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Vitaliy TKO8 Williams
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Klitschko Stops Williams to Defend Heavyweight Title
Associated Press - December 12, 2004
Source: *************.com
By TIM DAHLBERG AP Boxing Writer
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Vitali Klitschko staked his claim to being the true heavyweight champion Saturday night, knocking Danny Williams down four times and giving him a savage beating before finally stopping him in the eighth round.
Klitschko retained his WBC heavyweight title in a lopsided fight that left Williams bloodied, battered and barely able to see.
Williams remained game even after the final knockdown in the eighth round, getting up at the count of nine and wanting to continue. But referee Jay Nady decided he had taken enough punishment and waved the fight to a close at 1:26 of the round.
Klitschko did something Mike Tyson couldn't do against Williams, knocking him down in the first round and giving him such a beating that Williams couldn't come back as he did in his upset win over Tyson.
Williams tried his best, plodding after Klitschko in the third round, but he rarely got inside the 6-foot-7 champion's stiff jab and took a pounding from his right hand.
There had been questions about Klitschko's stamina and his tendency to cut around his eyes, but he had no problems with either in a fight he dominated from the opening bell.
With his brother, Wladimir, working the corner, Klitschko swarmed all over Williams in the opening round, landing 52 punches to only four for the challenger. He knocked Williams down with 37 seconds left in the round and hit him almost at will.
Klitschko wore an orange flag on his trunks, signifying his support for Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko. Others in the crowd waved Ukrainian flags and orange flags, the color of their candidate's campaign.
Klitschko's style was unorthodox, but it was devastatingly effective. And, while Williams lasted through nearly eight full rounds, there was no dis*****g the damage he inflicted on Williams, a journeyman British heavyweight of little repute until he stopped Tyson in the fourth round of their fight in July.
Williams was cut on his right eyelid in the first round, his face was puffed up, and both his eyes were nearly closed from the sheer volume of punches landed by Klitschko.
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Klitschko batters Williams!
By Chris Bronte and Herman Patton at ringside
source: *********.com
WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko retained his title with an eighth round KO over Mike Tyson-conqueror Danny Williams Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. Klitschko (35-2, 34 KOs) dominated the fight, flooring Williams four times while landing five times the number of punches. Vitali staggered Williams with a right hand in round one then sent Williams to the deck with a barrage of punches. Willaims (32-4, 27 KOs ) got up at nine and made it out of the round. Klitschko controlled round two from the outside while Williams did little. Klitscho dropped Williams with a left hook at the bell in round three. Klitschko continued to score in round four, but Williams was still dangerous, especially since Vitali was holding his left hand at his side and his right hand low. Klitscko continued to pick Williams apart from the outside in round five, while Williams could not connect with Vitali's exposed jaw. Williams was more aggressive in the sixth, but Klitschko was still in command. Klitscko staggered Williams in the seventh with an uppercut and later dropped Williams with a right hand/push. The champion landed some big shots in the eighth then put Williams down again with a right hand, prompting referee Jay Nady to finally stop the beating. Time was 1:26.
Sunday, December 12 2004
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