Klitschko retains WBC belt, TKOs Gomez in 9thAssociated Press
STUTTGART, Germany (AP) - Vitali Klitschko retained his WBC heavyweight title by beating Juan Carlos Gomez on a technical knockout in the ninth round on Saturday.
The 37-year-old Klitschko twice put down the Germany-based Cuban defector, in the seventh and ninth rounds, before the referee stopped the fight with 1 minute, 11 seconds remaining in the round.
Klitschko improved his career record to 37-2 (36 KOs).
The Ukrainian was making the first defense of the WBC title he reclaimed when he returned to the ring last October after a four-year absence.
The 35-year-old Gomez was the mandatory challenger and a former sparring partner of Klitschko's. He was seeking to become the first world heavyweight champion from Cuba.
Standing 6-foot-7, Klitschko had a height advantage of 3 1/2 inches and 19 pounds over his southpaw opponent.
But Gomez managed to frustrate the champion early, keeping his hands high to fend off jabs and moving in quickly before Klitschko could deliver powerful rights.
"I knew that he was a world-class boxer," Klitschko said. "I said before that the fight would not be easy."
Klitschko landed his first big right midway through the second round, drawing a smile from Gomez, who showed he was capable of pushing the bigger man back when he landed his combinations.
The champion was focusing on landing shots to the head, and found success leading with his right in the fourth as he began to take control.
Klitschko led on all three judges' scorecards after four rounds, and opened a small cut on Gomez's right eyebrow in the fifth.
A cut opened high on Klitchsko's forehead in the sixth, and he was forced to backpedal to the ropes in the seventh.
But that effort seemed to tire the Cuban, who lowered his hands and provided a better target for Klitchsko.
Gomez, who hurled some insults at Klitschko before the fight, put a knee to the canvas for a count of eight, and was pinned in his own corner after another big right. Gomez pulled both men to the ground before ending the round bravely defending in his corner.
Klitschko ended a quieter eighth round with another flurry and the end looked close.
Gomez got some breathing space in the ninth when the champion was reprimanded for gouging by referee Daniel Van de Wiele from Belgium.
But Klitschko launched into another assault, downing Gomez by the ropes with another right and finishing the fight a minute later.
"I was a little hectic," Klitschko said. "I wanted to end the fight earlier but I didn't get to hit him enough."
Klitschko said he wants to meet the giant Russian Nikolai Valuev, who holds the WBA title. But his next battle is set to be in a courtroom, as he prepares to take on the WBC for the right to choose his opponent.
Klitschko has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland to stop the sanctioning body forcing him into another mandatory defense, against Russian former champion Oleg Maskaev.
Klitschko's younger brother Wladimir, who was in his corner on Saturday, holds the IBF and WBO versions of the heavyweight title. He is in negotiations to face Britain's David Haye, the charismatic former cruiserweight champion, on June 20.
A three-time champion, Vitali retired through injury and vacated his WBC title in 2005. He returned to reclaim it last October against Samuel Peter when the Nigerian decided not to come back for the ninth round.
Gomez previously held the WBC cruiserweight title for four years before vacating in 2002 to move up to the heavyweight ranks.
He earned the right to face Klitschko by winning a unanimous decision over Vladimir Virchis last September.
