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Click for larger image © Jim Everett / Saddo Boxing
It has been a long time coming. After eight years we will get a chance to see two Heavyweight champions begin to unify the muddied division when IBF & IBO Champion Wladimir Klitschko 49-3 (44) will face WBO Champion Sultan Ibragimov 22-0-1 (17) at Madison Square Garden on February 23, 2008.
The last time two Heavyweights met in the ring to unify the division was back in 1999 when Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield in their rematch after fighting to a draw earlier the same year at the “Mecca of Boxing”.
Both champions have longed to unify the belts since they won their respective titles. Ibragimov came close to a unification bout this past October and was scheduled to face WBA champion Ruslan Chagaev who pulled out of the fight due to illness. The WBC champion Oleg Maskaev was inactive all year between trying to bypass Sam Peter to fight the returning Vitali Klitschko and then finally settling on a fight with Peter only to pull out due to a back injury.
“You will see a great fight with real heavyweights,” said Ibragimov. “You will see a great unification fight.”
With both fighters hailing from former Soviet countries there was some pressure to have the unification in Moscow, Russia which would have been more lucrative for both of them but they agreed to take less money so the fight could be held in New York City at Madison Square Garden.
“We are in New York, we are in the most powerful media city in the world,” said the well-spoken Klitschko. “This is a historic fight and it is a special event, this is such a great event, great city and great arena.”
In conjunction with the unification fight Klitschko asked for support with a unique charity campaign in favor of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. “I would like to touch on the power of sport. Sport has the power to change the world and can give hope to the places where no hope exists.”
Speaking at the podium with his robe drapped over his suit, Klitschko said, “I’m going to enter the ring with this robe and I will leave the ring with this robe.” In a unique fund raiser fans can donate $199 on the Klitschko website to have their name added to his robe and join him for a good cause.
Klitschko expects up to 10,000 names to be added to his robe for the cause and also plans to auction the robe for charity after the fight.
“The money will go to projects in this fantastic city of New York to support the kids on the streets through the Laureus Foundation,” added Klitschko, “I have no doubt that the money will go to the right place and arrive to the right community.”
