“And the next big thing is about to become the last big bust.”
Larry Merchant, as were most of the 11,500 fans in attendance, was stunned. Still in Round 1, challenger Corrie Sanders decked Wladimir Klitschko and put him on the canvas for the second time inside of three minutes.
Fortunately for Klitschko, the bell sounded to end the first round. However, much to his chagrin, he was hurt, cut and bleeding.
On March 8, 2003, the 26-year-old Klitschko (40-1, 37 KOs) was making the sixth defense of his WBO crown against Sanders. He owned what was akin to a home field advantage, fighting inside the Preussag Arena in Hanover, Germany.
From Kiev, Ukraine, the 6’6” champion was viewed by many as the future of the division. At 242 pounds, he looked chiseled from stone.
His opponent on this night, a southpaw, was also a big Heavyweight. At nearly 6’5” tall and weighing 225 pounds, Sanders (38-2, 28 KOs) brought with him more than just an impressive record, he also wielded significant knockout power.
From Pretoria, South Africa, Sanders was not only fighting the champion, he was battling recent inactivity. Since losing to Hasim Rahman in May of 2000, Sanders had only fought twice, a total of three rounds, over the course of the previous three years.
Despite the layoff, Sanders looked to be in great shape and had hired a new sparring partner named Ross Puritty. Puritty, still an active Heavyweight, was the only man to defeat Klitschko, having stopped him in 1998. Interestingly, Sanders had also met Puritty in the ring, in November of 1997, and won a unanimous decision.
The common opponent, who had stopped Klistchko but lost to Sanders, was now in the Sanders camp.
Scheduled for 12 Rounds, HBO televised the bout with Merchant, Jim Lampley and “Big” George Foreman ringside to call the action.
Round 1 started quickly with each man looking to establish himself and dictate the pace of the action. In doing so, the crowd nestled inside the Preussag Arena was treated to sizzling back-and-forth exchanges.
With nearly 500 pounds of Heavyweight muscle in the ring, both men looked to impose themselves on each other. Offense appeared more important than defense as each man landed, and took, thunderous leather.
With less than one minute remaining in the first, Sanders, wearing white trunks and tucked inside his southpaw stance, backed Klitschko towards the ropes with his right jab. Almost instantaneously, he pulled the trigger on his power hand and landed a blistering left hand.
Klitschko froze with his back against the ropes as Sanders quickly dialed up the same punch, landing it flush again.
As the champion crashed to the deck, Lampley wailed, “And down goes Klitschko from a huge left hand inside by Corrie Sanders!”
Sanders raced to a neutral corner pumping his fist as referee Genaro Rodriguez began the count. A stunned Klitschko quickly got to his feet.
Now bleeding badly from a nasty cut over his left eye, blood streamed down the side of the champions face, matching the color of his trunks that had the brand “Boss” emblazoned across the front.
Sanders immediately attacked Klitscko in the remaining seconds of the opening round and again sent him to the deck with a series of straight rights and lefts. Lampley tried to keep up with the furious assault. “And there’s a cut over Klitsko’s left eye. Long time to go in the round, Wladimir down a second time!”
While Klitschko again climbed off the canvas, the 11,500 fans inside the Preussag Arena stood in complete shock. The faces at ringside were masks of disbelief as they looked at one another as if to question what they were witnessing was truly happening.
As Round 2 began, Sanders sensed the moment was at hand and promptly assailed the champion, stripping him of any chance to initiate his own offense. The strategy worked and just seconds into the round, a straight left hand snapped the champions head back and again sent him sprawling to the canvas.
“And Klitschko goes down a third time! And there are two minutes and 53 seconds to go in this round,” hollered Lampley.
The champion again rose quickly to take the standing eight count from Rodriguez. The action swiftly resumed with Sanders plowing forward at full speed and throwing his entire arsenal at Klitschko.
The champion desperately tried to cover up and survive the blitzkrieg. Just seconds later, as Rodriguez was about to halt the action, Klitschko fell face first to the canvas. Lampley called the final seconds of action, “And this is not gonna go well, another knockdown, the fourth time, and referee Genaro Rodriguez stops the fight!”
Sanders had stopped the champion inside of four minutes to win the WBO crown. Rodriguez halted the action at just 0:27 of Round 2.
The fight was named the “Upset of the Year” by The Ring for 2003. After the fight, Wladimir’s brother, Vitali, who accompanied him to the ring, had a few words for Sanders.
Although it was Wladimir who expressed to Merchant after the bout that he wanted a rematch, it was older brother Vitali who secured revenge for the Klitschko family.
Sanders’ next fight, just over one year later in April 2004, was against Vitali. Sanders succumbed via a TKO in Round 8.
Wladimir would also fight in April 2004 and lose to Lamon Brewster. That would be the last loss of his career. He has since reeled off 22 straight wins and is the recognized lineal kingpin of the division and current Heavyweight champion.
On September 22, 2012, at just 46 years of age, Sanders was tragically shot dead in a restaurant by robbers while attending his nephew’s 21st birthday. It was reported that he used his body to shield his daughter from gunfire.
Rest in peace, Corrie.
