Wladimir Klitschko weighed in at his lightest for eight years ahead of his unification bout with Sultan Ibragimov.
Ukrainian downsizes in an attempt to double up
Wladimir Klitschko weighed in at his lightest for eight years ahead of his heavyweight unification bout with Sultan Ibragimov.
The Ukrainian, who puts his IBF belt on the line, tipped the scales at 238lbs ahead of the Madison Square Garden showdown.
Ibragimov, the WBO champion, came in at 219lbs which means he is almost a stone-and-a-half lighter and some four inches smaller than his opponent.
The Russian claimed his weight was "perfect" but as he has been doing all week in New York, seemed happy to let his opposite number do the talking.
Klitschko, who has not weighed in this light since his points win over Chris Byrd back in 2000, said the weight means he is more athletic than he's been before.
He also revealed that he has been sparring with cruiserweights and smaller to prepare for the problems posed by the compact figure of Ibragimov.
And having fought twice - and won - at the Garden before, he says the famous New York arena will inspire him to become the first unified heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis.
"I do have a special feeling about Madison Square Garden," he said.
"I have fought here twice before, and know what to expect. When you are at Madison Square Garden, you have to deliver your best performance."
