Vitali Klitschko

Vitali Klitschko will put away thoughts of retirement when he defends his WBC heavyweight title against Tomasz Adamek on Saturday night. Home favorite Adamek will be cheered on by a partisan crowd of 42,000 at the sold-out municipal stadium in Wroclaw, Poland, and eager to seize his chance. "I know it will not be easy, because it is never easy in the boxing ring, but I am well prepared," the 34-year-old Adamek said. "There's no point waiting. If I'm to be a world champion, I will be one now. " The Polish challenger, who fought his way up from light heavyweight and...

The WBC suspended British boxer Dereck Chisora indefinitely on Tuesday following his brawl with former WBA champion David Haye after a title fight against Vitali Klitschko in Germany. The WBC issued a statement announcing the ban and harshly criticized Chisora's conduct before and after the Feb. 18 fight, saying it "is considered one of the worst behaviors ever by a professional boxer. " Chisora slapped Klitschko in the face during the weigh-in for the WBC heavyweight bout, then spat water in his brother Wladimir's face before the fight started.

Vitali Klitschko says the defense of his WBC heavyweight title against Britain's Dereck Chisora will be perhaps the toughest bout of his career. Klitschko rated Chisora's chances of victory in the fight at Munich's Olympic Hall on Feb. 18 as "50/50". However, the 40-year-old Klitschko also told a news conference Wednesday that he "will fight like it's my last fight" and that he would "knock him out with my right. " Chisora's record of 15 wins with nine knockouts from 17 bouts pales in comparison to Klitschko's 40 knockouts from 43 wins and two losses.

WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko wants to fight Britain's Dereck Chisora again — so he can knock him out. "My ego, something deep inside, tells me quite clearly that I still need to give this man real punishment," he said in Tuesday's edition of Die Welt newspaper. Klitschko manager Bernd Boente, however, has ruled out a rematch. Klitschko beat Chisora on points in Munich on Saturday night, a victory overshadowed by the challenger's conduct outside of the ring.

LOS ANGELES -- Vitali Klitschko staked his claim to the heavyweight title and avenged his brother's defeat in a dominating performance last night that left Corrie Sanders battered and bloodied and unable to fight back in the eighth round. Klitschko showed that he belonged among the heavyweight elite, winning the World Boxing Council title vacated by the retirement of Lennox Lewis when referee John Schorle stopped the fight at 2 minutes 46 seconds of the eighth round with Sanders helpless along the ropes.

LOS ANGELES -- Vitali Klitschko wasn't supposed to be the best heavyweight in his family, much less the world. Big and awkward, his skills looked amateurish even in comparison with his younger brother, Wladimir. Six bloody rounds with Lennox Lewis last June changed all of that. Klitschko proved he could do what his brother couldn't -- take a big punch as well as deliver one. Tonight Klitschko fights Corrie Sanders with a chance to prove something else -- that he can be a legitimate heavyweight champion.

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany — Vitali Klitschko of Ukraine defended his World Boxing Council heavyweight championship belt last night with a 10th-round knockout of Albert Sosnowski of Poland. Klitschko improved his record to 42-2 (38 KOs) after the ring referee called the 12-round bout following a left-right combination to Sosnowski’s head 2 minutes 30 seconds into the 10th. Sosnowski (45-2-2, 27 KOs), looking to become the first Polish heavyweight world champion, was gradually worn down by the taller and heavier Klitschko.

LONDON -- Looks like Lennox Lewis is ready to do what no heavyweight champion has done in nearly a half-century: leave boxing with a championship belt around his waist. The 38-year-old Lewis will hold a news conference today amid reports he will retire rather than risk his World Boxing Council title in a rematch against Vitali Klitschko. Secretive to the end, Lewis was keeping his decision to himself. His trainer, Emanuel Steward, did not return calls. But Lewis (41-2-1) has made no effort to meet a March 1 deadline set by the WBC to set up a fight with Klitschko, and the...

The WBC suspended British boxer Dereck Chisora indefinitely on Tuesday following his brawl with former WBA champion David Haye after a title fight against Vitali Klitschko in Germany. The WBC issued a statement announcing the ban and harshly criticized Chisora's conduct before and after the Feb. 18 fight, saying it "is considered one of the worst behaviors ever by a professional boxer. " Chisora slapped Klitschko in the face during the weigh-in for the WBC heavyweight bout, then spat water in his brother Wladimir's face before the fight started.

WROCLAW, Poland - Vitali Klitschko will put away thoughts of retirement when he defends his World Boxing Council heavyweight title against Tomasz Adamek tonight. Home favorite Adamek will be cheered on by a partisan crowd of 42,000 at the sold-out municipal stadium in Wroclaw, eager to see him seize his chance. "I know it will not be easy, because it is never easy in the boxing ring, but I am well prepared," the 34-year-old Adamek said. "There's no point waiting. If I'm to be a world champion, I will be one now. " The Polish challenger, who fought his way up from light heavyweight and cruiserweight...

