Vitali Klitschko Defies Age, Dominates Cris Arreola for 10th-Round Knockout

An aging fighter who is approaching 40 years old, Vitali Klitschko said this past week that when the time comes he will truly know when to retire from boxing.

"I'm in great shape, and I am in great form. If I feel that I don't have it left anymore, I will announce my retirement. But not yet," said Klitschko, adding that Saturday night's performance in defense of his heavyweight World Boxing Council championship against Cris Arreola would go a long way toward determining his decision.

"The best answer is to come on Sept. 26," Klitschko said. "Let's see and compare -- 28-year-old Cris Arreola or 38-year-old Vitali Klitschko? Who seems to be the younger one? Who seems to be in the better condition? Who is better technically? In the end, did I look old, or not?"

Klitschko (38-2) emphatically answered his own questions with a vigorously youthful, lopsided knockout -- the 37th of his career -- over Arreola (27-1, 24 knockouts), ending the Riverside, Calif., native's previously unbeaten streak and retaining his World Boxing Council heavyweight title with his second defense.

While turning in perhaps the most effective performance of his championship career, Klitschko silenced Arreola's partisan fans that made up the crowd of 14,556 during his third appearance at Los Angeles' Staples Center.

Klitschko peppered Arreola with his jab, blasted him with left hooks, right hands and right uppercuts, and bloodied his nose and mouth to the point where referee Jon Schorle had seen enough and waved an end to their bout with Arreola still on his stool between the 10th and 11th rounds.

"First of all, I want to say thank you very much to Cris Arreola. He's a very good, tough fighter. [Someday] he will be a heavyweight champion of the world," said Klitschko, who weighed in at a chisled yet career-high 252 pounds to Arreola's blubbery 251 pounds.

"It's never easy. You have to give your best. Cris Arreola had his chance. He gave a great performance," said Klitschko, nicknamed "Dr. Ironfist."

"I was very surprised. He has a great chin," said Klitschko, who out-landed Arreola, 301-to-86 overall. "Actually, after the right hook, many of my opponents go to the floor. But he was still standing. Big respect."

Arreola was attempting to become the first fighter of Mexican decent to hold the division's crown, and only the second-ever Latino to do so. Boston's John Ruiz, a Puerto Rican American, was the first Latino titlist, holding the World Boxing Association title in 2005.

No American-born heavyweight has been champ since 2007, when Shannon Briggs was briefly World Boxing Organization king. In 2006, Hasim Rahman was the the WBC champion, and Chris Byrd was the International Boxing Federation titlist.

"I'm sorry to everybody, man. I really wanted to win the heavyweight championship. And I worked my [butt] off," a tearful Arreola said after the fight.

"Vitali's a strong (guy). He hits hard. But I never wanted to quit, man. That's never in me. I didn't want to quit," Arreola continued. "I wanted to go the full 12 rounds. I'm sorry guys."

In retaining his title against the 6-foot-4 Arreola, the 6-foot-8 Klitschko remained one of the division's four world champions who hail from the former U.S.S.R.

The others are 7-foot Nicolay Valuev, who holds the WBA title, and Klitschko's younger brother, 6-7 Wladimir Klitschko, 33, owner of the WBO and IBF crowns.

The Klitschkos have vowed never to fight each other, but it appears as if fans may be increasingly demanding what could be a megabout between the two.

Arreola had promised to use head movement and his general boxing skills to carry the fight to his taller, more rangy opponent.

But "The Nightmare" could not deliver on his dream strategy.

"I couldn't get to him. He was fighting the fight that he was supposed to fight, and he ran when he was supposed to run. I just couldn't get to him, man," Arreola said. "Whatever I did, he just found a way to counteract that. He just found a way to win and I found a way to lose."

Klitschko imposed his customary method of fighting tall -- using his powerful jab as a range-finder and slinging home the right hand from a distance.

"I was very surprised. I had good movement. And all of my left jabs went to the head," Klitschko said. "I had very good preparation using the left jab."

Klitschko won the crown by an eighth-round knockout over Samuel Peter in October, a victory that marked his return from a nearly four-year long, injury-induced retirement.

Klitschko retired in November of 2005 citing back problems and a torn meniscus in his right knee and canceling a scheduled defense against Rahman.

But as feeble as his leg was supposed to be, Klitscho still is standing, resolute, and, seemingly, peerless for the moment.

"I'm 38. I'm not the youngest of the heavyweights. But I don't want to break the record of George Foreman," said Klitschko, referring to Foreman having been the eldest man to hold a heavyweight title at 45.

According to ESPN.com's Dan Rafael, Klitschko's handlers already are working on a deal to fight in a December meeting in Germany against Atlanta's 30-year-old Kevin Johnson (22-0-1, nine KOs).

A Los Angeles resident who is married with three children, Klitschko's defense marked only the sixth time he has fought in America.

Klitschko's last bout on American soil was an eighth-round knockout of Mike Tyson-conqueror Danny Williams of England in Las Vegas in December of 2004.

Klitschko won his first crown -- the WBO version -- with a June 1999, second-round knockout of Herbie Hide.

"I feel now, very good," Klitschko said. "I feel now like I'm only 25."