National Conference
Call Transcript: Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir Klitschko,
Cut Man Joe Souza, Dr. Pearlman Hicks, Attorney Ron
DiNicola
Photo: JORGE GARCIA
25.06 - Hicks: Vitali had a very bad cut I have to
admit. It went down to the bone on his left upper eyebrow
area and it was approximately an inch deep and about
five-six centimeters long. It required several layers
of sootchers to close. Three layers to be exact. He
also had other cuts that were on his cheek which were
not as bad, but the one on his eyebrow and his upper
eyelid were much more vicious cuts. He had another cut
in his upper lip, which was quite deep and went through
the muscle of the upper lip, which required several
layers of sootchers to close also. These wounds typically
take about 60-90 days to get back to normal. During
that time he should not have any contact, any blows,
or any sparring to this area because it would weaken
the wound and it will open up quickly. As far as his
chances of getting back to boxing, I would say to be
safe, 6 months would be a good time because we want
to make sure he is in perfect order and perfectly healed
so that he can get back in the ring and not have to
worry about the problem of this breaking open again.
Souza: The cut was severe to the point where it was
notable, it was bleeding, but I was very successful
keeping it under control and that is about all a cut
man can do is keep it under control. There are times
after three or four rounds that we could stop it but
as the doctor just said it was one hell of a cut. I
do not think at that time the fight should have been
stopped. My thoughts were in two more rounds Vitali
would have won the fight and I was thinking to myself
get two rounds and we will be all right. As far as my
concern about the cut, I am no fool, I know it was serious
but again I had it under control.
Question: Was there ever a point when Vitali told
you he could not see?
Souza: Never. There was no doubt in my mind that he
could see. He was seeing well.
Question: What was your reaction when they stopped
the fight?
Souza: I was working when the fight was stopped and
I was shocked. Vitali jumped up and I stepped back and
looked around. We never got an indication from the referee,
not even a warning that they were about to stop the
fight. All I remember seeing was that the fight was
over, Vitali jumping up and chaos.
DiNicola: What many have been asking is what happens
next and I will outline briefly what is being considered.
Obviously the final decision will be up to Vitali and
his promoter and their advisors. Two things are being
considered. One possible step, it is likely that Vitali
will ask the WBC to order an immediate rematch under
the WBC rules which provide that in the case of extraordinary
circumstances surrounding a bout, or where there is
a public demand, or whereas in the interest of the sport,
the WBC has the power to order an immediate rematch.
So that is a step that is under active consideration
and I would say probably that Vitali would ask the WBC
to order an immediate rematch. In light of the circumstances
surrounding the stoppage of the fight, we have an option
of asking the California Commission to review the circumstances
surrounding the injury to Vitali and the stoppage of
the fight. A final decision on that has not been made
pending our own review of the facts and circumstances
and we will probably make a decision in the next few
days or so. Indeed we have only five days to make a
decision with respect to taking the matter to the commission,
so we will have to make that decision by Thursday.
Wladimir: Vitali got cut. The cut was not small but
Vitali's eye was open. I saw his reaction in the fight
was very good. He saw every punch from Lewis. Actually,
everyone could see it that Vitali's reaction was very
good and the eye was not closed. I was not worried about
it because Vitali was very confident and very focused.
He saw everything and that is a very important part
of boxing. In the fight, nobody was asking, how are
you, Vitali? Can you see something? Are you ready to
continue? I did not hear these questions. Vitali's eye
was open and he had everything under control, and this
is a very important point in a fight for the heavyweight
world championship. So, this is my opinion.
Vitali: Good morning/afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
I am feeling very well. I will go to the doctor tomorrow
and he will take the stitches out. There is no swelling
anymore. I feel robbed by the decision. I am really
disappointed. My goal is to be world champion and I
gave everything to be world champion. I read a newspaper
and there was a commentary about the doctor coming to
my corner to ask me about my eye, and after that he
made the decision to stop the fight. After that, I told
Fritz, my coach, to ask him, and he gave me a negative
answer. I asked Wladimir. I asked the cut man and after
that I saw the videotapes and spoke with the people
from my team, and nobody saw that. The question is,
why did the doctor stop it. I understand that the doctor
was worried about my health. But this was for the world
championship, and I could see everything.
That is why I am so disappointed with this decision.
I know this was my fight to win. I won this fight. With
this decision, the doctor gave a big present to Lennox
Lewis. He gave him the world championship. Right now,
my record says on June 21, 2003, I lost the fight. I
do not feel like the loser. I want a rematch very much.
