Wladimir Klitschko vs. Ray Austin

Challenger rankings

Org.	Pos.	As of	Published
1+ Mth. Old
WBA	3	09.11.2006	08-10.11.2006
WBC	NR	01.12.2006	01-13.12.2006
IBF	1	29.11.2006	by 05.12.2006
WBO	15	01.12.2006	by 22.12.2006
Ring	NR	11.12.2006	by 17.12.2006
2+ Mth. Old
WBA	3	09.11.2006	08-10.11.2006
WBC	NR	01.11.2006	by 10.11.2006
IBF	1	25.10.2006	by 09.11.2006
WBO	15	04.11.2006	04-17.11.2006
Ring	NR	15.11.2006	by 19.11.2006
3+ Mth. Old
WBA	5	17.08.2006	05-23.08.2006
WBC	NR	01.10.2006	by 05.10.2006
IBF	1	13.09.2006	by 15.10.2006
WBO	NR	01.09.2006	by 29.09.2006
Ring	NR	30.08.2006	by 03.09.2006

Wladimir Klitschko 246 lbs beat Ray Austin 247 lbs by KO at 1:23 in round 2 of 12

• Date: 2007-03-10
• Location: SAP-Arena, Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Referee: Eddie Cotton
• Judge: John Wright 10-9

  1 10 9

• Judge: Roy Francis 10-9

  1 10 9

• Judge: Steve Weisfeld 10-9

  1 10 9

• Promoter: K2 Promotions
• Ring Announcer: Michael Buffer
• Aired On: RTL, HBO World Championship Boxing (Main Event)
  
• International Boxing Federation Heavyweight Title (2nd defense by Klitschko)
  
• International Boxing Organization Heavyweight Title (2nd defense by Klitschko)
  

Notes

• Klitschko wanted to face WBC champion Oleg Maskaev in a unification match at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 28, 2007, but he changed his mind when his older brother, Vitali, decided to end his retirement and return to the ring to fight for the WBC title. When Vitali retired due to injuries in 2005, the WBC declared him "Champion Emeritus." The status gave him the right to become the "immediate mandatory official challenger" if he chose to fight again.
• Austin fought Sultan Ibragimov to a draw on July 28, 2006, in an IBF heavyweight title elimination bout to determine the mandatory challenger. Austin challenged the decision because the referee allegedly missed a knockdown he scored in the seventh round. The IBF agreed with Austin and ruled in his favor on October 26. IBF President Marian Muhammad wrote in her ruling, “The IBF agrees that had the knockdown been called by the referee in round 7, Austin would have been declared the official winner of the bout and been elevated to the mandatory position.”
• Deal signed on January 22.[1][2]
• Televised in over 100 countries.
• Tickets cost up to €793 ($1,046).[3]
• The fight averaged 12.88 million viewers in Germany, peaking at 13.27 million (52.9 share).[4] It was the 7th-most watched TV program of 2007.[5][6]
• 15,000 people were in attendance.[7][8]

265 Seconds For The Rain Man

Nico Stankewitz, Stern, March 11, 2007

American Ray Austin bears the picturesque nickname "Rain Man" and during the world championship fight against Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko in Mannheim, punches really did rain down - but the shower didn't last long.

Ray Austin had boasted before Saturday night's mandatory title defense that he would score a knockout victory against the world champion, but in the ring, the man from the Cleveland slums showed absolutely nothing. The challenger from Don King's boxing empire posed no serious threat to Klitschko, who won by knockout in the second round after landing four heavy blows.

Cups Fly – Audience Feels Cheated

In his 51st professional fight, Wladimir Klitschko secured his 48th victory. The defending champion was superior to his opponent in every aspect, impressing not only with his outstanding punching technique but also with his agility and light footwork. Austin, in particular, had no answer to the Ukrainian world champion's deadly left hook. Klitschko didn't absorb a single blow and controlled his opponent at will from the very first round.

