INTERVIEW: Volodymyr Klitschko speaks about investigation of bout (05/30/04)

INTERVIEW: Volodymyr Klitschko speaks about investigation of bout

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - Following a disappointing loss to journeyman boxer Lamon Brewster this past April, Volodymyr Klitschko recently hired boxing lawyer Judd Berstein and asked authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding his World Boxing Organization title bout, suggesting that he was perhaps drugged prior to or during the fight.

Mr. Burstein subsequently sent a letter to Daniel Bogden, the United States attorney for the District of Nevada, requesting an investigation into what the lawyer reportedly called "the highly suspicious events surrounding Mr. Klitschko's April 10, 2004, Las Vegas bout against Lamon Brewster."

Mr. Burstein said the fight's drop in odds - from 11-1 to 7-2 - was suspicious, and added that a press pass belonging to the Klitschko camp was stolen prior to the fight.

According to the Associated Press, the Klitschko camp had also been frustrated that efforts to learn if the Ukrainian boxer had been drugged or poisoned led to little progress in the matter.

Below is an edited portion of an exclusive interview conducted by Roman Kernitski, a correspondent for The Ukrainian Weekly, with Volodymyr Klitschko, who spoke with The Weekly about the fight, the investigation and his boxing future.

Q: Why is Judd Burstein representing you in this case?

A: We have known each other for some time and I highly value his professionalism. I am confident that his experience and knowledge will help to find the truth, and with that some answers to many questions we have. He perfectly knows what he needs to do and how to do it.

Q: Still, why wasn't this done earlier - immediately after the fight?

A: At first we expected that the blood and urine tests would let us know what happened to me during the fight with Lamon Brewster. Furthermore, all of the following examinations after the fight showed that I have no serious or long-term illnesses. However, when all of my urine and blood samples were destroyed, with the exception of one milliliter of urine, our doubts that something was not right became certain.

Also, all of our attention and energy was turned toward Vitalii, so that he could prepare and carry out this highly important fight against Corrie Sanders. Now I can completely turn my attention to find out what really happened on April 10. That's why just now I turned to Judd Burstein.

Q: What do you expect from your work with Mr. Burstein?

A: Only one thing - I want to find out the truth. I want to find out what really happened to me in the fight with Brewster, where I carried out the fight not only against him but also with myself. Why, having been both physically and mentally ready for this fight, after the second round I was just holding on. I want one thing only - that what happened in the Brewster fight will not happen in my future fights.

Q: Do you want the fight with Lamon Brewster to be declared a no contest?

A: I am not looking for an excuse and don't want to appear as someone swinging my fist after the fight. I lost the fight and admit this fact. However, I want to understand what was the cause of my loss. And with that I want to face Brewster again.

Q: What if the fight is declared no contest? Are you going to be satisfied?

A: I don't like to beat my opponents in the court. I ought to beat them in the ring. And even if the fight is declared no contest, I still want to fight him inside the ring.

Q: How long will the investigation by Judd Burstein last?

A: It's very difficult for me to answer this. I hope that we find out the outcome of it as soon as possible. But we have to be realistic; this investigation is very difficult and strenuous.

Q: Will you carry out any fights before the outcome of this investigation?

A: Of course! I think that either at the end of August or beginning of September I will enter the ring.

Q: And speaking of your opponent that you're planning to face, can you give us any idea who it may be?

A: Right now, with certainty I can speak that I don't plan to carry out a fight just for the heck of it. I expect that my opponent will be top-level. I don't think that boxing fans would enjoy or be interested in Volodymyr Klitschko's fight with some third-league, unknown boxer.

Q: Then tell us the names of those boxers whom you would like to fight next.

A: It would be David Tua, James Toney, Dominick Guinn, Joe Mesi.

Q: Volodymyr, I bet you can't wait for your next fight.

A: Concerning my next fight, I myself want to return to the ring. If you're implying that it's another comeback, then you're mistaken - I didn't leave. I plan to continue my professional career and I am certain that the dream of the Klitschko brothers - for both of us to become world champions at the same time - will happen.

* * *

The Weekly also learned on May 17 that the Nevada Athletic Commission asked Mr. Burstein to appear before it in a public meeting to explain allegations made in his May 5 letter.

The chairman of that commission, John Bailey, said he was disappointed that the Nevada commission did not receive a copy of the letter, but had instead learned of the letter's contents in the press, the Nevada-based Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on May 14.

"... You make some serious allegations regarding the integrity of the fight and events surrounding it," Mr. Bailey wrote to Mr. Burstein, according to the media report. Mr. Klitschko's attorney said on May 8 that his letter contained no allegations but, rather, sought an investigation to find the truth.

"I have tremendous respect for Mr. Bailey and tremendous respect for the commission in general," Mr. Burstein told the Nevada newspaper. "To be clear, my letter was drafted in a way that was designed to make completely apparent that I was not accusing anyone on the commission of any wrongdoing. I wrote a letter that very simply asked for an investigation to try to discover the truth."

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