Peter-Klitschko final presser!

By Matt Richardson source: fightnews.com http://www.fightnews.com/1photos/wlad_sam01.jpg http://www.fightnews.com/1photos/wlad_sam03.jpg http://www.fightnews.com/1photos/wlad_sam05.jpg The final press conference for the Samuel Peter-Wladimir Klitschko fight was an abbreviated one this afternoon in New York due to a verbal altercation between Bernd Bonte, Klitschko's public relations advisor and Dino Duva, Peter's promoter. The press conference was scheduled to begin at 12 noon but Peter was not in attendance. Bonte came to the podium however and wanted to begin without the Nigerian, labeling him "unprofessional" for being late. "Why don't you be professional, sit down and wait for the press conference to start," Duva asked Bonte. "It's professional to start at 12," responded Bonte. Regardless of the animosity between the camps, both fighters seemed to get along well when Peter arrived approximately 10 minutes later. "We've all been waiting for you," said a smiling and confident Klitschko to Peter as the two posed for photographs. When both men stood next to one another though, the height advantage one would think Klitschko possessed seemed insignificant as Peter is only slightly shorter. "I think that both fighters are ready to go," Klitschko stated. "There's no space in my mind for losing," he said. Emanuel Steward, who has been training Klitschko in the Poconos for this bout, reiterated his fighter's thoughts. "He's in excellent condition," Steward said. "I personally don't think the fight is going to go 2 rounds. I think he's going to knock him out within 2 rounds." It's been Klitschko, however, who has experienced three losses (all by knockout or technical knockout). Peter is aware of his opponent's questionable beard and plans to take advantage of it. "Well I don't care about his chin because I know already his chin is like an egg -- if he falls down he'll break. So I don't worry about that," he said. "I'm going to put a knot on his head and I'm going to knock him out." Many in the boxing industry expect exactly that, thus the 7-5 odds in Peter's favor. But more importantly, according to Duva, should Peter win he will re-ignite some energy into a division that has been largely stagnant since Lennox Lewis' departure almost two years ago. "I believe the boxing business needs for Sam Peter to win on Saturday night for two reasons," reasoned Duva. "One, the heavyweight division needs a fresh, new face - that's what Samuel Peter is. He's a fresh, new, exciting face and the heavyweight division needs that. And besides, if Wladimir Klitschko wins him and his brother Vitali have gone on record publicly stating and making it very clear (that they) will never fight each other. What good is that for the heavyweight division and boxing? Sam Peter, when he wins Saturday night, will call out Vitali Klitschko, hoping that he beats Hasim Rahman, so he can get rid of both brothers within the same year." JABZ In the televised co-feature, unbeaten WBO Junior Welterweight title-holder Miguel Cotto will defend his title against substitute Ricardo Torres. Cotto was originally slated to fight Gianluca Branco but Branco pulled out of the fight due to an injury. The hard-hitting Torres figures to put on a much more exciting fight. With the change, HBO's Kerry Davis said he felt that "we added intrigue to that fight." It will be Cotto's first appearance in Atlantic City.