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Klitschko takes on Saunders in world heavyweight bout

Vitali Klitschko hopes to salvage at least part of a family dream when he fights for the world heavyweight boxing championship today only two weeks after watching his younger brother Wladimir suffer defeat fighting for another version of the title.

And the older brother's family pride will be further roused as his opponent in Los Angeles today, South African Corrie Sanders, stopped Wladimir in the second round of a world title fight in Germany last year.

The giant Ukrainian brothers have long dreamt that they would jointly rule the heavyweight division. They have always refused to fight each other.

"Right now my brother lose against Lamon Brewster and the way to the dream is a little bit longer ... We are doing everything to make our dream come true," Vitali told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday.

Vitali was in his corner when Wladimir was stopped at the end of the fifth round of a World Boxing Organization title bout in Las Vegas against American underdog Lamon Brewster.

Wladimir will be in Vitali's corner today when the older brother fights for the more prestigious World Boxing Council title, vacated by retirement of the boxer widely acknowledged as world's best, Lennox Lewis.

"I was more than sure that he [Wladimir] would beat him [Brewster] easy," Vitali said, noting, however, that the defeat would not have any impact on today's bout.

"Right now I'm focused just with my fight," he said.

Vitali, 32, fought heroically for the WBC title in the same ring at Los Angeles Staples Center, best known as the home of basketball's Los Angeles Lakers, last year.

He was leading on all the judges' cards against champion Lennox Lewis when the fight was controversially stopped in the sixth round due to a deep cut above his left eye.

Sanders, 38, appeared to be headed into retirement until his stunning upset second round knockout of Wladimir in March last year.

"I don't want to underestimate him. This mistake was made [by] my brother," Vitali said.

Wladimir, super-heavyweight gold medalist at the Olympic games in Atlanta in 1996, was considered by many the more talented of the brothers and had been expected to take over Lewis' mantle as the world's top heavyweight.

He restored family pride when Vitali lost to Chris Byrd in 2000, defeating the same opponent six months later. Now it is Vitali's turn to try to keep the family dream alive.
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