" Sixty-seven years ago, a European fighter thought to be no match for a quick-handed power punching North American heavyweight, entered the ring with a sly confident smile. All he told skeptics was that "I see something."
Today, Vitali Klitschko (32-1, 31 KOs), who has been fighting out of Germany, prepares to enter the ring against WBC heavyweight title-holder Lennox Lewis (40-2, 31 KOs) on June 21 at the Staples Center, despite having only 10 days to adjust for his style.
He also says he "sees something" useful to exploit in the champion's technique.
It was Germany's Max Schmeling who fought a then undefeated Joe Louis on June 19, 1936, and despite being a large underdog, unraveled a weakness in the young heavyweight and promptly knocked him out.
Klitschko, who is friends with 98-year-old Schmeling, said he has spoken several times to the former world champion and was told "you have to be focused" despite all of the hoopla and drama.
The Ukrainian prizefighter discovered something in Lewis's style when the movie "Oceans Eleven" was being filmed two years ago. Klitschko's younger brother Wladimir played a role as a fighter opposing Lewis in a heavyweight title fight. Vitali watched closely as they rehearsed the scene over and over.
"It was done the same scene 20 times," Klitschko said. "It was not a real fight but all of his movements I was watching from the side."
But don't ask him what he spotted.
"I know what he prefers," Klitschko said of Lewis. "I don't want to talk about it."
All talk has been focused on the lack of time for preparation. Klitschko wishes he had more time.
"Actually two weeks is not enough time," said Klitschko during a telephone press conference. But after chasing Lewis for three years in hopes of fighting for the world title, he was not going to be denied by time.
"This is the biggest fight of my whole career," he said, adding that in the past few days he has sparred with six-foot, seven-inch Lance Whitaker. "Maybe I don't get another chance."
Born in the Ukraine, Klitschko has a doctorate degree in kinesiology, speaks five languages fluently and his only defeat came against current IBF heavyweight title-holder Chris Byrd after he quit due to a shoulder muscle tear. He is brimming with confidence despite Lewis's predictions of a fifth round knockout.
"All my other opponents were saying the same thing," said Klitschko with indifference in his tone. "They said they would knock me out but where are they right now?"
Criticized heavily because he quit against Byrd though winning handily one the scorecards, Klitschko dismisses the loss as a necessary action to avoid a possible knockout.
"I know I got really bad criticisms," he said. "But it was my own decision."
In a few days, the six-foot, eight-inch Klitschko will be face to face with the most talented heavyweight the world has seen since Mike Tyson in his prime. But if you ask him why he looks so confident, he simply smiles.
"I don't want to talk about it, I want to use those weaknesses in the ring," Klitschko said.
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DOWN GOES KLIT DOWN GOES KLIT !
KOD
