After all this time I won't quote dates, but if you've collected old posts then you'll have seen mine of that time.
The fight was on, and Klitschko, when out jogging felt a thigh pain. He thought it was a torn muscle, and the fight was postponed for about 6-8 weeks, allowing the usual healing time for a torn muscle. it didn't heal, so Klitschko went to have a CT scan, and it was discovered that he had not torn a muscle, he had no injury at all. What he had was a pinched spinal nerve. The branch of the sciatic nerve which served the thigh had been compressed by a common problem, a bony spinal growth. (I've had the same operation myself) So he had back surgery and the surgeon snipped away the bony spur, easing the pressure. The doctor was interviewed on TV,confirming that it was indeed requiring surgery, and he showed what was done.
The fight wasn't actually re-arranged, just suggested date etc. There were, no arenas booked, no tickets printed, nothing for a deliberate, specified date, because the healing and training times required were variable, but it was either one week or the next.
In the meantime, Don King talked Rahman into taking a fight against his close friend, Monte Barrett, for just 7 weeks before the proposed new date of the Klitschko fight. Klitschko protested very strongly. Both Rahman and King swore that Rahman would be fit to fight against klitschko regardless of the Barrett fight. Later, although Klitschko was ready, there was never any more publicity over the fact that Rahman was not close to being ready.
By the way, Rahman won that so-called fight, which, except for Haye-Valuev, and Haye-Harrison, was probably the worst heavyweight fight in recent history.
Eventually the fight date was definitely agreed on, and, lo and behold, Klitschko smashed up his knee 9 days before the fight. Rahman and King were talking big, whilst he was being medically examined, that he was ducking Rahman and was afraid to fight him.
There were interviews with the sparring partner with whose legs Klitschko became entangled. King was saying that Klitschko had been KD by this guy, but the sparring partner said, that he heard the snap of Kllitschko's knee, and he went down awkwardly. It was the Anterior Cruciate Ligament ACL). The WBC gave klitschko a 90 day extension, but, because the injury was potentially career ending, with, at best, a minimum of a year to heal, he was forced to retire. His knee was the only injury he suffered.
As we all know, he made a comeback 4 years later, and is still going strong, with 9-10 defences so-far.
To think that a killer like Klitschko was "ducking" an chinny pug like Rahman is beyond laughable.
Klit isnt a killer, hes a weak arm puncher. He was quite right to duck a dangerous puncher like postprime Rahman.
Tweet
Comment