CAESARS BACK WITH WORLD-CLASS BOXING OCT.2

Brothers Klitschko still dream of the day when they can share a piece of the heavyweight crown at the same time. However, that ambition may be in jeopardy Saturday if Wladimir Klitschko blows the10-round main event against DaVarryl Williamson as world-class championship boxing returns to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

For the 28-year old former WBO champion out of Hamburg, Ger., it is virtually a must win situation after losing the vacant title last Apr.10 to underdog Lamon Brewster in an upset fifth-round knockout at the Mandalay Bay.

When it comes to championships, it seems Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko are trapped in an on-and-off syndrome.

“I want to regain a world title and join my older brother, Vitali, so we can become the first siblings to simultaneously hold crowns since my brother now holds the WBC belt. It has always been our goal and we have come close before. When Vitali had a title, I did not and when I held the belt, he did not. He will now hold that WBC title for a long time. So now it is up to me again. I am still disappointed the way I lost to Brewster who is a decent fighter,” the deposed king said.

In his ill-starred last outing, Klitschko, 243, was breezing to what looked like an easy triumph in a resume which read 42-3, 39 K0s as he had Brewster on the brink of a knockout in the fourth round. No way the L.A.-based underdog was going to quit and suddenly he was back in rocking Klitschko with a right uppercut and a double left hook. When the bell rang, it was clear the suddenly well-battered Ukraine native couldn’t make it to his corner without help. It prompted referee Robert Byrd to rules TKO at 3:00 of the fifth round.

“I was in excellent shape but it wasn’t me in there. I do not know what happened but I’m making no excuses. There may be a rematch some day It but i can’t think about that. I am still very confident about my ability and I’m not looking past Williamson, the WBO’s No.11 contender out of Washington, DC.

Williamson, who turned pro in 2000 at 31, is a former three-time national champion who tried to make the 1996 Olympic team but fell short when he lost a 19-10
decision to Nate Jones in the finals. Earlier that year, Williamson had decisioned Jones for the U.S. national championship.

Rising prospect from Capital Hill is the NABF heavyweight champion with a 20-2,17 K0s log turned on a big rally from an eighth round knockdown to win the NABF title with a 12-round majority decision over Eliecer Castillo last Apr.17 in Tampa, Fla.

After running up a 15-bout win streak, the fast-rising Williamson learned the error of underrating an opponent when he faced Joe Mesi (26-0) and wound up as a first-round knockout victim Sept.27, 2003 in Buffalo. Mesi scored an early knockdown and then took him out with left hook at 1:37.

“I made the mistake of underestimating Mesi and was looking past him. I had many people whispering in my ear. I was told my next fight could be for a million dollars and I would be a guest starring on a sit-com. I had beaten Mesi in the amateurs where I was 120-17, 103 K0s, so I did not think he could beat me. Losing that fight was a tough pill to swallow but I have never looked past anybody since and it won’t happen again. I view young Klitschko as the best all-around opponent I have faced and I have earned this shot,” Williamson reflected.

Prior the Klitschko-Williamson pairing, Showtime’s exciting tripleheader TV starting at 9 P.M. ET/PT will feature two world championship bouts in Caesars’ new outdoor Amphitheatre where IBF junior middleweight king Verno Phillips faces Kassim Ouma and IBF No.1 challenger Syl Vanderpool meets No.4 Jeff Lacy for the vacant IBF super middleweight belt.

Phillips ( 38-9-1, 20 KOs) out of Troy, N.Y., scored a six-round TKO over late substitute to win the vacant IBF 154-pound crown from Carlos Bojorquez June 5
on Showtime. Since losing to Ouma Sept.7, 2001, Phillips has been on a roll of seven straight bouts. In the original, the hard-nosed New York puncher landed the more explosive combinations that kept Ouma honest. However, the 14-months layoff had Phillips tiring in the late rounds.

The ambitious Phillips, winning 12 of his last 13 starts, captured the WBO 154-pound crown Oct.20, 1993 on a seventh-round TKO over Lupe Aguino, making three defenses. Phillips’ victories include such former world champions as Julian Jackson, Gianfranco Rosi, Julio Cesar Vazquez, and Aquino.

Ouma (19-1-1,13 KOs) is Phillips’ first challenger in their rematch with the division’s No.1 contender on a roll of 11 straight victories. Fighting out of Palm Beach, Fla., Ouma turned in a spectacular 10th round TKO over Julian Carlos Candelo last Jan.3 in an IBF eliminator. Ouma, with the quicker hands, scored a ninth round knockdown and won a close verdict on scores of 95-94, 96-93, and 97-93 in action that was as close as your next breath.

An equally-exciting fight has the IBF No.1 ranked Vanderpool squaring off with No.4 rival Lacy for the vacant IBF super middleweight diadem, also 12-rounds.

Vanderpool (35-2,23 K0s) of Kitchener, Ont., won the NABO middleweight crown Sept.12, 1997 and made one defense in his string of has fought in 14 states and four Canadian cities since turning pro as a 20-year -old in March, 1 1993.

In his solo title bid, Vanderpool went the distance against undisputed 160-pound king Bernard Hopkins before losing a decision May 13, 2000 in Indianapolis’ After winning six straight, the Canadian pride registered a 12-round decision over Tito Mendoza in a IBF eliminator last Apr.17 in Tampa, Fla.

Lacy (16-0,13 KOs) from St. Peterburg, Fla., will strive to become the first 2000 United States Olympian to take a world championship when he makes his 10th Showtime appearance. In his most recent effort June 5, Lacy kept his WBC Continental Americas, NABA, and USBA super middleweight titles when he wound up in a no-decision with Vitali Tsypko On Dec.13, 2003, Lacy defended his three titles with an eight-round TKO over Donnell Wiggins and decisioned Richard Grant July 15, 2003.for the vacant NABA 168-pound belt. Prior to turning pro, the Florida phenom went 209-12 plus 103 K0s in a spectacular amateur career.

(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in Las Vegas and also a regular contributor to Ringsports.Com as well as other fine websites.)