One minute and 25 seconds had elapsed in the second round when the "Rain Man" went down, badly beaten. Wladimir Klitschko put on a first-class performance, but only needed it to defeat a second-class opponent. The disappointment over Austin's lackluster performance quickly became apparent.

"Project Klitschko" Now Has All Doors Open

The audience reacted extremely angrily to the sudden and early end of the fight. After Klitschko's (few) punches, a rain of beer cups rained down on the American, who at least managed to live up to his nickname in this respect. The 15,000 spectators in Mannheim were utterly disappointed by the length and quality of the fight, a perfectly understandable reaction given the not insignificant ticket prices. The assembled roster of A- and B-list celebrities invited by RTL (Beckenbauer, Becker, Ferch, Witt, Pooth) also weren't impressed with the length of the fight.

For Wladimir Klitschko, all doors are now open after this convincing performance. Hardly anyone doubts anymore that the Ukrainian is currently the strongest heavyweight boxer in the world, possibly the only one who could reunite all world titles in the coming years.

The Klitschko clan's mega-project also includes brother Vitali, who is scheduled to return to the ring this summer. The immediate goal is to crown both brothers world champions simultaneously. After that, all belts from the four major boxing organizations are to pass into the Klitschko family's possession – however that distribution may be.[9]

Klitschko stops Austin in second round

Associated Press, March 11, 2007

MANNHEIM, Germany -- Wladimir Klitschko successfully defended his IBF heavyweight title Saturday night, dropping Ray Austin with a flurry of left hooks and stopping the American challenger in the second round.

The Ukrainian knocked down Austin 87 seconds into the round with at least three left hooks. The American climbed to his feet, but referee Eddie Cotton stopped the fight.

"I was surprised he got back up, but he wasn't clear in the head," Klitschko said. "I was motivated by the talk from Austin and his promoter, Don King, before the fight."

Klitschko improved to 48-3 with his 43rd knockout in the mandatory defense; Austin fell to 24-4 with four draws and 16 knockouts.

Neither Austin nor King, both of whom had called Klitschko heartless before the bout, showed up at the postfight news conference.

Klitschko established himself among the best of the heavyweight division with wins over Samuel Peter of Nigeria, Chris Byrd and Calvin Brock.

Both fighters were listed at 6-foot-6 and 246 pounds, with Austin's camp hoping another big heavyweight would trouble Klitschko.

But Austin didn't land a meaningful blow in the first round.

Klitschko measured Austin with his left hand until he caught him on the ropes. The Ukrainian snapped Austin's head sideways with the first left hook, and then followed with a series of hooks, some missing as the American fell to the canvas.

Klitschko never used his right hand that was responsible for most of his knockouts and earned him the nickname Dr. Steelhammer.

"What you saw today, you're going to more of the future -- Wladimir is developing new punches, besides the right and the jab," trainer Emanuel Steward said.

The crowd of 15,000 roared for Klitschko went he walked in, then jeered a fight that featured just a handful of punches.

Austin had been stopped just once before in his four losses, in the ninth round, by Attila Levin in July 2001. It also was his last loss.

The 30-year-old Klitschko won the title in April, stopping Byrd in the seventh. Next up, his camp hopes, is a unification fight against WBA champion Nikolai Valuev, the 7-foot Russian.

"Valuev wants it and I want it," Klitschko said. "But you can imagine how hard it is to deal with Don King."

Austin earned the title shot with a draw in July against unbeaten Russian Sultan Ibragimov.

The bout was televised in more than a hundred countries. Former world champions Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko made short guest appearances in the ring.

• "'The Rainman' Ready For Klitschko challenge" Secondsout.com November 11, 2006
• "Klitschko intent on seeking unification bout" By Dan Rafael, ESPN.COM, December 1, 2006
• "Vitali Klitschko returns to beat Maskaev in April" Pravda.ru, January 25, 2007