Wladimir Klitschko vs Ray Austin

On March 10, 2007, at the SAP-Arena in Mannheim, Germany, Wladimir Klitschko (246 lbs) successfully defended his IBF and IBO heavyweight titles by stopping Ray Austin (247 lbs) via knockout at 1:23 of the second round in their scheduled 12-round bout.

Initially slated to face WBC champion Oleg Maskaev in a unification match, Klitschko opted to take on the mandatory challenger Austin after his older brother, Vitali Klitschko, decided to come out of retirement and pursue the WBC title. Austin had earned his mandatory status by challenging the result of his previous draw against Sultan Ibragimov in an IBF title elimination bout.

The fight, promoted by K2 Promotions and aired on RTL and HBO World Championship Boxing, drew an impressive average of 12.89 million viewers in Germany. In the opening round, Klitschko controlled the pace, measuring Austin with his left hand while the American challenger failed to land any significant punches.

Early in the second round, Klitschko unleashed a series of left hooks that sent Austin to the canvas. Although Austin managed to rise, referee Eddie Cotton deemed him unfit to continue and stopped the fight. Klitschko's performance showcased his evolving skills, as noted by his trainer, Emanuel Steward, who commented on the champion's developing punches beyond his signature right hand and jab.

With this victory, Klitschko improved his record to 48-3 with 43 knockouts, while Austin fell to 24-4 with four draws and 16 knockouts. The Ukrainian champion expressed his satisfaction with the outcome and hoped the crowd enjoyed the brief but explosive display of heavyweight boxing.

The event also featured appearances by former world champions Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko, with the latter playfully suggesting a rematch between the two. However, Lewis firmly declined, stating his contentment with his current status as a retired family man.

Looking ahead, Klitschko's camp expressed interest in a potential unification fight against WBA champion Nikolai Valuev, although they acknowledged the challenges of negotiating with Don King, Valuev's promoter.