Vitali Klitschko retained the WBC heavyweight title with a ninth-round technical stoppage of Juan Carlos Gomez.
Veteran heavyweight too strong for brave Gomez
Vitali Klitschko retained the WBC heavyweight title with a ninth-round technical stoppage of a bloodied Juan Carlos Gomez in Stuttgart on Saturday evening.
The Ukrainian, who retired in 2005 after a series of injuries before returning to the ring and reclaiming the WBC belt last October, was made to work hard by Gomez.
The Cuban, giving away 10 centimetres in height, enjoyed some good moments in the early rounds before being overwhelmed when Klitschko increased his aggression as the fight wore on.
Klitschko took control in the fourth round when a series of punishing blows opened a cut above Gomez's right eye.
As his eye closed, Gomez began having problems blocking Klitschko's powerful right and a left-right combination in the sixth further rattled the challenger.
Survived
Gomez dropped to his knees in the seventh from another big right, although he quickly regained his feet - and despite taking a further barrage - survived the round.
He lasted two further rounds before Klitschko sent him to the ropes with a series of left jabs and the referee stopped the fight with one minute and 49 seconds left in the ninth.
"Now I want the one title that evades the Klitschko family," said Klitschko, referring to the WBA heavyweight title held by Russian Nikolai Valuev.
Klitschko's younger brother Wladimir holds the WBO and IBF crowns.
