British challenger promises 8th-round KO vs. Klitschko
Share with others:
MUNICH -- Dereck Chisora insists he can "smell fear" in Vitali Klitschko's corner and promises to knock out the WBC heavyweight champion in the eighth round of their title fight.
Klitschko dismissed the boast and said the British challenger didn't stand a chance -- a view shared by many.
"I'm really looking forward to teaching this young gentleman a lesson," the 40-year-old old champion from Ukraine said at a news conference Monday leading to Saturday's bout in Olympic Hall in Munich. "He is from Great Britain, but he's lacking appropriate manners."
Chisora is 13 years younger than Klitschko but the champion has a massive advantage in weight and reach. Klitschko is 6 feet 7 with an 80-inch reach. Chisora is 6-2 with a 74-inch reach.
"I'm looking forward to this fight," Chisora said. "And I trained hard. And the way we're going to be fighting will be a hundred miles an hour from the first round to round eight, which I promise you fans that he's going down on."
For good measure, he went on to taunt the Ukrainian.
"Right now, I can smell fear in this corner right now. If you can't smell it, I can. You know, right here I smell a bit of fear, to the opposite side, because they know they're about to lose something massive," Chisora said as he pointed at Klitschko. "I'm physically, emotionally, mentally looking forward to this fight because it's going to be one heck of a fight, I tell you that now."
Chisora will have to use his agility and quick hands to get inside Klitschko's long reach if the Briton is to spring a big upset.
Klitschko has had few problems defending his title nine times since winning it in 2004 against Corrie Sanders, and has said he is in top shape despite his age.
He 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.
First Published February 14, 2012 12:00 am
