(REUTERS) – British challenger Dereck Chisora pledged on Monday to dethrone WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko with an eighth round knockout when they meet in Munich on Saturday. “Vitali has been around a long time. He’s the king of the sport but it is time someone came in who is young and fresh,” Chisora told a news conference.
“It is the end for Vitali, I promise you. I will end the Klitschko reign and cause a massive upset in my magic eighth round. It will be felt around the world.
“A lot of people have tried to do it but they do not have the swagger and the passion to go in there and do the business but I have got it. I am passionate about the sport and I am not scared.”
The 28-year-old Chisora was twice scheduled to fight Vitali’s younger brother Vladimir, who holds the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO titles, but the Ukrainian pulled out injured on both occasions.
Vitali, 40, said that he would still be WBC champion after the bout.
“When he said that he would finish me in round eight, I realised that this guy is serious and I never have prepared as hard for a fight,” he said. “But I have told him he is not going to be the one to stop me, no one can.
“I am going to show everyone why I am the champion and why I have ruled for so long.”
Vitali knocked out Poland’s Tomasz Adamek in his last fight on September 10 to improve his record to 43 wins and two losses while Chisora was beaten on a split decision by Finland’s Robert Helenius in a European title challenge on December 3.
Chisora, whose record stands at 15 wins and two defeats, also lost his British and Commonwealth titles to compatriot Tyson Fury in July.