Klitschko predicts upset victory
2003-06-13 10:05
Los Angeles - Vitali Klitschko will draw on the inspiration of his hero Max Schmeling when he steps into the ring with heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis on June 21.
Like Schmeling against the mighty Joe Louis in 1936, Klitschko is considered by many to be a sitting duck, but Germany's Schmeling stunned the boxing world by knocking Louis down twice before sending him to the canvas for the third and final time in the 12th round of their first bout.
Klitschko, who is based in Germany, hopes to follow in the footsteps of Schmeling and predicted on Thursday he will beat Lewis for the World Boxing Council crown.
"Let's get started. Let's fight. I've been waiting a long time for this," said Klitschko. "I will do everything to win this fight.
It will be the biggest fight of his career for the 31-year-old Ukranian (32-1, 30 knockouts) who is the number one contender for Lewis' title.
"I heard Lewis say he is going to destroy me and knock me out in the first five rounds. People say I am not strong enough or in the champion's league. I don't care what people say," said Klitschko.
Klitschko visited Schmeling at his home last year and received a letter from the German legend after Klitschko's only loss three years ago - by TKO to Chris Byrd in Berlin.
'Feel the history'
"Max is 98 years old. He fought Joe Louis and he is my idol," said Klitschko. "When you meet this guy you can just feel the history.
"He said to me that you have to be focussed and concentrate. He told me this is an interesting time in my life because I am active. He said he remembered when he was a sportsman and it was a great time."
Klitschko was scheduled to fight Cedric Boswell on the undercard of the Lewis-Kirk Johnson bout at the Staples Centre, but Johnson got hurt and the bout was cancelled so Klitschko signed to fight Lewis instead of waiting until the end of the year.
"The negotiations were already finished between me and Lewis. All we had to do was change the date from December to June," he said.
It has posed some unique problems for both fighters because of the short time to prepare.
"We both had to change our sparring partners," said Klitschko. "It will show at the end who can change and be ready to fight on short notice. We were both training to fight on June 21 so we should both be in shape."
Critics say Klitschko has mainly fought no-hopers and has never been in the ring with a fighter of Lewis' calibre. This will be just his second fight in the United States as the majority of his fights have been in Germany.
'Strengths and weaknesses'
"Look at my record. Everybody I fought said they were going to knock me out," said Klitschko. "Don't forget we are all human beings. The ring is the same whether you are in Japan, Africa or the United States.
"Everybody has their strengths and weaknesses. We aren't talking about a God here. I will give everything in this fight. But I don't want to get crazy or nervous about it."
Klitschko said he and his younger brother, Vladimir, plan to become the first boxing brothers to hold heavyweight titles at the same time in different divisions.
"We have a dream to be the world champion at the same time," Vitali said. "It would be the first time in the history of the world."
Asked if he would fight his brother in the ring, Vitali said no because of their mother.
"The Williams sisters do it in tennis but boxing is not tennis," said Vitali. "We don't want to break our mother's heart. She wouldn't allow it and wouldn't want to see it. I won't fight my brother. I only have one brother and he is my gift."
Vladimir will be in Vitali's corner on June 21.