Briggs pays for bravery

Shannon Briggs reportedly suffered concussion and fractured cheekbones during his lop-sided defeat to Vitali Klitschko.

American to undergo surgery following brutal defeat

Shannon Briggs reportedly suffered concussion and fractured cheekbones during his lop-sided defeat to Vitali Klitschko. The American showed remarkable resilience against the dominant Ukrainian, becoming only the third man to take the WBC champion the distance. However, the 38-year-old paid for his bravery and was immediately hospitalised following the bout, and was expected to undergo surgery to his face on Sunday. Meanwhile, Klitschko re-iterated his desire to face David Haye and add the Briton's WBA title to his own and the IBF and WBO belts currently held by his brother Wladimir. "I would like to knock out Haye so that we can claim the only belt missing from the family's collection," he said. "There is no-one in the world apart from my brother who can beat me, I am the strongest. "I still have plenty of energy, and in a few months, I will be ready to get back in the ring." Klitschko's agent said that they had made a generous offer to the Haye camp to try and convince him to step into the ring. "We proposed that each fighter would receive 50 percent of the world rights, it is a fair offer," said Bernd Bonte. "Haye has just to agree to it."