Byrd defends IBF title against Klitschko in Germany

By Staff
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BERLIN, Apr 21 (Reuters) American Chris Byrd will defend his International Boxing Federation (IBF) heavyweight title against Vladimir Klitschko tomorrow in a re-match of a 2000 title fight won by the towering Ukrainian.

Klitschko, 30, beat Byrd, 35, to win the rival World Boxing Organisation (WBO) heavyweight crown in Cologne more than five years ago but relinquished that title after an upset loss to South African Corrie Sanders in 2003.

Byrd, one year after losing to Klitschko, beat Evander Holyfield for the vacant IBF title and has held it since.

Hamburg-based Klitschko earned the IBF number-one contender ranking with a points win over Samuel Peter last September, despite being knocked down three times.

Byrd said he was looking forward to a chance to avenge that defeat tomorrow in Mannheim, brushing off fears that fighting in Germany, where there have been many controversial decisions in favour of home-based boxers, could be a problem.

''I'm five years wiser but he's just five years older,'' said Byrd, who has a record of 39-2-1 with 20 KOs.

After losing in 2000, Byrd, 6 feet tall to Klitschko's 6-foot 7-inches, had vowed never to set foot in Germany again.

''Some people think I'm crazy to box in Germany, but I'm feeling very strong,'' he said before the fight in a sold-out arena in the western town of Mannheim, south of Frankfurt. The match will be broadcast 2040 GMT (0210 hrs IST) on German public television.

For Klitschko -- whose elder brother Vitali, a former World Boxing Council (WBC) champion, retired last year -- defeat by Byrd could be the end of his career.

''I'm not thinking about that,'' Klitschko said. ''I'm going to win. I've gone through a lot of valleys in my career and have learned a lot. I feel I'm better than I've ever been.'' He has a 45-3 record with 40 KOs.

His 2000 victory over Byrd appeared to pave the way for a bright future but he was knocked out in the second round by Sanders in March 2003. Klitschko was also beaten in a WBO title fight against Lamon Brewster in 2004 stopped in the fifth round.

''After those defeats, I lost the respect of my opponents and it's a long, hard journey to get that respect back,'' he said. ''The only way to show how good I am again is in the ring.'' The heavyweight division has been without a clear-cut champion since Briton Lennox Lewis retired in 2003.

The IBO is one of four heavyweight championships. The three other title holders are American Hasim Rahman (WBC), Nikolai Valuev of Russia (World Boxing Association) and Sergei Liakhovic of Belarus (WBO).

REUTERS PM DS1450

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