World heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko on Monday dedicated his 22nd title fight this weekend against Poland’s Mariusz Wach to the memory of his late trainer, Manny Steward.
Having coached Klitschko for the last nine years, Steward passed away suddenly on Oct. 24 in his hometown of Detroit after suffering from cancer.
“I will be without Emanuel, but his presence will be with me when I step into the ring and I will defend the titles we have won together,” said Klitschko, who will be defending his IBF, WBO and WBA belts on Saturday.
Photo: AFP
“All that I have learned from him over the last nine years I will never forget,” he said. “I know what I have to do and I will do it for him.”
In the traditional stare-down during Monday’s press conference, Klitschko had to look up at his opponent for the first time in his career.
At 2.02m tall, Wach, 32, has a 4cm advantage over the 36-year-old champion and the Polish fighter has a reach of 2.08cm from the tips of his fingers across his shoulder blades.
He also comes with an impressive unbeaten record of 15 knock-outs in 27 wins, but his only significant victory is a fourth-round knock-out win last year against Kevin McBride, who beat an aging Mike Tyson back in 2005.
Klitschko will present a tough challenge.
“Welcome to big time boxing!” Klitschko boomed at his challenger having heard how Wach aimed to take his three belts back to Poland.
“He can hit pretty good, but it depends on how you use the size” added the champion, who will have sparring partner Johnathon Banks in his corner in place of Steward.
“If the opportunity arises, I will finish the fight early,” he said.
With 50 knock-outs and 58 victories in 61 professional fights, this will be Klitschko’s third defense since unifying all three belts by beating Britain’s David Haye in July last year, also in Hamburg.
Wach thanked the Ukrainian for giving him a shot at his titles.
“On Saturday you will see a different Mariusz Wach, a Mariusz Wach who will want to take those belts off Klitschko,” said the softly spoken challenger. “You will remember that fight not for hours later, but for days and months to come.”
“If I need 12 rounds then 12 rounds it is. I am prepared for everything,” he said.
SSC Napoli’s Italian Serie A title hopes suffered a late setback on Sunday when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home against Genoa, setting up a thrilling season finale with closest rivals Inter just one point behind. The hosts remain top with 78 points, holding a slim lead over Inter, who won 2-0 at Torino earlier on Sunday, with two rounds remaining. To make matters worse for Napoli, midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, struggling with an ankle injury, was forced off just minutes after the match began. Scott McTominay delivered a perfect pass into the box where Romelu Lukaku got
Harry Kane opened the scoring ahead of lifting his first career silverware as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0, with veteran Thomas Mueller playing his last home game for the club. Bayern officially won the title on May 4 when defending champions Bayer Leverkusen were held to a 2-2 draw at Freiburg, but were presented with the Bundesliga shield in front of their home fans at full-time. Dripping wet after being showered with beer by teammates, Kane said the title win was “an incredible feeling,” and hoped it would be “the first of many.” “It’s been lot of hard work, a lot of
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final. American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours. Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in
RSS