LAS VEGAS, Nevada - It wasn't pretty, but who said the heavyweight division was supposed to be.
In a record breaking heavyweight contest that totaled the most weight ever in a title match (520lbs.), Vitali Klitschko battered a courageous but game Danny Williams, knocking the challenger down a total of four times en route to successfully defending his WBC heavyweight crown last night at the Mandalay Resort and Casino.
Klitschko dominated every round, administering a savage beating on Williams before referee Jay Nady mercifully stopped the slaughter at 1:26 of the eighth round.
"I am the real heavyweight champion of the world," Klitschko said. "This was the best fight of my career."
Williams was knocked down four times and took tremendous punishment before referee Jay Nady wisely ended the world heavyweight contest one minute and 26 seconds into the eighth round.
The Englishmen's ability to sustain the opening barrage to last into the second half of the fight has to be commended. However toughness was not enough to overcome the 6-7 giant Klitschko.
Williams was taken to hospital for a precautionary CAT scan but was later released and said: "I had stitches in my eye. I had a brain scan and they said I was A-okay.
"I'm disappointed, I was not just here to make up the numbers. I really thought I could win but credit to him. He was on form on the night and I wasn't.
"Now I'm going to regroup and enjoy my family for a bit and then get back to some hard training."
Williams showed amazing heart to continue pushing forward in a fruitless attempt to upset Klitschko's heavy-handed rhythm.
Instead he simply continued to sustain more damage as chances of a repeat upset to match his July win over Mike Tyson receded quickly.
Williams' hopes of making a quick start were dashed in the opening round as he was pounded to the canvas by two heavy Klitschko right hands.
He remained on his knees as referee Nady counted nine before springing up to beat the count.
Williams looked groggy and was hampered by his cut but continued to push on and try to upset Klitschko.
A left hand which landed gave Williams' fans something to cheer in the third round but he soon hit the canvas again from another right hand.
When he rose at the count of six Williams was lucky to be greeted by the bell for a moment's rest from the relentless punishment.
As his cut worsened in round four, Williams' chances looked even bleaker, yet he reached the bell again to keep his hopes only just alive.
Williams exceeded expectation by edging into the second half of the fight despite Klitschko continuing to pick him off and worsen the damage around his eyes.
And there were questions about the wisdom of Williams' corner allowing him to continue, although he continued to fire back with single punches.
Referee Nady took a close look at Williams in a seventh round in which he hit the canvas again when Klitschko helped him down after a missed swing.
It was finally all over in the eighth when Williams, still trying to get forward, was sent crashing to the canvas for the fourth time and was wisely prevented from continuing by Nady despite meeting the count.
Klitschko improved to 35-2 (34 KOs), while Williams dropped to 32-4 (27 KOs).
Williams can take some solace from Klitschko, who called his performance the best of his career.
"He has a strong chin and he caught me good a couple of times. My strategy was to use my reach because I knew he would try to get close to me, so I stayed outside. I thought the fight would have been stopped a little earlier.
Williams posted a breakthrough victory this year when he weathered an early barrage to register a fourth-round knockout of Mike Tyson on July 31.
"He (Klitschko) didn't hit as hard as Mike Tyson but he was more consistent," Williams said.
Yeah... maybe pretty damn consistent.
Too Much Cotto
In the co-featured bout, WBO junior welterweight champion Miguel Cotto improved to 22-0 (18 KOs) with an impressive sixth-round stoppage of former title holder Randall Bailey, who was out-boxed and out-punched by the rising Puerto Rican superstar.
Cotto, who dropped Bailey in the second and third rounds, landed 24 power shots in the sixth round to prompt the hard-punching Miami native to call it quits at 1:39 of the sixth.
Bailey, who dropped to 28-5 (27 KOs) had a effectve first round , landing two hard rights to the top of Cotto's head, but was simply outclassed from there on out. Cotto pressured Bailey in the second round, nailing him with accurate combinations before dropping Bailey to the canvas with a right hand.
In the third round, Cotto used movement catch Bailey into hard three-and-four-punch combinations before hurting him with a left hook to the ribcage and landing an uppercut that cut the veteran's left eye and forced him to take a knee.
In rounds three, four and five Cotto controlled the action with hard jabs, nice footwork and accurate body work.
"We knew he didn't take it too good to the body," Cotto said after the fight. "We knew to take it to his body and we did.
The win against Bailey caps off an excellent year for the Puerto Rican, who also defeated Victoriano Sosa, Lovemore Ndou and Kelson Pinto in 2004. Cotto looks ready for the elite fighters in the 140-pound division, which include Kostya Tszyu, Floyd Mayweather, Arturo Gatti and Vivian Harris.
"We are working toward 2005 being a good year," Cotto said.
Undercard
Carlos Navarro over-powered and bludgeoned game and crafty former WBO 122-pound titlist Agapito Sanchez to an 11th-round stoppage to improve to 26-3-1 (21 KOs) and pick up the WBC Continental Americas 130-pound title.
Sanchez, who absorbed a brutal beating in rounds five through eight, rallied in the late rounds despite a severely lacerated face and even managed to mark up Navarro's face before a straight left and follow-up barrage forcing referee Richard Steele to step in at the 1:57 mark of the 11th.
Sanchez, who was never off of his feet, dropped to 35-10-2 (18 KOs).
In the opening bout of the HBO PPV-televised card, former IBF 130-pound titlist Carlos Hernandez improved to 45-4-1 (24 KOs) with a hard-fought, bloody 10-round split decision over Juan Carlos Ramirez.
Hernandez, whose right eye bled throughout the brawl from an accidental headbutt in the second round, won by scores of 95-94, 96-93 and one judge scored the bout 96-94. Ramirez, who dropped to 34-7 (14 KOs), was badly staggered in the fourth round and floored in the eighth.
Sonny Banerjee
Editor-in-chief
Information from other publications and wire services was used in the compilation of this report.
