Klitschko retains title
LOOKING battered after his 11th-round knockout victory, Vladimir Klitschko wore the look of a relieved man after defending his IBF and WBO heavyweight titles against Tony Thompson in Berlin.
The Hamburg-based Ukrainian floored his tiring American opponent in the penultimate round on Saturday but finished the fight nursing a black and blue left eye and a swollen right eyelid.
"I haven't had a black eye in a long time," the 32-year-old Klitschko told RTL television after retaining his International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organisation titles.
"It's part of boxing. It's better to have a black eye than be depressed. I look like a fighter now."
Thompson, the 36-year-old challenger, buried his head in the ropes and wept after the defeat and said: "I knew I pretty much had just one shot and that was to catch him clean.
"That's what I was trying to do towards the end of the fight. But he got me first. I'm not used to losing. It hurt."
The full article contains 173 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
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Last Updated:
13 July 2008 10:13 PM
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Source:
The Scotsman
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Location:
Edinburgh
