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Lewis to fight Vitali Klitschko
10/06/2003 12:29 - (SA)
Los Angeles - World Boxing Council champion Lennox Lewis of Britain will defend his crown against top-rated contender Vitali Klitschko of Ukraine here on June 21, promoters announced here on Monday.
Lewis has promised a knockout in the match-up, which came about when Canadian Kirk Johnson suffered a chest muscle injury during training and pulled out of the main event on the Staples Centre card.
"The fight will not go the distance," Lewis vowed. "I do not get paid for overtime."
Lewis has not fought in more than a year, the longest layoff of his career. Rather than extending his idle period, Lewis decided to fight Klitschko, who was set to fight on the undercard against little-known American Cedric Boswell.
"Klitschko has been calling me out for some time, but he is in big trouble," Lewis said. "He should be careful what he wishes for. On June 21, he is going to find out what it is like to be in with an A-class world champion."
Much anticipated
Instead of two lackluster bouts being used as a tune-up for a Lewis-Klitschko showdown later in the year, the fight at the Staples Centre becomes an intriguing match-up that has been much anticipated among fight fans.
Lewis is 40-2 with one draw and 31 knockouts. Klitschko is 32-1 with all but one triumph coming inside the distance.
"This has been a life-long dream of mine to fight Lennox Lewis," Klitschko said. "I am very excited about the opportunity to fight him in Los Angeles. It is going to be a great fight."
The card was originally conceived as a vehicle for Lewis and Mike Tyson to fight on the same card.
Tyson backed out despite California officials approving him to fight in the state.
Lewis, who has been training in the Pennsylvania mountains, puts at risk his chances of a big-money fight with Tyson, who had said he wanted one or two more bouts before a rematch with Lewis, who knocked him out in the eighth round last June in Memphis. Lewis has not fought since.
Klitschko has won five bouts since his only loss, which came to International Boxing Federation heavyweight champion Chris Byrd in April of 2000.
Klitschko recorded a 10th-round technical knockout over American Larry Donald in November.
The bout will be the first heavyweight title fight in Los Angeles since August 18, 1958, when Floyd Patterson defended his title with a 13th-round technical knockout over Roy Harris.
- AFX
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