USA: BOXING - Vladimir Klitschko and Calvin Brock hold a public workout before their heavyweight title bout in New York on November 11th

Heavyweight champion Vladimir Klitschko will defend, for the first time, his International Boxing Federation title against American Calvin Brock on November 11 at Madison Square Garden, New York City. Klitschko captured the title in April with a seven-round demolition of American Chris Byrd in Berlin and will be facing an unbeaten opponent in Brock, who is 29-0. "I'm ten years in a big sport, and for some it might seem like I'm too old, but at 30 years as a heavyweight is a good age for this category," Klitschko told reporters, "That's why its my best time I have to have fights with the best opponents and Brock is one of them. His record speaks for itself. Out of 22 fights he won 22 by knockout and an opponent like that I cannot and will not underestimate." Brock, who has stopped 22 opponents, is a year older than Klitschko but the American is a comparative newcomer to the pro scene, with his career half as long as that of the 1996 Olympic gold medal winner. Brock, a former bank management trainee from Charlotte, North Carolina, nicknamed the "Boxing Banker", acknowledged Klitschko's punching power and skills but said he was confident that if he hit Klitschko right, he would be able to knock him out. As far as how he felt about his preparation ahead of the match, Brock said, "All the work is done, just basically going through the regular every day things and Saturday is show time and I'm ready." Klitschko, 46-1 with 43 wins within the distance, said his goal was to unify the titles. The fractured heavyweight division has four champions -- all born in countries once part of the former Soviet Union. Russian Nikolai Valuev is the World Boxing Association champion, Sergei Liakhovich of Belarus is the World Boxing Organization holder, and Oleg Maskaev, who was born in Kazakhstan and became a U.S. citizen two years ago, holds the World Boxing Council version. Klitschko said his camp had tried to arrange a match against Maskaev or Liakhovich but could not complete a deal. Americans are challenging for two of the heavyweight crowns with Shannon Briggs (47-4-1) scheduled to take on Liakhovich (23-1) in Phoenix on Nov. 4, and Monte Barrett (31-4) squaring off against Valuev (44-0) Oct. 7 in Chicago. Alongside the heavyweight, the co-main event at Madison Square Garden will be a match including Laila Ali, the youngest daughter of legendary boxer, Muhammad Ali. Laila will be fighting Shelley Burton in a Super Middleweight Championship Bout. Since Ali made her debut, she has become the IBA, WIBA and IWBF Super Middleweight champion and at Madison Square Garden, she will be defending her WBC and WIBA titles. This will be Ali's Madison Square Garden debut and she told reporters that her father was very excited about her upcoming fight. "He's (Muhammad Ali) excited. He just wants to be there. My dad is more easily impressed than I am as far as just this whole situation and it was his history. So, maybe when I get older and look back, it will be more special than it is now to me, even though it is special, it will be more special but for him, to have his daughter fighting here in the same arena that he fought in is really cool for him. He doesn't want to miss this one," said Laila. Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Mohammad Ali, now retired, is regarded by many as the greatest heavyweight boxer ever and has won the World Heavyweight Boxing championship several times. His daughter Laila is now widely considered to be one of the biggest female fighters.

ITN Source | November 8, 2006

Tags:. .debut. .council. .itself. .dad. .confident