Wladimir Klitschko and Dereck Chisora scheduled for December 11
One indication of the sorry state of the heavyweight division is the fact that unified heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko can hardly find guys to step into the ring with him. Luckily, undefeated Dereck Chisora has decided to help him out.
Chisora (14-0, 9 KOs) signed on for a fight against Klitschko on December 11, Klitschko’s manager Bernd Boente confirmed recently.
Boente told ESPN: “I think it's an interesting fight because a guy who is unbeaten is always an interesting opponent. He has a very good record and Wladimir and [trainer] Emanuel [Steward] watched some of Chisora's fights on YouTube and they said he's fast
and can punch. They were impressed. They said he can definitely punch, has good hand speed and is mobile, and that always [makes for] a dangerous opponent."
The fight will take place in Mannheim, Germany at the SAP Arena. Germany has been Klitschko’s go-to location seen July 2008.
Klitschko indicated that while he will be a heavy favourite going into the title bout, he will not overlook Chisora, a youthful 26-year old English resident originally from Zimbabwe. Klitschko said that he knows that Chisora is a “very dangerous opponent”
since he is young, fast, and a “very hard puncher.” He added that trainer Emmanuel Steward reminded him of the perils of underestimating opponents by noting Muhammad Ali’s 1978 unexpected defeat to Leon Spinks.
“I won't underestimate Chisora,” Klitschko said. “I will prepare myself as intensely as I always do and try to give Chisora no chance.”
Chisora is the current British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion. His most noteworthy two performances come in his last two fights, against Sam Sexton and Danny Williams. Chisora knocked out Sexton in the ninth of a rematch bout, and scored a second-round
knockout of Danny Williams in 2004.
Though Klitschko has sought to engage WBA heavyweight titlist David Haye and top-rated contender Alexander Povetkin in fights, efforts have brought little for him to be happy about. Haye contends he will not fight the Klitschkos until he is treated with
economic parity, though many believe he has not earned the value of either Wladimir or brother Vitali Klitschko.
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