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By Nigel Hunt, Reuters
Los Angeles, California, Saturday, April 24, 2004
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ukrainian Vitali Klitschko stopped South African
Corrie Sanders in the eighth round to win the vacant World Boxing Council
heavyweight title on Saturday.
Referee John Schorle stepped in two minutes and 46 seconds into the round as
an exhausted Sanders wilted under a barrage of punches from Klitschko.
"I feel a lot of weight off my shoulders. My dream has come true," Klitschko
said after securing the title vacated by the retirement of Lennox Lewis.
The 32-year-old Klitschko looked nervous in the first round against the
South African southpaw, who had stopped his brother Wladimir last year, and
was shaken by a hard left and was hanging on as the round ended.
He quickly regained his composure, however, to dominate the rest of the
fight, picking off the South African with accurate left jabs.
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Vitali Klitschko of the Ukraine (R) holds the WBC Heavyweight belt with help from his brother, Vladimir
REUTERS/Mike Blake
(Click on images to enlarge them)
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Sanders' hopes were raised when a small cut opened over Klitschko's left eye
after a wild third round in which the fighters slugged it out toe to toe.
But the 38-year-old South African appeared to tire badly as the fight
progressed but fought bravely.
"I was surprised he never went down. He took so many punches it was
unbelievable and he always came back with punches of his own," added
Klitschko.
Lewis, in his last fight before retiring, defeated Klitschko in the same
arena, the Staples Center, last year.
"I hope that he (Lewis) decides to come back and fight me in the same arena
and in the same ring he did one year ago," Klitschko said.
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Vitali Klitschko of the Ukraine reacts after defeating Corrie Sanders of South Africa
Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
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Vitali Klitschko, of the Ukraine, celebrates his 8th round TKO over Corrie Sanders, of South Africa
REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
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