Vitali Klitschko beats Chris Arreola to keep heavyweight title
by Lyle Fitzsimmons, Contributing Boxing Editor Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Mammoth Ukrainian export Vitali Klitschko defended his World Boxing Council heavyweight championship for the second time in his second reign Saturday night, toppling previously unbeaten American Chris Arreola by one-sided TKO from Staples Center.
The bout was stopped after the 10th round by referee Jon Schorle after consulting with Arreola's lead trainer Henry Ramirez.
SportsNetwork.com had Klitschko ahead, 98-92, at the time of the stoppage.
A professional since 1996, Klitschko improved to 38-2 and scored his 37th knockout in defense of a title he won by stoppage over Samuel Peter late last year. He'd defended once since then, stopping Juan Carlos Gomez in nine rounds in March.
He previously held the WBC title in 2004 before a four-year injury-induced retirement and had held the WBO championship in 1999-2000.
"(Arreola) will be champion sometime, but not yet," Klitschko said. "It's never easy when you have to be the best, and I landed a lot of right hooks that have sent other opponent to the floor." Arreola lost for the first time, falling to 27-1.
"I really wanted to be a champion today and I worked my (butt) off to do it," Arreola said. "I couldn't get to him. He stood and fought when he was supposed to and he ran when he was supposed to. He's a smart fighter. Whatever I did, he found a way to counteract it. He found a way to win and I found a way to lose." Klitschko, who stood 6-foot-7 to Arreola's 6-3 1/2 and held a three-inch reach advantage, controlled the action from the outset with an active left hand and the occasional straight right to catch Arreola as he moved forward.
He bloodied his foe's nose and mouth with a flurry in the eighth, and landed 34 punches to Arreola's five in the 10th round, prompting the stoppage.
The win was Klitschko's fifth in six appearances in the United States and third in four fights in Los Angeles. His lone loss in this country came by sixth-round TKO to then-champion Lennox Lewis in 2003, a fight Klitschko was leading when it was stopped due to a serious cut over his left eye.
Klitschko's younger brother, Wladimir, now holds the IBF, IBO and WBO versions of the heavyweight title. The two men have repeatedly said they will never fight each other.
09/27 00:33:34 ET
