Saturday, December 11, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Vitali Klitschko intent on proving mettle

Defends heavyweight crown vs. Williams on Mandalay Bay card

By KEVIN IOLE
REVIEW-JOURNAL

"Everybody said I was a boxer with no heart, and it was very hard to hear about that." VITALI KLITSCHKO WBC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION Photo by John Gurzinski. Danny Williams, who defeated Mike Tyson in his last bout, will meet Vitali Klitschko tonight for the WBC heavyweight championship at Mandalay Bay. Photo by John Gurzinski.

Vitali Klitschko has said frequently that his younger brother, Wladimir, is the most talented heavyweight in the world.

But Vitali Klitschko can stake his claim as the world's best, if not most talented, heavyweight tonight when he defends his WBC title against Briton Danny Williams at Mandalay Bay.

For more than three years, Klitschko was stung by words he was a quitter. He insisted he had a badly injured shoulder and physically couldn't continue beyond the ninth round of his April 1, 2000, fight in Germany against Chris Byrd. Klitschko had won seven of nine completed rounds on two judges' cards and had won eight of nine on the other when the bout was halted.

From that day until the day in 2003 when he fought Lennox Lewis, Klitschko lived with the tag of a quitter.

"Everybody said I was a boxer with no heart, and it was very hard to hear about that," said Klitschko, a 4-1 favorite tonight.

And so he did something about it. When he got his shot at Lewis, then the universally recognized champion, he fought with a fierceness and passion he hadn't shown.

He lost when the fight was stopped because of a gaping cut around his eye, but he won the hearts of the crowd in the Staples Center in Los Angeles and the viewing audience, which gave HBO its largest rating in years.

The fight seems to have transformed him into a more aggressive, attacking fighter instead of the cautious giant who warily looked for an opening to strike.

"As a sportsman, one of your responsibilities is to improve your performance every day," Klitschko said. "In boxing, you only fight a few times a year. The career is not very long. But there is a lot of work in the gym. I take that time seriously. I know that what I do in the gym is going to show when I step into the ring for my fights, so I work very hard and try to leave each day better than I came."

Whether that will be good enough to defeat Williams, who got the title shot on the basis of a July 30 knockout of Mike Tyson, remains to be seen.

The Williams camp, particularly trainer Jimmy McDonnell, has sought to rile Klitschko, questioning his courage, his chin and his honesty. McDonnell has made several none-too-subtle references to Klitschko's 1996 steroid controversy.

While Klitschko was still an amateur and planning to represent Ukraine in the 1996 Olympics, he was given medication for an old leg injury he suffered while kick boxing. He said he was unknowingly given steroids and was banned from the Games. His brother went on to take his spot in the super heavyweight division and won the gold medal.

Klitschko said he is strongly anti-drugs and remains angry he lost his chance at Olympic glory. He seemed particularly irritated that several in Williams' camp have dredged that up.

"It was a big mistake, but it was not my mistake," said Klitschko, who said he was given the steroids without his knowledge or consent of a doctor. "I've spoken about it openly. I don't take drugs of any kind."

McDonnell wouldn't let the issue die. He brought it up at Wednesday's news conference, saying Williams got into shape the proper way.

"Danny is in marvelous condition and it's a condition you can't buy, swallow or inject," McDonnell said.

Klitschko quietly seethed, but said nothing. He said he'll prove his point in the ring as he tries to clarify the mess that is the heavyweight division. There are four men who have world championships, but none has established himself above the others.

Tonight will be Klitschko's opportunity to do so.

"The time of Lewis, (Evander) Holyfield and (Mike) Tyson is gone and there are new stars out there now," Klitschko said. "But the public is still learning who is who. People will be watching this fight to see if Danny Williams or me can be the star, and I want to show them that I can."