by James Slater – WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko and his unbeaten challenger Kevin Johnson gave short interviews in front of the Sky Sports cameras yesterday in Switzerland, and both big men sounded and looked in great shape. The 38-year-old champion, as is his way, refused to make any boastful predictions; instead merely saying he will try his best to win the fight. Sporting what appeared to be a slight bruise on the side of his right eye, picked up no doubt in sparring, Vitali said when the heavyweights are in action, predictions on what will happen cannot really be made..
“It’s my first fight in Switzerland, and I’ll give it my best to be the winner,” Klitschko told Sky Sports. “There are no predictions. This is boxing. It’s heavyweight. Every punch can make the decision, so that’s why nobody knows [who will win on Saturday.]”
A big betting favourite, the modest Klitschko could very easily shout and ball about how he will destroy Johnson, but that’s just not his style. Unbeaten 30-year-old Johnson, known, of course, as “King Pin,” was no way near as cautious when it came to making a prediction.
Johnson, 22-0-1(9) not only said he will win, but he has predicted a KO – even naming the round in which he will get the job done (actually, Johnson named three different rounds for the KO).
The challenger believes that when any fighter reaches a certain age, as has Vitali, he will lose his title – and the young guy opposing him will take the championship; in this case himself.
“Times are changing, ages are changing,” Johnson said. “Old fighters are sitting on top with the young guys coming up, the generations are folding over. It happens every ten years. Old champions go out and get beat by the young guys – and that’s exactly what’s about to happen. In ten years a young guy will come along and beat me, but for now I’ll beat this guy and annihilate him, break him down and make him retire from the sport of boxing.”
Looking in fine physical shape himself, Johnson sounded very convincing when making his winning forecast. And maybe the younger man by eight years is correct, in that perhaps the time has come for Vitali to lose? It sure would be a massive upset if this did occur on Saturday, but Johnson won’t be shocked.
“King Pin,” when asked for his final prediction, said he’d KO Klitschko and take the WBC crown home with him to America.
“Prediction?” Johnson was asked:
“Maybe [round] seven, maybe nine, but if I get mad it could be five,” he shot back.
That’s some bold forecast, especially when “Dr Iron Fist” has never even been down in a fight, much less KO’d. Would a Johnson KO win rank right up there with the truly big upsets, such as Douglas KO 10 Tyson and Rahman KO 5 Lewis? I myself don’t think it would be too far behind.
Above all, however, let’s hope it’s a good fight on Saturday.