The WBC world heavyweight champion, Vitali Klitschko, says he is preparing for the title bout with Britain's Dereck Chisora next month as if it were his last, not that the 40-year-old Ukrainian expects it to be anything of the sort.
Chisora, whose promoter Frank Warren could be accused of considerable understatement in describing the confident 28-year-old as a "huge underdog", takes on the champion in Munich on 18 February.
Vitali, smartly turned out and carrying himself like the politician he also is, studiously brushed off the trash talk with the weary look of a man who has seen and heard it all before and has tired of playacting for the cameras.
"You are landing on the floor in round number six," he informed Chisora. "I know it will be a big fight. I know he will be hungry and motivated," said the Ukrainian, who has a 43-2-0 career record, with 40 knockouts. "That's why I chose you."
Klitschko, who said he felt like a youngster of 25 and spars with much younger opponents, indicated retirement was still some way off, even if he had no intention of beating George Foreman's record of being a champion at 45. "Every fight can be the last fight and I prepare for every fight as if it's the last of my career," he said. "We decide step by step."
No comments:
Post a Comment