saying he was temporary..), he still has a quick left jab. He deals numerous blows which is characteristic for amateur boxers. Price transferred this style to the professional boxing. It's a pity he had to leave early in connection with his clash. I'm really content with two conducted sparring sessions. I was hitting him frequently, he also endeavoured to exert pressure. We asked him for imitating Klitschko for constant hunting with a straight right. I was defending myself very well. Additionally, I had one sparring with Evgeni Orlov, which I'm also glad about this training fight. Orlov, a bit taller than Klitschko, was very inconvenient, he has a powerful punch. I also managed to hit him numerously. His boxing style doesn't resemble Vitali's, but our aim was to exercise a few tactical elements. I'm also training with Mariusz Wach, because sparring will be prolonged. There is also a chance that Tyson Fury will visit me. All the sparring partners are very tall, we're still focusing on exercising a few tactical points we had planned. we want to prepare several types of actions to make them automatic for me. We planned 10-round and 12-round sparring. I want to check my physical ability. Apart from that, I'm grateful for the help of my sparring partners who strived to imitate Klitschko. It was so important for me.

What were the main points you put an emphasis on during your preparations? Was it improvement of your technique or rather conditional issues? It's known that Vitali is quite an old fighter and you have been always famous for your great endurance.

As far as my conditioning abilities, I showed them only in my last fights which was a bit unexpected. Previously, I had a reputation of a 6 round boxer. The majority of my bouts were scheduled for 6 rounds. The passing to longer contests was very beneficial for me. Last year I fought two 12 round bouts in a good pace, on a big level, and I'm happy about it. We work mainly on the tactical points and on my defense in order to avoid punches. We also focus on proper movement, not only backwards but also sideways. We derived it from the workshop of Tomasz Adamek who's trainers showed him that before the fight against Chris Arreola. The element will be really inconvenient for the rival as tall as Klitschko because it will be harder to hit me. The question of endurance will be also significant. Noticeable crises sometimes happen to Vitali. Such crises may happen again if the pace will be high, and obviously if he doesn't manage to hit me. I'll try to take my advantage then. Of course, it's easier to say than to perform. However, we prepare various options, we work on various elements in order to combine them. It looks great so far. I'm content with the whole work, and I'll try to show my best on May 29th!

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Here's the actual interview on video.

Sosnowski Video Interview

Sanders Picks Wladimir Klitschko Over Haye

Former WBO heavyweight champion and one of the few men to ever beat current WBO, IBF, IBO, and Ring heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, Corrie "The Sniper" Sanders has said he thinks that Wladimir is too big, and is too good of a boxer for David Haye to win if they met for a unification bout. Here's what Sanders had to say:

"I think Haye is too small for him. He's a good boxer but he's not a big heavyweight. I can't imagine Haye being able to withstand one of Wladimir's punches and Wladimir is a great boxer. I just don't think Haye will be able to beat him."