I spoke with many people and everyone shared exactly
the same opinion. Everyone wants to see this match.
The question is, will Lewis accept the rematch against
me or not.
Question: How many stitches did you need to close
all your cuts? Do you plan to have plastic surgery?
DiNicola: Dr. Hicks had estimated about 60 stitches
because there were a few different layers he had to
stitch. He is a plastic surgeon so Vitali will not need
any plastic surgery.
Boente: Sixty altogether. He had four smaller cuts
in addition to the big one.
Vitali: The stitches are so small I cannot even see
them in the mirror.
Boente: Plastic surgeons are using the little micro
stitches you cannot see.
Question: I know a lot of people thought there might
have been a head butt that opened the cut and that Lennox
might have used his glove to further open it. Have you
or anybody on your team looked at the videotape and
found a spot where you think you may have found a head
butt?
Vitali: I am not ready yet to give an answer about
that. It was a head butt, but I do not know when I took
the cut. I would have to see the fight more times. I
have seen the videotape so far just one time.
Question: Do you think that Lewis has suddenly gotten
old as a fighter; there is a school of thought that
his legs are not what they used to be and he cannot
move as well because he has gotten old. Do you agree
with that?
Vitali: Lewis is a great fighter. He is the biggest
(in stature) heavyweight fighter. He made just one mistake:
After the Tyson fight, he retired but then wanted to
fight again. So he is a little bit old in my opinion.
He will be older, he will be heavy, he will be slower.
That is why my chances to defeat him after we got past
the sixth round were bigger and bigger. I saw it. Lewis
was losing power, losing his conditioning. I saw my
chance to beat him.
Question: Do you think it will be tougher to get
a rematch with Lewis now that he is the most attractive/available
option for Roy Jones?
Vitali: I want to fight Lewis; the question is will
he accept this fight. I know his answer will depend
on the money proposal. The question, is will he get
enough money to fight me. Of course against Jones, Lewis
would get a lot more money, than in a fight against
me, and I think that against Jones, Lewis would not
have to take such a big risk because I am a big heavyweight.
Nobody knows what will happen in the future. It is his
decision.
Question: What is your opinion of the job Souza
did with your cut?
Vitali: I worked with him for the first time, and I
want to say thank you very much. He had the cut under
control. I did not have any blood in my face. He stopped
it. I want to work with him in the future. I have 16
years experience in boxing and never before had any
cuts. In this last fight, I had five cuts, and I am
really appreciative of my cut man. He did a great job.
Question: Do you realize in a way its almost as
good that you lost controversially because now everyone
is talking about it?
Vitali: American Broadcasters (television) have shown
just two of my fights. I have fought 44 times in the
ring. The American audience has seen two fights. The
first fight, I was unlucky against Chris Byrd. I stopped
the fight because I tore a ligament in my shoulder.
Physically, I could not fight. In the second fight,
against Lewis, I had an injury (cuts) on my face, but
it did not bother me. I had a lot of critics after the
Byrd fight that I had no heart and that gave me a lot
of motivation to show everybody how good I am.
Question: Joe, the injuries Vitali suffered, will
they affect his career? Is this the kind of cut that
could continually open up?
Souza: No, because the one thing that has come out
of this, as the doctor, a plastic surgeon, said was
that he worked on Vitali right after the fight so I
think that is to our advantage, I see no problem in
the future providing he lays off as long as the doctor
said for them to do.
Question: Vitali, you have not been in any tough
battles. What was it like as soon as you realized this
was going to be a difficult fight?
Vitali: It was a difficult fight because Lewis is the
top heavyweight in the world. He has great experience
in title fights. I did not want to underestimate him.
I gave my best. I know I am better than Lewis.
Question: Ron, your protest to the WBC, do you think
the fact that it may take Vitali six months from now
to fight will affect Lewis in a sense that he will argue
you cannot stop him from making a living and letting
him fight Jones in between?
DiNicola: It would not be a protest. It would be a
request that they order the immediate rematch under
their rules. The estimate that the doctor gave at the
beginning of the conference was the most conservative
estimate because in earlier conversations he had given
us an inside and outside estimate. I believe the inside
estimate was around three-four months. We are obviously
going to have to monitor his recovery very carefully,
but, fortunately, he got early treatment by someone
who is very good. Given his great shape, Vitali will
recover very quickly. We will expect that he will be
available as soon as four-six months. Of course, Lewis
had not fought in a year since his last fight. He will
take some time to prepare for the next bout. By the
time the contracts are negotiated and by the time all
the business points are resolved it may very well be
six months before the fight takes place. It should be
the next fight, the public demands it and the sport
certainly needs it, and it is appropriate. As you know,
we had to lend great encouragement to Lewis to fight
us this time. We will continue to pursue him to face
Vitali again as he should in a rematch.
