By Mark Vester

Before 60,000 fans at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, WBO/IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (53-3, 47KOs) stopped WBA "champion in recess" Ruslan Chagaev (25-1-1, 17KOs) after nine rounds of action.

Klitschko came out controlling the fight with his jab. During the second, Klitschko Threw a hard right hand down the middle to send Chagaev down for the first time in his career. Klitschko went back to controlling the fight with his jab in the third and throwing the big right hand behind it. Klitschko would double up on the right hands and jabs in the fourth, really Chagaev down the middle with hard punches. Chagaev began to move his head in the fifth, and come forward and take a few chances.

The sixth was more the same with Klitschko using that jab to keep Chagaev back. Klitschko was controlling the entire seventh round, but near the end Chagaev was able to land big hook that swung Wladimir's head. Chagaev let his hands go more often in the ninth. He wasn't able to do much damage. Klitschko opened up a bad cut above the left eye of Chagaev. Klistchko battered Chagaev in the ninth with right hands against the ropes, landing over and over again. The fight was stopped before the start of the tenth by the ring doctor.