Current WBC Heavyweight Champion Vitali Klitschko will defend his title against former title holder Shannon Briggs on October 16, at o2 World Hamburg, Germany.
This will be Klitschko’s 13th world championship fight as he is only the fourth boxer alongside Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis to win a heavyweight belt for the third time.
“I am really happy that I will have a fight in Hamburg again, the place where I started my professional career. The o2 World is a great arena and the fans in Hamburg are real box experts and will make a perfect atmosphere. Shannon Briggs is not only big at talking but also big in the ring and a very tough challenger. He is more experienced than me, has more professional fights on his record and is one of the hardest punchers in the division. I will be very well prepared together with my trainer Fritz Sdunek,” said Klitschko.
Briggs, a Brooklyn, New York native is the WBC number 8 ranked contender with notable wins over George Foreman, Ray Mercer and Sergej Liakhovich. The former WBO heavyweight champion sports a professional record of 51-5 (45 KOs).
“For a long time I have been trying hard to fight a Klitschko. Most of their opponents are scared to death when they step into the ring. I will put Klitschko on pressure and take the fight to him. Klitschko can enjoy his belt for a few more weeks; after October 16 it will be mine,” said Briggs.
In Germany, Klitschko vs. Briggs will be shown live and exclusively on RTL. The ticket sale starts on August 31 on www.eventim.de.
