Wladimir Klitschko vs. Tony Thompson (1st meeting)

Challenger rankings

Org.	Pos.	As of	Published
1+ Mth. Old
WBA	NR	28.02.2008	by 20.03.2008
WBC	NR	01.02.2008	by 02.03.2008
IBF	8	~01.03.2008	07-19.03.2008
WBO	1	27.02.2008	10-22.03.2008
Ring	9	10.03.2008	by 14.03.2008
2+ Mth. Old
WBA	NR	31.01.2008	by 22.02.2008
WBC	NR	31.12.2007	2126.01.2008
IBF	7	~01.02.2008	13-15.02.2008
WBO	1	~01.01.2008	03-15.01.2008
Ring	9	17.02.2008	by 20.02.2008
3+ Mth. Old
WBA	NR	31.12.2007	by 04.01.2008
WBC	NR	17.12.2007	by 21.01.2008
IBF	8	~01.01.2008	10-15.01.2008
WBO	1	~01.01.2008	03-15.01.2008
Ring	9	01.01.2008	by 05.01.2008

CompuBox Punchstats

Total Punches	Klitschko	Thompson
Landed	121	150
Thrown	411	408
Pct.	29%	37%
Jabs	Klitschko	Thompson
Landed	36	57
Thrown	166	187
Pct.	22%	30%
Power Punches	Klitschko	Thompson
Landed	85	93
Thrown	245	221
Pct.	35%	42%

Wladimir Klitschko 241 lbs beat Tony Thompson 248 lbs by KO at 1:38 in round 11 of 12

• Date: 2008-07-12
• Location: Color Line Arena, Altona, Hamburg, Germany
• Referee: Joe Cortez
• Judge: John Stewart 99-91
• Judge: Manfred Kuechler 98-92
• Judge: Michael Pernick 98-92

• Announcer: Michael Buffer
  
• Weights: Klitschko 109.3 kg, Thompson 112.3 kg
  
• Aired on: HBO World Championship Boxing (USA), RTL Television (Germany), Inter (Ukraine)
  
• International Boxing Federation Heavyweight Title (5th defense by Klitschko)
  
• World Boxing Organization Heavyweight Title (1st defense by Klitschko)
  
• International Boxing Organization Heavyweight Title (5th defense by Klitschko)
  

Notes

• After Klitschko defeated Sultan Ibragimov and unified IBF and WBO titles, both organizations demanded from him to face their mandatory challenger in his next bout. Alexander Povetkin was IBF's mandatory, while Thompson was WBO's.
• Klitschko himself preferred Thompson, who had been sitting on his mandatory status longer.[1]
• On his birthday on March 25, Klitschko was awarded the Super Championship by the WBO. The title meant that Klitschko was given 1 year to defend his world title against the mandatory instead of usual 3 months.[2][3]
• On April 1, Klitschko's manager Bernd Boente publicly stated that Povetkin's promoter Wilfried Sauerland had sent an offer to Klitschko's team: €5 million guaranteed for a fight broadcasted by ARD. The offer was turned down, not least because Klitschko had a deal with RTL.[4]
• Boente's claim was denied by both Povetkin's promoter Vladimir Hryunov and Klitschko's spokesperson Yuri Nesterenko. Nesterenko further claimed the offer "unrealistic, given how much Sauerland pays his fighters in general" and stated that Klitschko's team was in closer contact with Thompson's promoter Dan Goossen at the moment, though the deal was not yet signed.[5]
• On April 10, IBF gave Klitschko permission to go ahead with the Thompson bout, as long as Povetkin would be next in line.[6][7]
• On April 22, Klitschko brothers' Official Website informed that both Wladimir and Thompson had signed the deal.[8]
• The fight was billed Time To Pick On Someone His Own Size, as Thompson was of similar height and reach as Klitschko. Thompson also came in 6.5 lbs heavier.
• Tickets cost between €70 ($110) and €1000 ($1570).[9]
• RTL earned €100,200 for every 30 seconds of ads aired in between rounds.[10]
• Klitschko himself reportedly earned €8 million (cca $12.5 million) for the fight.[11][12][13]
• The fight averaged 9.22 million viewers in Germany with 46.2 market share. At its peak, 9.98 million people watched the broadcast (54.1 share).[14][15]
• It was also watched by 7.1 million people in Ukraine.[16]
• There were approximately 13,000 people in attendance.[17]

Klitschko retains heavyweight titles with 11th-round KO of Thompson

Associated Press, July 13, 2007

BERLIN -- Wladimir Klitschko knocked out former sparring partner Tony Thompson in the 11th round to successfully defend his heavyweight titles Saturday.

Klitschko (51-3, 45 knockouts) turned boos to cheers, sending the American to the canvas with a right hand 1:38 into the 11th. He redeemed himself after an ugly 10th in which he pushed Thompson to the canvas and fell on him.

Klitschko's ninth straight win was tougher than expected, as he had to survive a second-round head-butt that left both fighters bleeding at the right eye.

"I'm still world champion, but it's about three titles now -- that means everybody that fights me is extra motivated," said Klitschko, who holds the IBF and WBO titles. "I haven't had a black eye for a long time, now I really look like a fighter."

His corner stemmed the cut, but his face was marked by the fight. His left eye was swollen after Thompson caught him with several good shots, especially a fifth-round right hook.

But Klitschko was ahead on the cards and caught Thompson in the sixth with two good rights to take control of the fight.

He tired after the seventh -- until he charged out in the 11th round and landed the knockout punch. That led the sellout crowd of 15,000 to chant "Klitschko, Klitschko" again.

"They were both tired, but Wladimir has experience now, then he came back with a second wind," Klitschko trainer Emanuel Steward said. "I said Thompson would be one of the most difficult fights we will have."

The fight came after Klitschko decisioned Sultan Ibragimov at Madison Square Garden in February, gaining him the WBO title but no winning many fans with a lackluster performance.

Thompson (31-2, 19 KOs) was a WBO mandatory fight for Klitschko. He served as Klitschko's sparring partner before one of the Ukrainian's worst losses, a two-round stoppage by Corrie Sanders in 2003.

Thompson's 27-fight unbeaten streak dating to 2000 was snapped. When Klitschko fell over him, Thompson's knee was hurt. However, the American said that was temporary and didn't lead to the knockout.

"I was fatigued, I thought he was fatigued too," he said. "He did what a great champion did, he took advantage when I was vulnerable. The only thing that hurts on me is my heart -- for losing."

Next up for Klitschko is likely Alexander Povetkin, the IBF mandatory challenger, if the Russian can beat Taurus Sylkes next Saturday. If not, cruiserweight champion David Haye -- who said he wants to fight Klitschko -- was in the audience for the bout.

"There's a line waiting to fight me," Klitschko said. "We will try to decide, maybe in a couple of weeks."

The 36-year-old Thompson gave the Klitchko problems with his size. Thompson is two inches shorter than the 6-foot-7 Ukrainian.

"He made it difficult," Klitschko said. "I didn't have the rhythm at the start, but the jab got better each round."

Thompson failed in his goal to make a name for himself back home in the United States with a Klitschko win. His promoter, Dan Goosen, promised to line him up some other big money fights after the better-than-expected performance.

Klitschko, who started his career in Hamburg, fought in the city for the first time in eight years.

On the undercard, American Jonathan Banks (19-0-0, 14 knockouts) won a decision against Italy's Vincenzo Rossitto (36-5-4, 22 knockouts) to claim the vacant IBO cruiserweight title. [18]