Wladimir Klitschko is vowing to unify the world heavyweight titles in a bid to revive interest in boxing as a whole.
Ukrainian heavyweight wants to unify the divsion.
Wladimir Klitschko is vowing to unify the world heavyweight titles in a bid to revive interest in boxing as a whole.
The heavyweight division has been in tatters over the past few years, with four different champions currently, and no genuine star to raise interest in boxing's supposedly highest-profile division.
IBF champion Klitschko goes up against WBO king Sultan Ibragimov at Madison Square Garden in February, and he sees that fight as just the start of his master plan.
Klitschko accepts that the heavyweight champion of the world is no longer the superstar he was of days gone by, but he wants to put the division back on the sporting map.
The Ukrainian says the Ibragimov is the start of his campaign to unify the heavyweight division and start rebuilding its reputation.
"The heavyweight champ was so powerful and important to society," Klitschko told the
New York Post.
Unify
"I'd love to unify all the titles. It would be fantastic.
"We have to put pressure on promoters of other fighters (to do this). We have to get our image back in boxing.
"It's not (an) undisputed (title). I hope we get undisputed as soon as possible.
"This fight is the next step."
Klitschko's trainer Emanuel Steward says that his man, who is 49-3 in his career, must beat Ibragimov to make a name for himself.
"The winner of this fight will be a superstar heavyweight," said Steward. "We need that."
Meanwhile Ibragimov's manager, Boris Grinberg, said, "Thank God Don King is not involved in this.
"Now we have a unification bout."