Question: Vitali, are you worried Lewis will retire
rather than fight you?
Vitali: I won by points and the doctor stopped me.
Many people in the world want to see who the real winner
is. It would be really bad news for me should Lewis
choose to retire.
Question: What did you think about the comments
from Lewis after the fight? Have you received any reaction
from your idol Max Schmelling?
Vitali: They were was the same. Lewis promised before
the fight that he would knock me out inside five rounds
and after the fight he said that if the doctor did not
stop the fight he would have knocked me out in the next
round. So he said I was lucky. I got flowers from Max
Schmelling. I know my idol saw this fight and wished
me all the best and it gave me a lot of energy.
Boente: Those flowers were sent by a messenger from
Max Schmelling to Vitali's hotel after the fight with
best wishes from Max.
Question: Vitali, was there anything you could have
done better during those six rounds?
Vitali: I have only seen the fight one time and need
to see it again without emotion and with my coach and
my team to make a decision. Right now, I cannot tell
you what could have been done better or mistakes I made.
Boente: I was very disappointed with Emanuel Stewart.
Normally I know him as a gentleman and a person we all
like to talk to. Before the fight he always mentioned
Lewis had no problem with height. After the fight he
said he had problems with the height. Before the fight
he said he would knock him out in five rounds, we do
not need that much time to prepare. After the fight
he said he did not have enough time to prepare. Vitali
had the same disadvantage, he had the same time to prepare.
He was only preparing for 10 rounds.
Question: Wladimir, did you sense any urgency and
tell Vitali he might have to knock him out before this
fight gets stopped?
Wladimir: I think Vitali knows exactly what he has
to do. Vitali did a great job. I think that Vitali would
have ended the fight the next two rounds by KO.
Souza: The referee did not say anything about getting
a round or two. That is what we should have got.
Question: Ron, does Vitali have to be out six months
before he starts sparring?
Boente: I talked to the doctor yesterday and he said
he can do sparring in the next 60-90 days. The six months
was the most conservative timing. Four to five months
maximum before he is capable to return.
Question: Vitali, if you do not get the fight with
Lewis are you OK with that?
Vitali: I hope I will fight Lewis. Everyone wants to
see this fight. The question is, who was the winner
last Saturday. If Lewis does not fight me, there are
a lot of good fighters and I hope it will be a good
fight. It is my goal to be world champion. I do not
want to fight everyone. I want to fight the world champion.
Question: Ron, the doctor that stopped the fight
is well respected in California and known for looking
out for the fighters. Do you think the fight was stopped
prematurely and have you talked with anyone else about
their thoughts?
DiNicola: We are in the process of evaluating a number
of opinions about the stoppage. We agree that Dr. (Paul)
Wallace is respected and he was looking out for Vitali's
health, based on the tests that Dr. Wallace applied
and that is whether Vitali could see, and whether he
could defend himself properly. I do not want to get
into any more detail.
Question: Souza, was there a preexisting condition
in the cut area?
Souza: To a point, but the way the fight was proceeding
there was no danger. I felt as though we were able to
keep it under control at all times.
Question: Lewis said he would take a rematch if
the money is right. Is the money that important or do
you just want the title?
Vitali: I never think about the money. When money is
the motivation for somebody, you never win the fight.
For me, the motivation is to be world champion. When
I am world champion, the money will come automatically.
I never think about the money, I just think about the
results.
Question: Did you like Los Angeles or would you
prefer the rematch to take place in Vegas or maybe Germany?
Vitali: I was surprised. Staples Center was full and
the whole audience supported (rooted for) me and gave
me power. All the big boxing matches happen in the United
States. It does not matter where the fight will be.
Be it L.A., New York or Las Vegas, I will be ready.
Question: Vitali, how do you rate Lewis and his
boxing skills?
Vitali: He is a good fighter. He showed everyone he
has experience. You cannot stop the biological process.
He will be older, he will be slower, and he will lose
direction. He has experience, but your body starts working
against you. That is why I want to use the weaknesses
of Lewis against him.
Question: What did you think about his jab?
Vitali: His jab is good and it is hard.
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