Vitali Klitschko's return to the ring will come against WBC heavyweight champion Samuel Peter in Berlin on October 11th.
Former champ to meet Peter in Berlin
Vitali Klitschko's return to the ring will come against WBC heavyweight champion Samuel Peter in Berlin on October 11th.
The contest will be the Ukrainian's first since he first announced his comeback last year. Health problems have left the 37-year-old unable to fight since then.
Although the two fighters' camps reached a deal on the fight back in May, the date and venue - the city's O2 World Arena - were only confirmed on Friday.
Klitschko, older brother of IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, was entitled to fight Peter because the WBC named him its "interim champion" nearly four years ago when he first left the sport with a series of injuries.
"Samuel Peter is an exceptionally dangerous puncher who has already beaten some worthy opponents," Klitschko said. "I know that it will be a very tough fight, I will reach my dream of winning the world championship for the third time and being champion at the same time with my brother."
Klitschko (35-2, 34 KOs), who lost a WBC title challenge to Lennox Lewis by stoppage in June 2003, has not fought since defending the title he won against Corrie Sanders a year later, knocking out Danny Williams in December 2004.
Meanwhile 'Nigerian Nightmare' Peter (30-1, 23 KOs) claimed the title with a sixth-round knockout of Oleg Maskaev in March.
The champion said that, although he still craves a unification rematch with Wladimir Klitschko, who handed him his only defeat in September 2005, he'll be happy to fight the older brother first.
"For me there is no doubt at all. I will defend my title. Klitschko is an experienced and very difficult opponent but I am younger and better. I will beat him and then his brother Wladimir - I have an old account to settle," Peter said.
