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Witness Speaks on Klitschko Spar Session
Reported By: Boxing Insider - 11.07.2005 01:54 AM
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Witness Speaks on Klitschko Spar Session
By Scoop Malinowski
Not much is known about what exactly happened late last week in the sparring sessions of Vitali Klitschko, as he was making final preparations for the big mandatory WBC Heavyweight Championship defense against Hasim Rahman.
The Klitschko side is saying there was a knee injury that happened on Thursday while sparring. A knee brace was used in Friday's sparring but the WBC champion says he just did not feel comfortable with it.
Now there are rumors being spread by Don King about Klitschko supposedly being knocked down in sparring. Rahman said on **********.com that he heard Klitschko had been knocked out in sparring - with the big gloves and headgear on.
Klitschko had been sparring with top American heavyweight prospects Rafael Butler and Travis Walker. I reached their manager Steve Munisteri by telephone to ask him if he knew what really happened?
"Let me start by saying I don't think it's cool when guys who are paid to be sparring partners, brag about what they did in sparring," stated Munisteri. "Travis Walker and Rafael Butler were hired to work with the Klitschkos (for $1,500 a week) and that's what they did. Ed Mahone was there somedays too." (Mahone challenged Vitali for the WBO title in 1999 but lost via TKO 3 in Oberhausen, Germany.)
When asked again if it was true about Klitschko being knocked out or knocked down in the sparring, Munisteri paused and said, "It's true Travis and Rafael can hold their own with anybody, let me put it that way. They're big strong punchers, really solid big guys and they can really ****."
Both Walker and Butler are former U.S. National Golden Gloves Super Heavyweight champions, Walker - who stands 6-4 and weighs 260 - in 2003, Butler, 6-5, 245, in 2004.
Munisteri said his two pro heavyweights both worked with Wladimir Klitschko as he prepared for Samuel Peter in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania this past summer. Vitali decided to employ Butler and Walker as well for his camp at the Pound-4-Pound Gym in Los Angeles.
Munisteri said he was actually in the gym for the first day of sparring and the last day - Friday - when Vitali "quit sparring."
After the injury on Thursday, Vitali showed up on Friday and sparred a couple of rounds...I'll just say they stopped after a couple of rounds. We were told to go home after Friday's sparring. It was reported he apparently tried to come back and spar on Saturday with Mahone."
Klitschko, who turned 34 this past July, may now be stripped of the WBC title for having postponed because of injury the challenge of Rahman for the fourth time this year (April 30, June 18, July 23 and Nov. 12). Klitschko stood to earn around $8 million - win or lose - for fighting Rahman this Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Witness Speaks on Klitschko Spar Session
Reported By: Boxing Insider - 11.07.2005 01:54 AM
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Witness Speaks on Klitschko Spar Session
By Scoop Malinowski
Not much is known about what exactly happened late last week in the sparring sessions of Vitali Klitschko, as he was making final preparations for the big mandatory WBC Heavyweight Championship defense against Hasim Rahman.
The Klitschko side is saying there was a knee injury that happened on Thursday while sparring. A knee brace was used in Friday's sparring but the WBC champion says he just did not feel comfortable with it.
Now there are rumors being spread by Don King about Klitschko supposedly being knocked down in sparring. Rahman said on **********.com that he heard Klitschko had been knocked out in sparring - with the big gloves and headgear on.
Klitschko had been sparring with top American heavyweight prospects Rafael Butler and Travis Walker. I reached their manager Steve Munisteri by telephone to ask him if he knew what really happened?
"Let me start by saying I don't think it's cool when guys who are paid to be sparring partners, brag about what they did in sparring," stated Munisteri. "Travis Walker and Rafael Butler were hired to work with the Klitschkos (for $1,500 a week) and that's what they did. Ed Mahone was there somedays too." (Mahone challenged Vitali for the WBO title in 1999 but lost via TKO 3 in Oberhausen, Germany.)
When asked again if it was true about Klitschko being knocked out or knocked down in the sparring, Munisteri paused and said, "It's true Travis and Rafael can hold their own with anybody, let me put it that way. They're big strong punchers, really solid big guys and they can really ****."
Both Walker and Butler are former U.S. National Golden Gloves Super Heavyweight champions, Walker - who stands 6-4 and weighs 260 - in 2003, Butler, 6-5, 245, in 2004.
Munisteri said his two pro heavyweights both worked with Wladimir Klitschko as he prepared for Samuel Peter in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania this past summer. Vitali decided to employ Butler and Walker as well for his camp at the Pound-4-Pound Gym in Los Angeles.
Munisteri said he was actually in the gym for the first day of sparring and the last day - Friday - when Vitali "quit sparring."
After the injury on Thursday, Vitali showed up on Friday and sparred a couple of rounds...I'll just say they stopped after a couple of rounds. We were told to go home after Friday's sparring. It was reported he apparently tried to come back and spar on Saturday with Mahone."
Klitschko, who turned 34 this past July, may now be stripped of the WBC title for having postponed because of injury the challenge of Rahman for the fourth time this year (April 30, June 18, July 23 and Nov. 12). Klitschko stood to earn around $8 million - win or lose - for fighting Rahman this Saturday night in Las Vegas.
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