Many wondered how Vitali Klitschko (36-2, 35 KOs) would look in his first fight in nearly four years. Wonder no more. The 37-year-old heavyweight regained his World Boxing Council (WBC) title with a marvelous eighth-round TKO over Samuel Peter (30-2, 23 KOs), televised on tape delay from the O2 World Arena in Berlin, Germany.
It wasn’t much of a contest as Klitschko fought tall and used his precise left jab to keep Peter from closing the distance. His consistent jab, along with stiff over hand rights proved too much for Peter. Behind on all cards, Peter quit on his stool after the eighth.
Klitschko’s victory marked the first time the boxing world has seen two brothers hold heavyweight titles simultaneously. Klitschko’s younger brother, Wladimir, is the IBF and WBO heavyweight world champion.
Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko are the only siblings to hold heavyweight titles simultaneously.
In the second world championship fight on SHOWTIME, it was out with the old and in with the new as “Bad” Chad Dawson (27-0, 17 KOs) won a 12-round unanimous decision against the veteran Antonio Tarver (27-5, 19 KOs), live at The Pearl Theater at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
Vitali Klitschko stuns Sam Peter with an over hand right.
Dawson, the former WBC champion who relinquished the belt for this high profile fight, captured the IBF and IBO light heavyweight titles by scores of 118-109, 117-110 twice.
The difference maker was Dawson’s blazing hand speed. He landed precise right upper cuts and vicious right hooks.
Dawson threw creative combinations, at times throwing five, six and seven-punch combinations to the head and body of Tarver.
Dawson is the new light heavyweight kingpin and he has the hardware to prove it.
“It’s a happy moment for me,” Dawson said after the fight. “I’m taking these titles back to my home in New Haven (Conn.). I was the faster fighter tonight. I was outpointing him and outworking him. We did it one round at a time like we always do.”
During the telecast, SHOWTIME reporter Karen Bryant interviewed former pound-for-pound great Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Mayweather called Dawson the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, claiming the 26-year-old Connecticut native doesn’t get enough credit for his superior skills.
“Floyd gave me a call tonight in the locker room before the fight,” Dawson said. “He told me I’m the best fighter in the world. That was a huge compliment and confidence booster. When Floyd says something like that you can’t help but smile and go out and perform.”
Tarver could not keep up with the younger and quicker Dawson.
“I fought my fight and Chad fought his,” Tarver said after the fight. “I was never hurt. I should have had a busier work rate, but Chad was the busier fighter. I think I did well. I didn’t land the left as much as I should have.
“I tip my hat to Chad. He came in with a good work rate. I felt good about my ability to win this fight, but it was Chad’s night tonight.”
Dawson backed up Tarver all night long on his way to claiming the IBF and IBO light heavyweight world championships Saturday night on SHOWTIME.
SHOWTIME keeps the hits coming with three world championship fights in less than one month.
America's No. 1 Boxing Network kicks it off with a special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation on Oct. 24, when undefeated International Boxing Federation (IBF) super middleweight champion Lucien Bute makes the second defense of his title against once-beaten, No. 1 ranked challenger Librado Andrade.
Just eight days later, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING plays host to one of the biggest little fights since Vazquez-Marquez III when Cristian Mijares, the World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Council (WBC) super flyweight champion faces the IBF champion Vic Darchinyan in the first 115-pound, three-belt unification fight in history on Saturday, Nov. 1 (9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME). The 12-round bout is the third two-belt unification match in the history of the division.
Less than three weeks later, on Nov. 21, ShoBox returns with a special edition unification fight between WBA super bantamweight champion Celestino Caballero and unbeaten IBF champ Steve Molitor. Caballero and Molitor are two of the most feared boxers in the stacked 122-pound division.
In the co-feature of the Nov. 1 telecast, undefeated super middleweight standout and ShoBox alum Andre Dirrell of Flint, Mich., will meet the power-punching Victor Oganov of Russia. Dirrell (16-0, 11 KOs) will star in the SHOWTIME co-feature for the second time in his young career. In his SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING debut in August, Dirrell dismantled Mike Paschall by registering a fourth round TKO. Oganov (28-1, 28 KOs) is coming off a second round knockout of Kariz Kariuki in April.
The co-feature of the Oct. 24 telecast features top prospect and No. 11 ranked World Boxing Council (WBC) contender Ronald Hearns (19-0, 15 KOs) taking on Paul Clavette (14-1-1, 2 KOs) in a 10-round junior middleweight bout.
The host of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Steve Albert with Al Bernstein serving as color commentator and Jim Gray and Karyn Bryant serving as ringside reporters. The producer of Saturday’s telecast was Ray Smaltz with Bob Dunpy directing. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins, Jr.
For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please visit SHO.com/sports.
PHOTO CREDIT: TOM CASINO/SHOWTIME (Tarver-Dawson Only)
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©®™ 2007, 2008 All photos by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved
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