Klitschko.com - English

03
Aug
2009
Klitschko-Arreola a done deal

FightNews has learned that the heavyweight showdown between WBC champion Vitali Klitschko and “The Nightmare” Christobal Arreola is a done deal for September 26 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. According to sources close to the situation a press conference will be held next week to officially announce the bout. Klitschko, who won the WBC belt last year after a four-year absence from the ring, will make the second defense of his _title_. He last fought in March, stopping Juan Carlos Gomez in nine rounds. Arreola is currently the number one WBC contender. His last bout was a devastating knock-out win over Jameel McCline in April.

Henry Ramirez, Trainer Of Chris Arreola, Speaks On Upcoming Fight with Vitali Klitschko

James Slater -
Earlier today I had the pleasure of speaking over the phone with Henry Ramirez, trainer, of course, of unbeaten heavyweight contender Chris "The Nightmare" Arreola, 27-0(24). As has been announced, the 28-year-old Mexican/American who resides in Riverside, LA, will challenge WBC heavyweight king Vitali Klitschko at The Staples Centre on September 26th. Very kindly taking time out to talk about this big opportunity his warrior has been given, Henry had the following answers to my questions.

James Slater: As always I really appreciate your time, Henry. You can guess the reason I'm calling - the fight with Vitali Klitschko's a go then! You and Chris must be thrilled?

Henry Ramirez: Oh, absolutely. Chris is very excited, and I'm very excited..

J.S: Will there be a press conference to officially announce the fight next week, and will the fight get a press tour?

H.R: Yes, there will be a press conference next week in downtown LA, the exact date I'm not sure of. As for a press tour - I hope not. We want to use every possible day for training. I'd rather not have to go parading around. But the fight's not a pay-per-view fight, so I don't think there'll be a press tour, even though it's a big fight.

J.S: Chris must be happy to be fighting in LA, at The Staples Centre?

H.R: Absolutely. He's happy about the venue and he's extremely motivated for this fight.

J.S: This will be Chris' first fight at The Staples Centre - a good omen?

H.R: Yeah, it is a good omen. I mean, Chris is a Mexican/American and The Staples Centre is in the heart of LA, where there are lots and lots of Mexican/Americans, so yeah, it's great. Chris is looking to make history as the first ever Mexican/American to win a world heavyweight _title_. He's so up for this fight, he's going to put double the effort in to win - twice as much as he's ever put into any fight.

J.S: Do you feel this fight has come at the perfect time for you - with Chris being age 28 and having had 27 pro fights - or would you have preferred to have waited a while longer?

H.R: I feel it's perfect timing for us. You have an ageing world champion going in against a young and exciting contender. Chris has a crowd-pleasing _style_ and we're expecting to win; despite what some of your readers on the web site say. I don't mind the criticism and the comments, but some guys attack Chris almost on a personal level, when they don't even know him! And some of what they say is just stupid.

J.S: It does seem as though a lot of readers have made up their mind that Chris will lose. It's almost as though they think the Klitschkos are unbeatable - I mean I know they're both good fighters, but...

H.R: I don't think it's that people think they're unbeatable, I think it's just that a lot of fans think the heavyweight division is in the toilet here [in America]. But Chris is going to fight his fight, he's been working great with the new conditioning coach we hired, Dale Hudson, and we've started camp already. I think a lot of people will be shocked on September 26th.

J.S: Chris is a laid back and calm guy, but is there any chance nerves will get to him a little for this big fight?

H.R: No, there'll be no nerves. The moment won't get to him. Chris doesn't have that kind of mental makeup. He will be so committed to this fight, though - twice more than for any previous fight, as I've said. He works out twice a day - conditioning work in the morning from 9 AM to 11 AM, and then boxing training in the evening, 5.30 to 8PM - and I know the work and the effort he's putting in. We will be moving to San Fernando Valley next week, to our training camp there.

J.S: Any idea about who Chris will spar with yet?

H.R: I'm in the process of finalising the sparring partners. Lance Whitaker and Michael Grant are two possibilities.