Vitali Klitschko wants everyone to stop worrying about his age. The heavyweight champion says he's in great shape and feels far younger than 40 years old. And he promises that all his experience will be put to use against Britain's Dereck Chisora in their WBC title fight next month when he looks to maintain his family's domination of the division. Klitschko is the second-oldest boxer to hold a world heavyweight title behind George Foreman, who was 45 when he knocked out Michael Moorer to reclaim the WBA belt in Las Vegas in 1994.

Vitali Klitschko says the defense of his WBC heavyweight title against Britain's Dereck Chisora will be perhaps the toughest bout of his career. Klitschko rated Chisora's chances of victory in the fight at Munich's Olympic Hall on Feb. 18 as "50/50". However, the 40-year-old Klitschko also told a news conference Wednesday that he "will fight like it's my last fight" and that he would "knock him out with my right. " Chisora's record of 15 wins with nine knockouts from 17 bouts pales in comparison to Klitschko's 40 knockouts from 43 wins and two...

WROCLAW, Poland - Vitali Klitschko stopped Polish challenger Tomasz Adamek in the 10th round last night to retain the World Boxing Council heavyweight title. Italian referee Massimo Barrovecchio stepped in 2 minutes and 20 seconds into the round, ending an utterly dominant performance by the Ukrainian. The 40-year-old Klitschko is 6 inches taller than his opponent and used his size advantage, with the 34-year-old Adamek staggering back in the second, sixth, and ninth rounds.

WROCLAW, Poland - Vitali Klitschko will put away thoughts of retirement when he defends his World Boxing Council heavyweight title against Tomasz Adamek tonight. Home favorite Adamek will be cheered on by a partisan crowd of 42,000 at the sold-out municipal stadium in Wroclaw, eager to see him seize his chance. "I know it will not be easy, because it is never easy in the boxing ring, but I am well prepared," the 34-year-old Adamek said. "There's no point waiting. If I'm to be a world champion, I will be one now. " The Polish challenger, who fought his way up from light heavyweight...

Vitali Klitschko stopped Polish challenger Tomasz Adamek in the 10th round to retain the WBC heavyweight title Saturday night. Italian referee Massimo Barrovecchio stepped in 2 minutes, 20 seconds into the round, ending an utterly dominant performance by the Ukrainian. The 40-year-old Klitschko was six inches taller than his opponent and used his size advantage, with the 34-year-old Adamek staggering back in the second, sixth and ninth rounds. Klitschko improved to 43-2 with his 40th knockout.

Vitali Klitschko will put away thoughts of retirement when he defends his WBC heavyweight title against Tomasz Adamek on Saturday night. Home favorite Adamek will be cheered on by a partisan crowd of 42,000 at the sold-out municipal stadium in Wroclaw, Poland, and eager to seize his chance. "I know it will not be easy, because it is never easy in the boxing ring, but I am well prepared," the 34-year-old Adamek said. "There's no point waiting. If I'm to be a world champion, I will be one now. " The Polish challenger, who fought his way up from light...

WROCLAW, Poland - Vitali Klitschko stopped Polish challenger Tomasz Adamek in the 10th round last night to retain the World Boxing Council heavyweight title. Italian referee Massimo Barrovecchio stepped in 2 minutes and 20 seconds into the round, ending an utterly dominant performance by the Ukrainian. The 40-year-old Klitschko is 6 inches taller than his opponent and used his size advantage, with the 34-year-old Adamek staggering back in the second, sixth, and ninth rounds.

Vitali Klitschko wants everyone to stop worrying about his age. The heavyweight champion says he's in great shape and feels far younger than 40 years old. And he promises that all his experience will be put to use against Britain's Dereck Chisora in their WBC title fight next month when he looks to maintain his family's domination of the division. Klitschko is the second-oldest boxer to hold a world heavyweight title behind George Foreman, who was 45 when he knocked out Michael Moorer to reclaim the WBA belt in Las Vegas in 1994.

Paul Williams won a majority decision over Erislandy Lara on Saturday night in the former two-division champion’s contentious return to Boardwalk Hall. The sparse crowd showered the ring with boos when the decision was announced for Williams (40-2, 28 KOs), who hadn’t fought since his devastating knockout loss to Sergio Martinez last November. “He was a tough customer,’’ Williams said. “He came to fight.’’ Lara (15-1) is a former Cuban amateur star who defected in 2007 before the Beijing Olympics.

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany — Vitali Klitschko of Ukraine defended his World Boxing Council heavyweight championship belt last night with a 10th-round knockout of Albert Sosnowski of Poland. Klitschko improved his record to 42-2 (38 KOs) after the ring referee called the 12-round bout following a left-right combination to Sosnowski’s head 2 minutes 30 seconds into the 10th. Sosnowski (45-2-2, 27 KOs), looking to become the first Polish heavyweight world champion, was gradually worn down by the taller and heavier Klitschko.