Byrd on a wire
Outweighed on foreign turf, promoter-less Byrd puts his IBF belt on the line against Wladimir Klitschko

Story by Chris Cozzone
http://www.ufcfightnews.com/birdonawire.htm

Chris Byrd, 39-2-1, (20 KOs), has been to Germany twice.

The first time, in 2000, he came back a first-time world champion, when WBO titlist Vitali Klitschko quit on his stool with a torn shoulder, despite a lopsided points spread built up over nine rounds.

The belt flew home with Byrd.

The second time, six months later, Byrd returned the belt to the Klitschko clan, hitting the canvas twice on his way to losing an uneven unanimous decision to Vitali’s brother, Wladimir.

Now it’s six years later—and the circumstances have not changed all that much.

Once again, Wladimir, now 45-3 (40 KOs) and the IBF No. 1 Contender, wants something Byrd has—another belt, this time, the IBF’s slice of the pie—and, like last time, it appears just as likely that the only belt Byrd will be coming home with will be the punch-variety raining down upon him by the Ukrainian.

The disadvantages are many, and the risks are great—greater than one would deem necessary to take for a fighter’s who’s been world champ for four years.

“It’s a chance to avenge a loss,” says Byrd.

“I’ll be able to say I’ve beaten both Klitschkos. Who else can say that?”

Saturday night’s title rematch—for Byrd’s IBF belt and the minor, vacant IBO title—will be televised live from Mannheim, Germany on HBO. It will mark Byrd’s first fight as a free agent since becoming a champion for, following his lackluster bout with DaVarryl Williamson last October, he and promoter Don King parted ways. King called Byrd “boring,” while Byrd accused King of trying to set him up to fight Klitschko—a fight he ended up with, anyway, King or no King, due to Klitschko’s rise to the No. 1 spot.

“The business side can take a lot out of you,” says Byrd. “But things are great now, now that I’m not with Don King. I saw Judah on TV in that fight in January—I know what he’s saying when it comes to Don King. I know how he finds ways to cut your money.

“I have my team fighting for me and, I know, in a place like Germany, it can be rough. The last trip, I was the enemy. I stayed at a different hotel and it didn’t feel like a championship fight.”

Byrd has concerns beyond accommodations in his rematch with Klitschko Saturday night.

“The referee’s got to do his job,” he says. “Wladimir’s style is all about jabbing and grabbing. C’mon, that’s not boxing. This is not a dancing contest. Don’t give me that one-two-and-hold style.

“Don’t hold me—let’s fight. I mean, look at me—if you think you need to hold me, you’re in trouble.”

Byrd, 6’0”, says he typically weighs just over 200 after a tough workout; and he’s weighed in as low as 210 ½ in the last two years—compared to the 240-245 of the 6’6” Klitschko.

Despite it not working in his last two fights against someone named ‘Klitschko,’ Byrd is convinced he can beat the bigger man in the rematch:

“I got to be slippery, like water . . .

“I’ll be like a chameleon. I can fight or box you . . .

“I want to test his heart . . .

“I’m underrated as a puncher. My slipping ability and toughness are underrated . . . .

“Look at me—I’m a little guy—but I don’t worry about the weight. I love being the underdog. I don’t back down from nobody . . . .

“They say I’m a so-called ‘non-puncher,’ but I’m still champion. I’m going to prove everyone wrong. I got secret weapons I can throw . . . .”

Since Klitschko lost the belt he won from Byrd, his stock has, for the most part, taken a nose-dive, although he became the first person to beat highly-touted Samuel Peter in his last outing.

“He keeps bouncing back,” says Byrd. “He’s had changes in style but, basically, these big guys can’t move. I’m not afraid.

“This is going to be like a little mouse chasing around a big elephant.”

Another big elephant Byrd would like to take on is 7” Nikolay Valuev, who wrested the WBA belt from John Ruiz in December.

“I want to be a giant killer. I want to fight all the big guys.”

These kind of fights, he says, is good for the heavyweight scene.

“I’d like to see a box-off between the four champions, but it’s too political to happen. They say it’s a weak era, but I like this era of boxing.

“As for me, all I ever wanted was to say was that I was the best in the division. It’s great to be champion . . . ."

Byrd looks game & he sounds determined...is there an upset in the makings here?