J.S: I know you may not be able to or want to talk about this too much for legal reasons, but did you have any problems with the contract for the Klitschko fight? We have all heard about what David Haye has said, with regards to his claims that both Klitschko brothers ask for crazy demands in their contracts.

H.R: No, we've had no problems whatsoever. Dan Goossen had no problems and Al Haymon had no problems. I don't know about what Haye was asked to sign, but at the same time, why shouldn't the Klitschkos make demands of him? It's not as if he's earned a fight with them. Okay, he was a great cruiserweight champion and he achieved a lot there, but at heavyweight he's done nothing. Chris has been a heavyweight his entire career and he's earned this fight way more than Haye earned one. It's a big jump, too [for Haye to go up to heavyweight]. I mean, if you go up from 140-pounds to 147, you can do well and win. But from cruiser to heavyweight, you're talking a good 30 or 40 pounds. It's a lot different and a lot more difficult.

J.S: One question I have to ask is.....

H.R: (jumping in and laughing) I know, about the weight, right?

J.S: Yes. I know it's a tiresome issue!

H.R: I don't mind you asking. But I don't really have a number in mind. I know what Chris has put and will put into training for this fight, so I'm not worried at all. He's never worked out in the mornings like he is now, so that's a big plus. Believe me, Chris will be ready for this fight. I know he's not a guy who looks like he should be on the cover of a fitness magazine, but he'll be over 100-percent ready for this fight. But if I had to give you a number, I'd say around the 245-mark.

J.S: Just talking a little about tactics - but not too much, just in case the Klitschkos have their spies out. I take it Chris will try and get past the jab, get inside and work the body and make it rough for Vitali?

H.R: No, actually we're going to stand on the outside and try to win a boxing contest! (laughs) No, you're pretty much right in what you say. It would be total B.S if I said we were going to try and box on the outside - there's no way we could win the fight like that. Chris is a natural pressure fighter, and, yeah, he's going to get inside and work the body. People can expect lots of excitement on September 26th. They are in for a treat.

A heavyweight fight to get excited about
Posted Aug. 4, 2009 at 09:13pm
By Michael Rosenthal
Buzz up!



When was the last time you were truly excited about a heavyweight fight? Can’t remember? Neither can I.

That’s why the pending announcement that Vitali Klitschko will fight Chris Arreola on Sept. 26 at Staples Center in Los Angeles is so exciting. A boxing world starved for such a compelling heavyweight matchup has been waiting too long.

I know what you’re thinking. Arreola, the undefeated brawler from Southern California, has as much of a chance to win as all the others who were pummeled into submission recently by the Klitschko brothers -- next to no chance. He’s fat, crude and has a suspect chin to boot. Why bother?

I’ll tell you why. Arreola will make it entertaining as long as it lasts, unlike other technically proficient, but passive challengers who have folded under the pressure and then gave up. Arreola is what so few heavyweights are these days, a real fighter, the type who will happily eat punches if he can land his own.

His brawl against Travis Walker in November was breathtaking, Arreola surviving a near knockout to stop Walker in three rounds. I, for one, miss such wars in the sport’s marquee division, wars like George Foreman-Ron Lyle. That’s what Arreola brings every time he steps into the ring –- old-school thrills.

And Arreola, 28, isn’t small. He’s 6-4, only 3½ inches shorter than Klitschko. He has fought at around the same weight as the Klitschkos, although he’ll come in lighter for this one. (Believe me, he will.) They match up well physically, which also has been a problem for other challengers and would've resulted in David Haye's demise.

The Klitschkos –- both Vitali and Wladimir -– have a system that is difficult to cope with. They keep their smaller opponents at bay with a long, hard left jab and wait for an opening to unload the right, which inevitably does damage. It’s not exciting but it works.

Vitali Klitschko forced an utterly helpless Sam Peter to quit on his stool after the eighth round in his first fight back from a four-year hiatus and then stopped an overmatched Juan Carlos Gomez in nine.

So how can Arreola get to Klitschko? He used Wladimir’s victory over Ruslan Chagaev last month as an example of the wrong approach.

