Klitschko confident he’ll beat Las Vegas’ Shufford

Dean Juipe

Friday, June 8, 2001 | 11:05 a.m.

A look of disbelief overtook Wladimir Klitschko.

"What do you mean, I don't know much about Charles Shufford?" he said with an engaging smile. "I know a lot of things about him.

"He's strong, young, powerful. He's a dark horse and I have to be ready for any surprises he might have."

That Klitschko knew anything at all about Shufford was surprising in itself. That he was sharp enough to turn a question on the subject into a glib response only underscored his intelligence.

He is, after all, Dr. Wladimir Klitschko, having gained his doctorate in sports philosophy from a university in his native Ukraine.

And he's the World Boxing Organization heavyweight champion, a big man with a 36-1 record that includes 33 knockouts. Come Aug. 4 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, he'll take on Shufford in the first American defense of his title.

Shufford, a native of Las Vegas, is 16-1 with eight KOs.

"I feel good about the fight," Shufford said Thursday at a press conference introducing the Top Rank card. "I'm very confident. I should do a good job."

Klitschko is a minus 1000 betting favorite in the Mandalay Bay sports book, with Shufford a plus 700. Their fight joins a previously announced Bones Adams vs. Paulie Ayala title fight at 122 pounds, which is on the board as Adams minus 130 and Ayala even.

"I don't say this lightly, but I think Wladimir is the best heavyweight in the world, period, beyond anybody else," said promoter Bob Arum. "He's a unique person, a bona fide PhD who is also the best heavyweight out there in terms of boxing skills and punching in combinations.

"He's going to be a huge, huge attraction in this country."

Tickets are priced from $50 to $400.