Posted at 6:34 a.m., Monday, July 16, 2007
Boxing: Ex-champ Klitschko sets September comeback
Associated Press
MUNICH, Germany — Former WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko will fight Jameel McCline on Sept. 22 in Munich in Klitschko's first bout in nearly three years."I rule out losing this fight," Klitschko said today.
Klitschko hasn't fought since an eighth-round win over Danny Williams on Dec. 11, 2004. Back and knee problems forced Klitschko to take a year off and eventually retire with a 35-2 record with 34 knockouts. He announced a comeback earlier this year.
McCline, 37, has a 38-7-3 record with 23 knockouts. He lost a WBA title shot to then-champion Nikolai Valuev in January when he injured his knee in the third round.
Klitschko originally hoped to fight current WBC champion Oleg Maskaev in Moscow in his comeback, but after months of negotiations, he stood aside to let No. 1 challenger Sam Peters fight the Russian first.
Klitschko's younger brother Wladimir is the IBF heavyweight champion.
"I want to make history and be the heavyweight champion at the same time as my brother," Vitali said.