“I’m not like none of these fighters,” Arreola said recently. “If you have seen any of the fighters they’ve fought, are any of them like me? Do any of them have the _style_ that I fight? Do any of them have balls like I have shown? Just this past fight, this guy [Chagaev], he’s not a banger, he’s not a guy who will come and bring pressure. He’s a short boxer. He couldn’t do it. I’m a strong, big guy. I’m 6-4. I come in at 245. I’m strong and I’m coming to fight. I know only one way to fight and that’s coming.

“You know what, Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster set the blue print (against Wladimir). Those guys kept coming. That’s the way they beat them. And that’s the way I gotta beat them.”

If Arreola can get to Klitschko, stand by. Klitschko proved against Lennox Lewis in the same arena in 2003 that he too can go to war if necessary. He stood toe-to-toe with perhaps the best heavyweight of the era, only to lose because of a cut but win the admiration of everyone who witnessed it.

I can feel Staples Center rocking already.

And if Arreola somehow wins? Then a fight between the first-ever Mexican-American _title_holder and little brother Wladimir becomes perhaps the biggest heavyweight matchup since Lewis-Mike Tyson, a fight even casual boxing fans would embrace with enthusiasm.

These are big ifs, I know. No one will be surprised if Arreola too falls victim to the Klitschko system and gets stopped by a big right or two. Unfortunately, that’s a realistic scenario.

Rest assured, though: Arreola won’t let that happen without putting up a fight. And that’s all we can ask.

Klitschko, Arreola agree to _title_ fight

By Dan Rafael


Handlers for heavyweight titlist Vitali Klitschko and Cristobal Arreola of Riverside, Calif., have reached an agreement to fight Sept. 26 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the camps told ESPN.com on Wednesday.

Klitschko had been making plans to defend his _title_ against England's David Haye on Sept. 12 in Germany, but that was before Haye snubbed him. Instead of signing the contract that had been agreed to with Klitschko, Haye instead signed to fight titlist Nikolai Valuev in November, leaving Klitschko to look for a new opponent.

He found one in Arreola, the hard-punching contender aiming to become the first fighter of Mexican decent to win a piece of the heavyweight crown.
Vitali Klitschko, left, will be returning to the arena where he fought his two most significant fights.

Although Klitschko-Arreola has not been signed, it has been agreed to, Klitschko manager Bernd Boente told ESPN.com.

"It will happen," Boente said.

Henry Ramirez, Arreola's trainer, also confirmed that the deal had been struck.

"The fight's done. It's a done deal," Ramirez told ESPN.com. "It worked out to our benefit with whatever B.S. David Haye was pulling with Klitschko."

Boente said that a news conference to make the formal announcement is scheduled for Aug. 13 at the Staples Center. HBO will have live coverage of the fight in the United States.

Klitschko (37-2, 36 KOs) will be returning to the arena where he fought his two most significant fights. In June 2003, he challenged then-champion Lennox Lewis for the _title_ and lost on a sixth-round TKO because of severe cuts around his left eye. It was a dramatic and action-packed fight, which Klitschko led on all three scorecards at the time of the stoppage.

Lewis retired and Klitschko returned to Los Angeles 10 months later to stop South Africa's Corrie Sanders in the eighth round to win the vacant _title_.

"Vitali is very happy that he can fight again in the U.S. and especially in L.A., where his fight against Lennox Lewis was his international breakthrough and where he beat Sanders to win the WBC _title_ the first time," Boente said. "Both events were huge successes and almost sold out. I think this is a very interesting fight with two fighters who have great knockout percentages and only very few people think this fight goes the distance. ... We are looking forward to [coming] back to the U.S. again, which is still a very important market for us."

For Arreola (27-0, 24 KOs), 28, it will be an opportunity to make history in front of a home crowd. He lives 45 minutes away in Riverside.

