Wladimir Klitschko vs. Danell Nicholson

Wladimir Klitschko 241 lbs beat Danell Nicholson 233 lbs by TKO in round 4 of 12

• Date: 2003-12-20
• Location: Ostseehalle, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
• Referee: John Coyle
• Judge: Manuel Maritxalar
• Judge: Torben Seemann Hansen
• Judge: Renato Caddeo

• Promoter: Universum Box-Promotion (Klaus-Peter Kohl)
• Aired On: ZDF (Main Event) (Germany), 1+1 (Main Event) (Ukraine)
  
• WBA Inter-Continental Heavyweight Title (1st defense by Klitschko)

Notes

• The bout averaged 7.92 million viewers in Germany.

W. Klitschko stops Nicholson in fourth round
Associated Press, December 20, 2003

KIEL, Germany (AP) — Former WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko stopped Danell Nicholson in the fourth round of a non-title heavyweight fight Saturday. The bout was stopped 1 minute, 16 seconds left in the fourth round as Klitschko battered his opponent on the ropes after knocking him down a few seconds earlier. The 27-year-old Klitschko is the younger of the two fighting Ukrainian brothers, with brother Vitali also a top heavyweight contender.

"It wasn't easy, but he moved a lot and it isn't easy to hit a moving target," said Klitschko, who improved to 43-2 with 39 knockouts. "But the important thing is it will continue for me and Vitali next year.

Wladimir Klitschko lost his WBO title in March when he was beaten in two rounds by South African Corrie Sanders.

In August, Klitschko knocked out overmatched Fabio Moli of Argentina in 97 seconds.

Nicholson, who record slipped to 42-5 with 32 knockouts, tried to tie up the 6-foot-7 Klitschko from the opening seconds. He was penalized a point for holding in the second and warned again in the third.

"It wasn't working. When it isn't working you try some things," Nicholson said.

The end came quickly as Klitschko knocked him into the ropes with a left hook in the fourth, then followed with some combinations. After Nicholson got back up, the Ukrainian sent him into the ropes again with a short right to the head. [1]