BraggingRightsCorner.com - " CHRIS BYRD vs WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO ... An exclusive directory by BRC's Inner Circle of Writers

WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO'S RIGHT HANDS STOP CHRIS BYRD IN THE 7TH ROUND... by Chris Robinson
Moments ago at the SAP-Arena in Mannheim, Germany, Wladimir Klitschko once again proved to be Chris Byrd’s foil, stopping the brave former Champion in the 7th round and capturing Byrd’s IBF belt in the process. For Klitschko this marks yet another big victory under the reigns of trainer Emmanuel Steward and for Byrd this very well may be the end of his ride as a top Heavyweight in the sport.

KLITSCHKO vs BYRD: FINALLY A HEAVYWEIGHT TILT THAT BROUGHT CLARITY IN ITS WAKE... by Chris Ackerman
Saturday night in Manheim saw IBF Champion Chris Byrd defending his title in a rematch with former titlist Wladimir Klitschko. It was difficult to see a way to favor Byrd in this match-up given the extraordinary size and power of Dr. Steelhammer, his technical prowess and the history between the two. The fight played out much as anticipated but was more of a walkover than anyone dared predict. Here's how it went down...

KLITSCHKO BATTERS BYRD - CLAIMS IBF STRAP VIA TKO 7... by George Elsasser

Wladimir Klitschko ~ good news was his following trainer Emmanuel Steward’s instructions to the letter. Kept the fight on the outside with the long left hand while backing the jab with accurate right hands. Better news, he now joins Hasim Rahman (WBC), Sergei Liakhovich (WBO), Nicolay Valuev (WBA) in the heavyweight time-share owners club - could translate to nice options down that pike for the new champion.

THE EVER CHANGING HEAVYWEIGHT PICTURE... by Jim Amato
To me Rahman is still the man to beat. James Toney is right there too. Wlad was impressive beating Byrd so he's right back in the middle of the mix. Then you have Sergei Liakhovich. Wladimir Klitschko and Sergei may be the best all around boxers in the heavyweight division. Chris Byrd and John Ruiz seem like nice people but they have had their time and I don't think I'll miss watching them fight if they do decide to hang them up.

HBO SPORTS PRESENTS BYRD vs KLITSCHKO 2 LIVE APRIL 22
HBO heads overseas for a heavyweight title showdown when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: CHRIS BYRD VS. WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO is seen live from the SAP Arena in Manheim, Germany on SATURDAY, APRIL 22 at the special times of (5:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. PT) with a second broadcast on HBO at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT) the same evening. The HBO Sports team of Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant will be ringside for the event, which will be closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

HBO2 play dates: APRIL 23 (8:30 a.m., 5:30 p.m.) and April 25 (11:00 p.m.). All times ET/PT.

BYRD-KLITSCHKO IBF-IBO HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT IN GERMANY SELLS OUT IN TWO DAYS

Forty-eight hours after they went on sale, all 14,000 seats for the eagerly awaited Chris Byrd-Wladimir Klitschko IBF/IBO heavyweight title fight on Saturday, April 22, at the SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany, are gone. It is believed to be the fastest sellout in the history of German boxing and one of the fastest sellouts for a boxing event anywhere. The announcement was made Monday by co-promoters, Sportfive, Europe’s largest sports marketing agency, and K2 Promotions.

“This goes to show the magnitude of this fight and how both Chris and I are well-known not only in the United States but the world over,” said Klitschko, a former WBO heavyweight champion who is currently ranked No. 1 in the IBF. “It also justifies why our fight will be shown live in the United States.’’
The scheduled 12-round bout, which will be a rematch of a fight Klitschko won by unanimous 12-round decision on Oct. 12, 2000, will be carried live on HBO on April 22 at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. It will be replayed later that night on HBO at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

IT'S OFFICIAL: BYRD-KLITSCHKO II APRIL 22 IN GERMANY…
Two of boxing's premiere heavyweights will collide in Mannheim, Germany when IBF Heavyweight Champion Chris Byrd (39-2-1, 20 KO's) steps into the ring against former heavyweight champion and top contender Wladimir Klitschko (45-3, 40 KO's) on Saturday night April 22nd in Mannheim, Germany. This is the second meeting between these two warriors.
The first meeting took place over five years ago in October of 2000 when Klitschko defended his WBO Heavyweight Title with a 12-round unanimous decision victory in a fight that also took place in Germany.