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Peter: ‘I’m knocking him out!’
Report by Mariano A. Agmi
“Vitali made a big mistake coming out of retirement to fight me. Come early on October 11th because I’m knocking him out to retain my title.” – WBC Heavyweight Champion Samuel Peter
Last week, the press was treated to a round table conversation with WBC Heavyweight Champion Samuel Peter at a press conference in Manhattan to announce Peter’s first defense of the WBC heavyweight title against former two-time heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, October 11 at the O2 Arena in Berlin, Germany.
The “Nigerian Nightmare” won the WBC title in March of this year by sixth round technical knockout against Oleg Maskaev of Kazakhstan. The new champ celebrated his title-winning effort in his native Nigeria, where President Yar’Adua and thousands of fans welcomed him home.
Refreshed from his trip, Peter is intent on proving that he is the top heavyweight in the world.
“I want to beat Vitali quickly so that I can fight his brother [Wladimir],” says Peter. “I will end his brother’s time as champion. I will become the first fighter to end an entire family’s boxing career.”
While it may seem that Peter is looking past his October 11 foe, his actions indicate otherwise.
“I’ve been training for five months now, since I was in Nigeria,” he says. “Vitali’s a very good boxer but I know that I’m the true heavyweight champion of the world. I’m ready to put him back into retirement.
“They called him a two-time heavyweight champion of the world . . . who did he beat to become champion? Every true champion beats a champion to become one. Who did he beat?”
Ironically, Vitali won his first world title against another Nigerian-born heavyweight, former WBO champion Herbie Hide. Vitali defended that title twice before retiring on his stool in the ninth round due to a shoulder injury against Chris Byrd.
Vitali won his second world title against Corrie Sanders, picking up the vacant WBC strap that Lennox Lewis relinquished when he retired in 2003.
“I beat a champion in Maskaev to become champion,” says Peter. “I didn’t pick my belt off a table the way he did.”
Speculation about whether Vitali beat a champion notwithstanding, it seems that there is something else that is motivating Peter to put an end to the elder Klitschko’s run at the title:
“He [Vitali] doesn’t respect me. You don’t come out of retirement to fight me. I’m going to knock him out for that.”
Other Thoughts
On fighting in Germany
“I’m not concerned about fighting in Germany. The judges won’t matter because it won’t go to the scorecards. I will not leave my title and this fight in the hands of the referee or the judges. The title is coming back to Africa with me on October 11th.
On the size discrepancy between Vitali and Peter
“I don’t duck anyone. Wladimir was just as big and I knocked him down 3 times. He’ll be two feet shorter after I shoot him down with my right hand.”
On the possibility that Vitali won’t show up due to injuries
“I am still wondering whether he will show up. I signed the contract to fight Vitali 5 months ago. They just signed their contract yesterday because even they weren’t sure if they would be able to make it to the fight.”
On fighting his way to the title
“I’ve been through a lot to get here. Two elimination fights against James Toney, the interim fight against McCline, the title fight against Maskaev and now Vitali coming out of retirement”.
On his legacy
“James Toney is a great fighter and I didn’t take the rematch because I wanted to. I took it to show that I could beat him convincingly since there were so many questions about the decision I won the first time. I beat James Toney twice and I beat Maskaev. After I beat Vitali and Wladimir, I will prove that I am the number 1 heavyweight of my generation.”
. . . . .
The bout will be televised by Showtime at 9 p.m. EST together with a light heavyweight match-up out of Las Vegas between IBF Champion Antonio Tarver (27-4, 19 KOs) and young, undefeated superstar Chad Dawson (26-0, 17 KOs). |
