Photo: Pavel Terekhov
By Karl Freitag
Wladimir Klitschko: “It’s unbelievable and wonderful. I’m overjoyed to be the winner here. Five years ago, after the defeat against Corrie Sanders I was at the bottom. Since then, I’ve only wanted to make the critics eat their words. I love my sport, like I’ve never loved it….This was not my best fight. I gave my all, but I didn’t show everything. My best and my toughest fight lies yet ahead of me.”
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Ruslan Chagaev: “I simply just couldn’t find the key to victory against Wladimir today. I’m sorry for my many fans and the great public here in Schalke.”
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Big Numbers: While HBO inexplicably opted out of showing the world heavyweight championship fight between Klitschko and Chagaev, ratings for the RTL telecast in Germany were through the roof. More than 11 million viewers tuned into the live telecast, generating a 58.4% market share. 61,000 spectators attended the fight in person at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
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Vitali Update: WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko plans to return in mid September against an opponent to be named. Vitali’s preference is former cruiser champion David Haye (who pulled out of Saturday’s fight with Wladimir due to injury). The WBC has mandated that Vitali face Oleg Maskaev, but Vitali ojected to that fight and an arbitrator has ruled in favor of Klitschko.
