As for his next opponent, Klitschko was ready to take on any challenges. He even wished to compete in China for his next stop.
“I am open to any of the challenges. Either it’s Holyfield, Corrie Sanders or it’sÂ… Chagaev, Ibragimov, maybe evenÂ… umÂ… what is his nameÂ… Hasim Rahman,” Klitschko explained. “I am not ready to select anything right now, particularly I have to consider it. So we’ll see how the negotiations are doing. Where’s the fight gonna be. I wish the fight is gonna be in China to be honest with you. Because champion of the world means you have to fight around the world.”
This 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games Gold medal winner seemed too busy to help his countryman prepare for the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
“I don’t think I will have time or something like that. But I definitely would love to give them good motivation and I’d love to come to Beijing to watch the Olympic boxing matches,” Klitschko said.
Talking about China, the champion who likes Chinese food appeared to be joyful and more laid-back. He smiled gently and began talking about his childhood idol, the world-renowned Chinese martial artist Bruce Lee.
“Bruce Lee is an idol for many kids in our country. And of course, I watched all of Bruce Lee’s movies. They’re very exciting,” Klitschko recalled while smiling. “And of course it’s also because Bruce Lee started with Karate. Unfortunately, because of his deathÂ… But listen, I’ve been lucky and have met Jackie Chan. He’s the funniest artist. And you know, he got martial art, humor, I mean comedy. This combination makes him really special. I got a chance to meet him personally. He’s a fun guy, and a humble guy.”
Zhenyu Li
Editor’s note: Zhenyu Li, is a sportswriter for the People’s Daily in China, one of the most influential and authoritative newspaper in that nation with circulation of over 3 million. Zhenyu Li lives and works in Beijing, covering the NBA and boxing for his paper online. He is one of the most popular sportswriters in his country and the only reporter who writes both in English and Chinese, as well as broadcasting the English Sports News for the People’s Daily. Li is a former amateur athlete specializing in long-distance running.A graduate of Beijing Institute of Technology with a B.A. in Management, he is the son of a former Deputy Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Toronto and the former Counselor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. Li acquired his Business English Certificate from Cambridge University.
Zhenyu Li is a member of the International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO). He can be reached at zhenyuli_cn@sina.com
Source: www.boxingtimes.com