"We're very excited," Ramirez said. "It's a great opportunity for Cris. I definitely feel he has a big challenge in front of him. Some people think we have no business in the ring with Klitschko and that's OK. There will always be naysayers. I know one thing -- Cris will leave everything in the ring to win that _title_. Nobody is going to question his desire. He will fight his fight and he's going to make history. We're not coming for any moral victories. We've going to win the damn fight."

Talks for the fight went smoothly, the key issue being the date. Klitschko had hoped to keep Sept. 12 but relented and pushed it back to Sept. 26 to accommodate Arreola, who didn't think he could be ready that quickly.

Ramirez said Arreola had been anticipating an Oct. 3 HBO fight against former titlist Oleg Maskaev before the Klitschko fight came up.

"Once they came back and said Sept. 26, we said fine," Ramirez said. "Cris has been in the gym for over two weeks. He's working out twice a day and we're relocating our camp on Sunday from Riverside to the San Fernando Valley. We'll just get a little bit away from everybody. [Strength and conditioning coach] Darryl Hudson will go with us. We're all on the same page."

Klitschko, 38, is 6-foot-7, 250 pounds and will be making the second defense. He has been dominant in his two fights since ending an injury-induced retirement that lasted almost four years. When he returned to the ring in October 2008, he thrashed Samuel Peter over eight lopsided rounds to regain his old alphabet _title_. In a March 21 mandatory defense, Klitschko routed former cruiserweight titlist Juan Carlos Gomez in a ninth-round knockout.

Arreola, who 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, has yet to face any significant opponents, although he is coming off a fourth-round knockout in April of faded _title_ challenger Jameel McCline.

Ramirez said he's not concerned about Arreola wilting under the pressure of his first _title_ shot.

"Mentally, Cris won't be overcome by the event or get caught up in the moment," he said. "He can rise to the occasion. He'll never be consumed by the moment. This is the first real opponent that I think Cris has truly respected and he has been preparing as such. I don't think there was that kind of respect for McCline or [Travis] Walker. Cris never respected any of those guys. He respects Klitschko and the people will see much improved head movement and footwork, a better all around game plan. It's a huge fight and it will be an exciting fight."

Vitali Klitschko vs Chris Arreola

Vitali KlitschkoWBC World Heavyweight Champion Vitali Klitschko will defend his _title_ against US-American Chris Arreola at Staples Center, Los Angeles (CA) on September, 26.

Bernd Bönte, Managing Director of Klitschko Management Group: „I am glad that the negotiations are over and we are able to present the fight that boxing fans all over the world want to see. Both Vitali and Chris are known as superb punchers and a fight over 12 rounds will be very unlikely to happen. We can all look forward to a spectacular event.“

For 38-year-old Vitali Klitschko it is the third fight at the famous Staples Center, home of NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. “I am so happy to fight in LA again. The 2003 fight against Lennox Lewis was my international breakthrough and just one year later I became WBC Champion for the first time against Corrie Sanders in that arena. Chris Arreola is one the strongest opponents I can think of. He is young, unbeaten, very confident and has a hard punch on his side. I will not underestimate him but no doubt, I will leave California as the world champion again”, says Klitschko..

Vitali Klitschko became world champion of the WBO in 1999, WBC champion in 2004 and regained the WBC belt again in October 2008. Only few champions were able to win the belt in the heavyweight division that often. Amongst them are Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis.

Vitali Klitschko has a professional record of 37 wins (36 by KO) and two defeats due to injury.

Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola is 28 years old and lives in Los Angeles. His professional record is 27 wins with 24 knockouts. His last fight was in March when he knocked out former world _title_ challenger Jameel McCline in round 4. Further, Arreola is holding the NABF Heavyweight _title_ as well as the WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight _title_. Arreola is ranked as WBC #1, IBF #2 and WBO #4.

Chris Arreola: „It is the chance of a lifetime to have a fight in my hometown against the best heavyweight of the world. Truly, a dream comes true. Klitschko‘s last opponents did not have the class I have. I will take the advantage and grab Vitali’s belt. I will be the first Mexican on the heavyweight throne.“

The fight will be broadcast live by RTL in Germany and in the US by HBO, America’s boxing channel #1.