Sports / Other Sports |
Boxing-Klitschko, Laila Ali headline Garden title card(Reuters)Updated: 2006-11-09 09:47 Heavyweight champion Vladimir Klitschko will satisfy a dream by fighting where the giants of boxing have performed, and Madison Square Garden will likely shake with roars of 'Ali, Ali, Ali' once again this Saturday. Klitschko defends his International Boxing Federation title against undefeated American Calvin Brock, while Laila Ali will put her World Boxing Council women's super middleweight crown on the line with her father Muhammad Ali in the audience. "I work very hard for what I do and I'm going to whup your ass," Ali told fellow-American challenger Shelley Burton, 8-2, at a news conference on Wednesday. "What I do is, I win," said 28-year-old Ali, who has won all 22 of her fights, 19 within the distance. "That's what I do. I go for the knockout. "I'm very happy my dad is going to be here. I have to put on an extra special performance." Klitschko, a 6ft 6ins (1.981 metre) Ukrainian and 1996 Olympic super-heavyweight gold medallist, feels much the same way about fighting in the Garden, where Muhammad Ali waged the first of his historic three fights against Joe Frazier 35 years ago. "That was my dream, to fight in New York and especially in Madison Square Garden," Klitschko told reporters. "All great fighters were fighting here. My brother and I got a chance to meet personally (former champion) Max Schmeling and Muhammad Ali who fought here. I want to get the same feeling these have felt fighting in this great arena." HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION Klitschko, 30, carries a 46-3 record into his first IBF title defence against 31-year-old Brock, a former U.S. Olympian who has a 29-0 professional record. The heavyweight division, long considered the height of boxing, has fallen into disarray with four fighters holding titles -- Klitschko, Nikolai Valuev (WBA), Oleg Maskaev (WBC) and American Shannon Briggs, who stopped holder Sergei Liakhovich in the 12th round last Saturday for the WBO title. "We don't have a champion, a real champion," said Klitschko, who also held the WBO title from 2000 to 2003. "I don't consider myself a real champion like Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis, Rocky Marciano and the other guys, like Joe Lewis, were. "I think all of us are looking to get the heavyweight championship not just one of four but the real one," said Klitschko, underlining his desire to unify the titles. Brock, who is four inches shorter and at a four-inch reach disadvantage to the champion, said his strength is his ability to counter different styles. "Mentally, physically, emotionally, skillfully I'm all together and well prepared and I look very much forward and (am) very excited about the championship," said Brock, a former bank management trainee who is nicknamed the "Boxing Banker." |
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