By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
Ukrainian-born, WBO and IBF heavyweight champion, Wladimir Klitschko, of Kiev, will be after his 12th straight victory, his ninth knockout during that time, and his fourth consecutive stoppage win as he takes on once-beaten, Philadelphia challenger, "Fast" Eddie Chambers on Saturday night at Esprit Arena in Duesseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.
The 6-foot-6, 33-year-old Klitschko (53-3, 47 knockouts) has not lost since April of 2004, when he was knocked out in the fifth-round by Lamon Brewster.
Nicknamed "Steelhammer," Klitschko weiged nearly 241 pounds for June's ninth-round knockout win over previously unbeaten, 31-year-old southpaw, Ruslan Chagaev (25-1-1, 17 KOs), of Hamburg, Germany.
But Klitschko tipped the scales at 244 pounds for Saturday night's clash with the 6-foot-1, 27-year-old Chambers (35-1, 18 KOs), meaning he has a weight advantage of 35 pounds and a height advantage of five inches over his rival.
"After nine months off, I am eager to get back in the ring. I am very excited to fight in another soccer stadium, because this one will hold more than 50,000 people. So the atmosphere in the stadium will be fantastic," said Klitschko.
"I am 33 years old and at the top of my athletic ability," said Klitschko. "I have never been so strong, fast, and experienced."
Klitschko's older brother, 38-year-old Vitali Klitschko (39-2, 37 KOs), holds the WBC belt. And England's 6-3, 29-year-old David Haye (23-1, 21 KOs) is the WBA champion.
Haye recently weighed only 218 when he dethroned Russia's seven foot, 316-pound Nicolay Valuev to become the WBA king, and will defend that belt on April 3 against the 38-year-old, former two-time champ, John Ruiz (44-8-1, 30 KOs), at MEN Arena in Manchester, England.
No American has held any of the main four versions of the heavyweight belt since June of 2007, when Shannon Briggs was briefly the WBO champion.
Ruiz held the WBA crown in 2005. And in 2006, Hasim Rahman and Chris Byrd, respectively, were champions with the WBC, and, IBF.
Chambers sparred with Klitschko in preparation for the champion's November 2006 seventh-round knockout of Calvin Brock, whom Chambers defeated by split-decision in November of 2008.
"Eddie is a very talented fighter and has a very difficult style," said Wladimir Klitschko. "But I am well prepared to defend my titles. All four of my belts will stay in the Klitschko family."
Chambers has won five consecutive bouts, two of them by knockout, since a January 2008 loss to 6-foot-2, 30-year-old Russian Alexander Povetkin (18-0, 13 KOs), in Berlin, Germany.
In his last fight, on July 4, Chambers (pictured above, with Wladimir Klitschko) handed Ukrainian, Alexander Dimitrenko, his first loss in 30 bouts before a crowd partisan to Dimitrenko in Hamburg, Germany the day before Dimitrenko's 27th birthday.
If Klitschko defeats Chambers, then a series of scenarios could develop, likely either against Povetkin or former world champion, Samuel Peter.
A week ago, Peter (34-3, 27 KOs) scored a second-round knockout of Nagy Aguilera (15-3, 10 KOs), earning his his fourth straight stoppage since a 10-round majority decision loss to Chambers on March 27.
If Klitschko remains champion, Povetkin is next in line as the mandatory, even as Peter's promoter, Top Rank CEO, Bob Arum, believes that Povetkin will pass up the opportunity.
If Povetkin does pass, then Peter is next in line to face the Klitschko-Chambers winner.
In December of 2005, Peter lost a unanimous decision to Klitschko, whom he floored twice during that bout. Peter was also dethroned as WBC titlist by Vitali Klitschko by eighth-round knockout in October 2008.
"Right now I am concentrating on Eddie Chambers," said Wladimir Klitschko. "It is going to be a tough fight. I do not think about any other future fights or opponents at this stage."
The 12-round heavyweight world championship will be accessible exclusively live on pay-per-view webTV via www.KLITSCHKO.com at a price of $14.95 USD to viewers in the US, Canada & Puerto Rico.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
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