By Mark Hepplestall: There have been many articles stating how Shannon Briggs is going to destroy Vitali and how Vitali is going to get KO’d in the first 4 rounds, this is the biggest hype job to disguise the fact its America’s last chance for a long time to get a World Heavyweight Champion. In fact all of the writers who are writing articles portraying Shannon Briggs as the saviour of the heavyweight should be ashamed of themselves. Firstly I just want to point out I am a Vitali Klitschko fan, yet very disappointed with his choice in opposition for this fight. Truly in this fight Shannon Briggs has only a punchers chance, and when fighting a guy called Dr Ironfist or could be called Dr Ironchin it just shows that even that punchers chance is diminishing fast.
Klitschko vs. Briggs
Briggs down to 242: Vitali Klitschko is in trouble on October 16th
By Dave Lahr: Former WBO heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs (51-5-1, 45 KO’s) has trimmed his heavily muscled frame down to a sleek 242 lbs for his fight against World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KO’s) on October 16th at the O2 World Arena, Altona, in Hamburg, Germany. For Briggs, this is the lowest weight for him since he came in at 230 for a 1st round blowout of Russell Chasteen in April 2001. I think Vitali is going to have a major problem on his hands in trying to stop the powerful and now light on his feet Briggs when they meet up in Germany.
Klitschko-Briggs: Vitali won’t be able to hurt Shannon with his arm punches
By Dave Lahr: WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko has turned into an arm puncher recently as he’s aged to the point where he’s now too slow to land the few power shots he throws in his fights. Vitali, just so he can land, throws almost exclusively arm punches in his fights. This was the case in the Kevin Johnson, Alberto Sosnowski and Chris Arreola bouts. Vitali is losing more and more hand speed from fight to fight. This is good news for Briggs, because all he’ll have to worry about is Vitali’s pesky arm shots and that won’t be enough to slow Briggs down from attacking with his own big shots.
Briggs: “Plan A is to knock him [Klitschko] out in the 1st round”
![Image: Briggs: "Plan A is to knock him [Klitschko] out in the 1st round"](https://www.boxingnews24.com/wp-content/uploads/vitali-briggs4531.jpg "vitali-briggs453")
By Dave Lahr: Former WBO heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs (51-5-1, 45 KO’s) is no joke. This man has whittled down from 340 pounds to a muscular 248 and is ready to terrorize World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KO’s) on October 16th, at the O2 World Arena, in Hamburg, Germany. In an interview at easideboxing.com in the radio program On the Ropes Boxing Radion, the 38-year-old Briggs says “I’m going to be the heavyweight champion of the world. Plan A is to knock him [Vitali] out in the 1st round. Plan B is to knock him out in the 2nd round. Plan C is to knock him out in the 3rd, and if I don’t knock him out at all, I plan on beating him in every round and that’s my main goal.”
Vitali Klitschko: “I’m going to send Briggs to the floor before he gets me”
By Jim Dower: World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KO’s) understands he’s up against a huge puncher in Shannon Briggs (51-5-1, 45 KO’s) in his October 16th fight at the World Arena, in Frankfurt, Germany. Klitschko, 39, is going to try and get to Briggs before he can land his big power shots. In East Side Boxing’s On the Ropes Boxing Radio, Vitali says “I will do my best to send Shannon Briggs to the floor before he gets me.”
Did Wladimir Klitschko duck Shannon Briggs in 2007?
By Dave Lahr: After Shannon Briggs destroyed Siarhei Liakhovich to capture the World Boxing Organization heavyweight title, Briggs wanted to take on IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and unify the heavyweight titles. But Wladimir instead opted to fight the much weaker punching Ray Austin and took him out in two rounds in March 2007. Why didn’t Klitschko fight Briggs when he had the chance staring him in the fight?
Vitali Klitschko has angered Shannon Briggs and now he’s going to get knocked out
By Dave Lahr: WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KO’s) really stepped in it when he made some comments about Shannon Briggs and his asthma condition. The comment got Briggs’ kettle to a boiling and now he really wants to knock Vitali out like no tomorrow. If you thought Vitali had it bad before, he’s really got a backside kicking coming to him for opening his trap about Briggs’ breathing problems. Briggs sent out a press release today, saying “I am now personally dedicating my knockout punch to the sufferers of asthma worldwide that Vitali has offended. I plan on being a three-time world champion who respects people and their challenges.”
Klitschko-Briggs: Shannon will KO Vitali with a single punch
By Dave Lahr: WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KO’s) will be making his 5th and likely his last title defense of his World Boxing Council crown on October 16th against one-punch knockout artist Shannon Briggs (51-5-1, 45 KO’s) at the O2 World Arena, Altona, in Hamburg, Germany. Other than Lennox Lewis, Vitali, 39, has never fought anyone with the kind of size, power and speed that the 38-year-old Briggs possesses. Vitali is about to step into uncharted territory because he’s going to be facing a fighter that has the main ingredients to end his heavyweight title reign with one single shot to the head.
Look for Briggs to make Vitali Klitschko look old on 10/16
By Dave Lahr: WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KO’s) has been able to extend his career due to his superior size compared to other heavyweights in the division. With his hand speed, movement, punch output and reflexes having deteriorated badly in the past two years, Vitali has been able to continue to find success based on his huge size alone. In choosing the huge 6’4” 260 pound former WBO heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs (51-5-1, 45 KO’s) to fight, Vitali has made a calculated mistake that he’s going to be sorry for on October 16th when he meets up with Briggs at the World Arena, in Hamburg, Germany.
Shannon Briggs: A realistic look at his chances against Vitali Klitschko
By Paul McCreath: When Shannon Briggs first turned pro in mid 1992 he was showing a lot of promise.He was a top American amateur heavyweight who had won a silver medal in the Pan-Am games in 1991 although to be honest about it he didn’t have to win any fights to get that medal. He got a bye into the final where he was stopped by Felix Savon. Earlier in l992, he won the US championship before his pro debut.