• Boxing news

Klitschko lines up fight with knockout merchant Briggs

ESPN staff
July 30, 2010
Shannon Briggs, who has a record of 54-5-1, was knocked out by Lennox Lewis in 1998 © Getty Images
Enlarge

Vitali Klitschko will take on former WBO champion Shannon Briggs in his next heavyweight title fight on October 16 in Germany.

Klitschko, who currently holds the WBC belt, beat Poland's Albert Sosnowski on his last outing in May and has been a target of Britain's WBA champ David Haye.

Briggs, who was knocked out by Lennox Lewis in a WBC title fight in 1998, boasts the record for the most first-round knockouts in heavyweight history - adding to his tally with a 98-second demolition of Rob Calloway in May.

'The Cannon', 38, is widely considered to be some way past his prime but the New Yorker views things slightly differently.

"I got the contract [on Wednesday]," said former WBO champion Briggs, 38. "I look forward to retiring a great champion - I'm the best ever! Hopefully when I retire Vitali I can fight David Haye at Wembley Stadium, that would be a dream come true."

Briggs, who was at one time promoted by Don King, is currently eighth in the WBC rankings and he announced the plans for the match-up at the launch of a WBC boxing festival in Cardiff.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices