First Live Heavyweight Championship Broadcast in History of ESPN
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION VITALI KLITSCHKO, WEIGHS IN AT 249 POUNDS, FOR TOMORROW’S (SATURDAY, MARCH 21) WBC TITLE DEFENSE AGAINST JUAN CARLOS GOMEZ , WEIGHING IN AT 230.4 POUNDS, IN STUTTGARD, GERMANY LIVE ON ESPN CLASSIC
Stuttgard, Germany—Vitali Klitschko, who weighed in at 249 pounds, will defend his share of the Heavyweight Championship when the Ukraine star puts his WBC belt on the line against contender Juan Carlos Gomez, tipping the scales at 230.4 pounds, tomorrow (Saturday, March 21) in Stuttgard, Germany. ESPN Classic (and espn360.com) will televise its first ever heavyweight championship tilt in the history of the mega sports cable channel live at 6:00 PM/ET/3:00 PM/PT. ESPN2 re-airs at 7 PM/ET/4 PM/PT.
Said Klitschko at the weigh-in: “We have been talking enough. Now, I will let my fists do the talking.”
Said Gomez: “I will embarrass Vitali in a way that he will quit boxing. I am sure to win the belt.”
The heavyweight pair have a combined 80 career wins between them, with 70 coming by way of knockout. Gomez (44-1, 35 KOs) is the mandatory challenger for Klitschko (36-2, 35 KOs).
This will be Vitali’s first title defense since a electrifying KO of then-champ Samuel Peter in October, regaining his belt after a prolonged, four-year hiatus due to a knee injury.
Thus Vitali joined his brother Wladimir as the only pair of brothers told hold versions of the heavyweight title simultaneously.