KLITSCHKO RETAINS WBC BELT, TKOs GOMEZ IN 9TH!

From the Associated Press...

// Story Content //

STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Vitali Klitschko has retained the WBC heavyweight title by stopping Juan Carlos Gomez in the ninth round on Saturday night.The 37-year-old Klitschko twice put down the Germany-based Cuban defector, in the seventh and ninth, before the referee Daniel Van de Wiele stopped the fight with 1 minute, 11 seconds remaining in the round.Klitschko improved his career record to 37-2 (36 KOs), his last loss coming to Lennox Lewis in June 2003.The Ukrainian was making the first defense of the WBC title he reclaimed by stopping Samuel Peter last October, which followed a four-year retirement largely because of injuries.The 35-year-old Gomez was the mandatory challenger and a former sparring partner of Klitschko, and was seeking to become the first world heavyweight champion from Cuba.###