Friday, April 9, 2004 | 10:03 a.m.
There's a reason Wladimir Klitschko is an 11-1 favorite to defeat Lamon Brewster when they fight Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. In fact, there are several of them.
Foremost: While Klitschko has faced an assortment of upper-level heavyweights in the past four years, Brewster has never beaten an opponent of any consequence.
Add in Klitschko's alleged commitment and focus and his undeniably superb physique and training habits, and anything short of a victory will shock the 8,000 or so who will be in attendance.
Nonetheless, the two losses on Klitschko's ring resume keep him from being overconfident as he takes on Brewster with a minor title at stake.
"I'm not underestimating Brewster," Klitschko said this week. "He's a very tough opponent with a powerful and quick punch. He's a good athlete and moves well. He has a lot of early knockouts and he will be very dangerous in the early rounds."
Brewster, 30, is 29-2 with 26 knockouts without defeating a ranked opponent. Following losses to Clifford Etienne and Charles Shufford in 2000, Brewster has been coddled by promoter Don King and he responded with predictably easy wins against Joe Guy, Nate Jones, Willie Chapman, Tom Martin and Joseph Lenart.
Klitschko, 28, is 42-2 with 39 KOs and is one-half of a vaunted brother duo that has steadily ascended in the heavyweight rankings; Vitali Klitschko will face Corrie Sanders April 24 in Los Angeles with the vacant World Boxing Council heavyweight title at stake.
Like his brother, Wladimir Klitschko is a PH.d in sports science and philosophy who speaks four languages. He's also the co-author (with his brother) of a book on fitness, and he appeared in the remake of the movie "Ocean's Eleven," taking part in a staged fight with then-champion Lennox Lewis.
He also has some nice victories in the ring to his credit, having gotten past Axel Schulz, Phil Jackson, David Bostice, Monte Barrett, reigning International Boxing Federation champion Chris Byrd, Derrick Jefferson, Shufford, Frans Botha, Ray Mercer, Jameel McCline and, most recently, Danell Nicholson.
Only losses to Ross Puritty in 1998 and Corrie Sanders last year tarnish his record.
"I think everyone in the arena saw perfectly what happened," Klitschko said of being stopped in two rounds by Sanders in Hannover, Germany. "Corrie had one chance to beat me and I played right into his hands. He was able to use my mistakes against me."
As for his loss to Puritty, Klitschko remains apologetic.
"I did not have the proper focus or concentration," he said. "I did not prepare mentally and physically the way I should have, and I ran out of gas. I was arrogant and I paid the price."
Such mistakes will not happen again, both Klitschko and his new trainer, Emanuel Steward, have assured the fighter's fans.
"This is a very important fight for me," Klitschko said of meeting Brewster, which is a fight that shares top billing on a card that includes a bout between undisputed welterweight champion Cory Spinks and former junior welterweight champion Zab Judah. "I need to show I can still win at the top level."
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