By Alexey Potapov at ringside
WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (37-2, 36 KOs) scored an impressive ninth round TKO over mandatory challenger Juan Carlos Gomez (44-2, 35 KOs) on Saturday night at Hanns-Martin-Schleyer Halle in Stuttgart, Germany. Klitschko methodically broke down Gomez, an ex-cruiserweight world champion, cutting him above the right eye in rouind five. Klitschko was cut on the hairline in round six by a headbutt, but dropped Gomez in the seventh with a big right uppercut. After another dominant round eight, Klitschko dropped Gomez again in the ninth and the fight was soon waved off by referee Daniel van de Wiele. Time was 1:49.
———-
Now fighting as a cruiserweight, former two-time heavyweight champion Chris Byrd (41-5-1, 22 KOs) won a fourth round TKO over little known Matthias Sandow (4-4).
———-
Recent heavyweight title challenger Tony “The Tiger” Thompson (32-3, 21 KOs) scored a fifth round TKO over Adnan Serin (19-10-1).
———-
Unbeaten heavyweight Alexander Ustinov (15-0, 13 KOs) has won a second round TKO over Byron Polley (23-9-1, 11 KOs).
