08.12.04 – Former two times WBO heavyweight champion Herbie Hide believes that Vitali Klitschko will knock out fellow Brit Danny Williams at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas this Saturday. “Danny shouldn’t even be in the same ring as Klitschko,” said the 33-year-old, who is currently in training for a ring return in the New Year.
“He is not a world class fighter. Everyone thinks he has a chance because he beat Tyson, but he just got lucky.
“He was in the right place at the right time. Look back at that fight, to start with Danny froze like normal.
“He managed to stick in there because he is a warrior like anyone is who steps in the ring, but he froze.
“Then Tyson stopped throwing punches because he hurt his leg.
“That’s when Danny realised he had a chance, so he started throwing punches and won.
“He just got lucky, but on Saturday he will freeze again and it will only be a matter of time before Vitali KO’s him.”
Hide – who will be at ringside for the contest – knows both protagonists well.
He has shared controversial sparring sessions with long-term rival Williams and in 1999 lost his WBO heavyweight title to Klitschko in just two rounds.
“I was injured during that fight,” explained Hide, who has stopped a remarkable 34 of his 35 victims.
“Klitschko came out throwing jabs at the start of round one, but he couldn’t get near me.
“Then one landed slightly and I got a thumb in the eye. I couldn’t see properly.
“At the end of the first round I knew things weren’t right. That’s why I said to my corner: if I lose this fight I should be ashamed, as he was big and slow.
“But I knew there was a chance of that.
“My eye got worse in the second round. If you look back at a tape you will see I was looking at the refereeing because I couldn’t see. Then I got knocked out.
“That was all because of my eye, ask anyone who saw it afterwards; it swelled right up.
“Klitschko will beat Danny though, no problem. Any other result would just be Danny Williams getting lucky again.”