Wladimir Klitschko vs Ruslan Chagaev 2009-06-20

Wladimir Klitschko 240 lbs beat Ruslan Chagaev 225 lbs by RTD at 3:00 in round 9 of 12
Date: 2009-06-20
Location: Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Referee: Eddie Cotton
Judge: Manfred Kuechler 88-82
Judge: Don Trella 90-79
Judge: Noel Monnet 89-81
Announcer: Michael Buffer
Aired on: RTL Television (Germany), Inter (Ukraine), ESPN Classic (USA) (Main Event)
Weights: Klitschko 109 kg, Chagaev 102 kg
International Boxing Federation Heavyweight Title (7th defense by Klitschko)
World Boxing Organization Heavyweight Title (3rd defense by Klitschko)
International Boxing Organization Heavyweight Title (7th defense by Klitschko)
The Ring Magazine Heavyweight Title (Vacant title)
Klitschko was the IBF, IBO, and WBO heavyweight champion, and Chagaev was the WBA "champion in recess."
Chagaev won the WBA heavyweight title from Nikolay Valuev in 2007. He was scheduled to defend the title in a rematch with Valeuv in Germany in 2008, but Chagaev pulled out of the fight twice. He withdrew the first time because of a viral infection and withdrew the second time because of a torn Achilles tendon. Chagaev was then named "champion in recess," and Valuev defeated John Ruiz to win the vacant WBA heavyweight title. Chagaev and Valuev were scheduled to fight in Finland on May 30, 2009, but the bout was cancelled after Hepatitis-B antigens were found in Chagaev's blood.
Klitschko was scheduled to face David Haye in Germany on June 20, 2009, but Haye withdrew because of a back injury. Haye asked Klitschko to delay their fight until July 11, insisting that he would be okay to fight with a brief delay, but Klitschko declined.Klitschko then reached out to Chagaev, who accepted the fight. The fight took place in Germany, where the rules were different than in Finland, and Chagaev's hepatitis levels were acceptable. Klitschko said he was immunized against Hepatitis B and was not worried about being infected.
Klitschko vs. Haye was going to be televised by HBO in the United States, but the network wasn't interested in Chagaev as an opponent, so Klitschko vs. Chagaev was picked up by ESPN Classic.
The fight averaged 11.5 million viewers on RTL Television in Germany, generating a 58.4 percent market share.
The fight also averaged 7.5 million viewers in Ukraine.
Klitschko and Chagaev fought for the vacant Ring Magazine heavyweight title. Klitschko was ranked as the No. 1 contender and Chagaev was ranked No. 3. WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir's older brother, was ranked No. 2.
Chagaev was a 5 to 1 underdog.
Chagaev weighed in at 224 3/4 lbs., the lightest since 2004.
There was a sellout crowd of 61,000, the biggest boxing audience in Germany since Max Schmeling knocked out Adolf Heuser in front of 70,000 people in Stuttgart in 1939.
Klitschko dominated the fight. One judge gave Klitschko every round, and the other two judges gave Chagaev only the sixth round. Klitschko knocked Chagaev down in the second round and opened a cut over his left eye in the eighth. The fight was stopped after the ninth round.

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