VENDO
02-21-2008, 12:13 PM
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Quiz:
The world heavyweight boxing champion is:
1. Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine
2. Sultan Ibragimov of Russia
3. Oleg Maskaev of Russia
4. Rusian Chabaev of Uzbekistan
5. All of the above
To the confusion of almost everyone except promoters who thrive on staging title fights, the answer is 5. All four are champions, but barring a draw, there will be one fewer when Klitschko fights Ibragimov on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
Actually, five organizations recognize champions: the International Boxing Federation (Klitschko), the International Boxing Organization (also Klitschko), the World Boxing Oranization (Ibragimov), the World Boxing Council (Maskaev) and the World Boxing Association (Chabaev).
Klitschko is probably the best of the four fighters. He is also glib and worldly, as befits someone who sits in Roger Federer’s box at Wimbledon. With a light accent, he speaks English flawlessly and thoughtfully.
At a news conference Wednesday, he recalled that the last heavyweight unification fight was nine years ago, when Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis fought to a draw at the Garden.
“It’s all right to have four champions, but we really need one guy,” Klitschko said. “Each promoter wants to keep a champion as long as possible because a champion is a money machine. But you go down the street and ask who is the heavyweight champion, and only boxing fans know there are four.
“We don’t have big names in the heavyweight division, so there’s no chance for a pay-per-view fight,” he said. “You win a title and lose your next fight. We need someone to have the title a long time. We need a role model, and that’s my ambition.”
Rather than pay per view, the fight will be shown by HBO. The Garden said $1,000 and $100 tickets were sold out, but $50 tickets were still available.
Ibragimov said: “It’s important to have one champion. That’s why we’re having a unification fight.”
Jeff Meriweather, Ibragimov’s trainer, said unification was more important to the boxing public than to the fighters.
“Everyone wants Klitschko because he’s the money fighter in the division,” Meriweather said. “People would rather see him fighting someone with experience, like Sultan, than someone who brings no ability to the table and no one knows them.”
Klitschko is 31, with a 49-3 record (44 knockouts). He was an Olympic gold medalist in 1996. Ibragimov is 32 and left-handed, with a 22-0 record (17 knockouts). He was an Olympic silver medalist in 2000.
Klitschko stands 6 feet 5 inches and seems taller. Ibragimov is listed as 6-2, and Meriweather acknowledged, “He’s not really that tall.”
Much of the fight hype revolves around the big man versus the small man. Ibragimov said he did not mind. “I think the fans will cheer for me because I’m the small guy,” he said.
Klitschko’s trainer, Emanuel Steward, said of Ibragimov: “He’s not a big guy, but he’s used to fighting big guys. He knows how to do it, but I can’t see any body beating Wladimir.”
Neither does Wladimir.
“I will not underestimate him,” Klitschko said. “I will not overestimate him.”
Quiz:
The world heavyweight boxing champion is:
1. Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine
2. Sultan Ibragimov of Russia
3. Oleg Maskaev of Russia
4. Rusian Chabaev of Uzbekistan
5. All of the above
To the confusion of almost everyone except promoters who thrive on staging title fights, the answer is 5. All four are champions, but barring a draw, there will be one fewer when Klitschko fights Ibragimov on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
Actually, five organizations recognize champions: the International Boxing Federation (Klitschko), the International Boxing Organization (also Klitschko), the World Boxing Oranization (Ibragimov), the World Boxing Council (Maskaev) and the World Boxing Association (Chabaev).
Klitschko is probably the best of the four fighters. He is also glib and worldly, as befits someone who sits in Roger Federer’s box at Wimbledon. With a light accent, he speaks English flawlessly and thoughtfully.
At a news conference Wednesday, he recalled that the last heavyweight unification fight was nine years ago, when Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis fought to a draw at the Garden.
“It’s all right to have four champions, but we really need one guy,” Klitschko said. “Each promoter wants to keep a champion as long as possible because a champion is a money machine. But you go down the street and ask who is the heavyweight champion, and only boxing fans know there are four.
“We don’t have big names in the heavyweight division, so there’s no chance for a pay-per-view fight,” he said. “You win a title and lose your next fight. We need someone to have the title a long time. We need a role model, and that’s my ambition.”
Rather than pay per view, the fight will be shown by HBO. The Garden said $1,000 and $100 tickets were sold out, but $50 tickets were still available.
Ibragimov said: “It’s important to have one champion. That’s why we’re having a unification fight.”
Jeff Meriweather, Ibragimov’s trainer, said unification was more important to the boxing public than to the fighters.
“Everyone wants Klitschko because he’s the money fighter in the division,” Meriweather said. “People would rather see him fighting someone with experience, like Sultan, than someone who brings no ability to the table and no one knows them.”
Klitschko is 31, with a 49-3 record (44 knockouts). He was an Olympic gold medalist in 1996. Ibragimov is 32 and left-handed, with a 22-0 record (17 knockouts). He was an Olympic silver medalist in 2000.
Klitschko stands 6 feet 5 inches and seems taller. Ibragimov is listed as 6-2, and Meriweather acknowledged, “He’s not really that tall.”
Much of the fight hype revolves around the big man versus the small man. Ibragimov said he did not mind. “I think the fans will cheer for me because I’m the small guy,” he said.
Klitschko’s trainer, Emanuel Steward, said of Ibragimov: “He’s not a big guy, but he’s used to fighting big guys. He knows how to do it, but I can’t see any body beating Wladimir.”
Neither does Wladimir.
“I will not underestimate him,” Klitschko said. “I will not overestimate him.”