VITALI KLITSCHKO AIMS TO IMPRESS U.S. FIGHT FANS

From the Associated Press...

STUTTGART, GERMANY: Heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko hopes to impress the lucrative American market when he defends his WBC title against Cuban defector Juan Carlos Gomez on Saturday.

The 37-year-old Ukrainian's bout is being shown live (21:00 GMT, 17:00 EDT) by the ESPN network in the United States, the traditional home of boxing's signature division where interest has waned since Lennox Lewis retired five years ago.

Klitschko, whose younger brother Wladimir holds the WBO and IBF versions of the heavyweight title, is making a mandatory defense against the 35-year-old Gomez, who is based in Germany.

"I like Juan a lot. He's a real nice guy and a good buddy of mine," Klitschko said. "It's a real pity that I now have to beat him up."

With an eye on future fights that could be marketed in the U.S., Klitschko hopes to record an impressive win and then take on the WBC in a courtroom battle for the right to choose his next opponent.

The sanctioning body wants to force Klitschko to fight Russian Oleg Maskaev within four months because of a past deal it struck when the 40-year-old former soldier was champion.

Klitschko (36-2, with 35 KOs) has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland to avoid that prospect.

He prefers a challenger more attractive to broadcasters such as Chris Arreola, an unbeaten 28-year-old from Los Angeles.

However, the 6-foot-7 (2.02 meters) Klitschko must first get past the dangerous Gomez. The former cruiserweight world champion will attempt to use his southpaw style and proven technical skills to overcome his weight and height disadvantage.

Klitschko has promised to teach Gomez "a heavyweight lesson," and give him the "hardest fight of his life."

Gomez used to spar with both brothers and help them prepare to face left-handed fighters at a time when all shared the same promoter in Germany, currently the center of the heavyweight action. The connections stretch further with Gomez's promoter being married to the daughter of Vitali's trainer.

Gomez (44-1, with 35 KOs), previously held the WBC cruiserweight title for four years before vacating in 2002 to move up to the heavyweight ranks.

The Cuban, who calls himself "The Black Panther," predicted he will "destroy" Klitschko. He called the Ukrainian fighter "Dr. Wimp" in a dig at his nickname "Dr. Iron Fist."

"I'll toy with 'Dr. Wimp' in such a way and I'll outbox him that there won't be two opinions about the outcome: 'The Black Panther' will be world champion again," Gomez said.

The weigh-in went off without incident Friday and the fighters smiled at each other. Klitschko weighed in at 113 kilograms (249 pounds), Gomez at 104.5 kilograms (230 pounds).

The Cuban earned the right to challenge Klitschko when he won an unanimous decision over Vladimir Virchis last September.

In rankings compiled by respected boxing magazine The Ring, Gomez is No. 9 while Vitali rates second behind Wladimir.

Vitali is a three-time heavyweight champion, and a keen chess player with a postgraduate degree in sports science.

He won and lost the WBO belt within 10 months in 1999-2000, then impressed when losing to Lewis in six rounds in 2003. Doctors would not let Klitschko continue with a cut over his left eye.

He captured the vacant WBC title a year later by stopping Corrie Sanders of South Africa in the eighth, but injuries forced him into retirement after one defense.

After twice failing in bids to be elected mayor of the Ukraine capital Kiev, Klitschko returned to the ring last October and stopped Samuel Peter when the Nigerian decided not to come out for the ninth round.###