Klitschko ready to face both Chagaev and his hepatitis
Published 19 June, 2009, 14:52
IBF and WBO heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitshcko says he’s well prepared for his June 20 bout against Ruslan Chagev, and is not afraid of him or his hepatitis, Sportbox.ru reports.
The Ukrainian boxer once again stressed that he considers Chagaev (25-0, 17 KOs) the ‘real’ WBA champion since, “he defeated [Nikolay] Valuev in the ring two years ago”.
The situation surrounding the WBA belt is complicated. For now, the Federation has labeled Chagaev as “champion in recess” and Valuev – “champion”, but both boxers still claim that they are the “real” champions.
“After Haye‘s refusal, I thought that I could face Nikolay Valuev or Ruslan Chagaev. That would be a logical move, as the May 30 fight between those boxers was also canceled. We contacted Valuev first, and he quickly rejected our proposal, but Chagaev agreed without hesitation. I consider him one of the best heavyweights of our era. I'm the No. 1, the second is my brother, WBC champ Vitaly, and the third is Chagaev – undefeated WBA belt holder. Therefore, he’s a lot more interesting opponent for me than [David] Haye,” Wladimir Klitschko said.
Klitschko was due to face David Haye on June 20, but the British boxer pulled out of to fight due to injury.
“Haye can put up a great show outside the ring, but unfortunately he was unable to do it in the ring”, but Chagaev appears to be a different story.
“[The Uzbek] has no staggering physical strength or unbearable weight. But he is an experienced and unusually cold-blooded boxer, which are his strongest qualities… He looks slow and calm. But that’s a misleading impression,” the Ukrainian said.
Klitschko believes he’s ready for the bout against lefty Chagaev, as he spent thirty rounds sparring with left-handed Irish middleweight Andy Lee. That’s why Klitschko’s prognosis on the outcome of the fight is predictable.
“Of course I’ll win this fight, because I’m the best heavyweight in the world,” he said.
And the RT website visitors agree with the champ. The poll in our ‘Sport’ section shows that 72 per cent of respondents think Wladimir Klitschko will win and 8 per cent suggest it’ll be a knockout.
Chagaev’s hepatitis won’t hamper the fight
Klitschko once again said he’s not afraid of Chagaev’s hepatitis disease, which was the reason for the abandonment of the Uzbek’s May 30 bout with Valuev.
The Ukrainian appeared at Wednesday’s open training session wearing a T-shirt saying "Fit und Geimpft" (“Fit and vaccinated” in German) and he’s not paying any attention to recent claims from the American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians.
The AAPRP has issued a report warning that there’s a minimal chance of getting infected not only for the boxers, but for all the people near the ring during Klitschko-Chagaev match – referees, stewards and other personnel.
The American doctors suggested the fight should be rescheduled, as all those involved have to be vaccinated not less than half a year before the event.
They say if Chagaev’s blood gets into an open wound, the possibility of getting the disease is 10 per cent, and if it gets into the eye – 5 per cent.
“As a part of my work with UNESCO I have to travel to many Third World countries. Before each trip I’m vaccinated. Therefore, I’m immunized against hepatitis B as well,” Wladimir said.
And the physician of Chagaev’s promotion company has denied the claims of AAPRP on the Universum Box Promotion official website.
“There has never been proof of viruses or HBV-DNA in high sensitive PCR-tests since 2003. After contracting Hepatitis B many years ago, Ruslan Chagaev has never been sick due to Hepatitis B. He is just a healthy carrier of the hepatitis antigen with consistently normal liver enzymes. Infection doesn´t necessarily mean illness. According to international expert opinions, Ruslan Chagaev is regarded as non-infectious," Michael Ehnert said.
Klitschko Management Group representatives agree that there are no reasons to cancel or reschedule the fight.
The only thing that somehow worries Wladimir is a record crowd of 60.000 expected at FC Schalke's Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
“I’m looking forward to going into the ring in front of such a massive audience. I'm not just nervous, I’m very nervous,” the champ said.
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