BEVERLY HILLS (California), Sept 20: Vitali Klitschko is to defend his World Boxing Council heavyweight title against Hashim Rahman in Las Vegas on Nov 12. “This fight will bring back the heavyweight division,” promoter Bob Arum told reporters at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Monday.

Arum said the bout, billed as ‘Seek and Destroy’, would be the most significant contest in the division for years.

The 34-year-old Klitschko twice pulled out of fights with former champion Rahman earlier this year.

Klitschko had to withdraw from the first bout due to a thigh injury. A back problem kept him out the second time.

The Ukrainian has a record of 35 victories and two defeats, with 34 knockouts.

Rahman has won 41 of his 47 fights, with 33 knockouts.

The 32-year-old American is best known for his shock victory over Briton Lennox Lewis in South Africa in 2001.

Rahman, who was a 14-1 underdog to defeat champion Lewis, caused one of the biggest boxing upsets in recent years. He lost the title in a rematch with Lewis seven months later.

Klitschko’s purse for the November fight will be $7.8 million while Rahman receives $4.2 million.

Amir Khan

LONDON: Boxing sensation Amir Khan has set his sights on becoming the youngest world champion in British history.

The 18-year-old, a silver-medallist at the Athens Olympics last year, has nearly three years in which to eclipse Prince Naseem Hamed’s achievement in becoming WBO featherweight champion at the age of 21, a decade ago.

And he is confident of taking another step towards that goal when he faces Steve Gethin in his third professional fight in Glasgow on Nov 5.

“I look to go one better than Naseem. He was 21 when he won a world title and I want to be one of the youngest world champion ever, that’s one of my goals,” Khan declared.

“But I am in no rush. I want to build it up slowly — British, Commonwealth and European and then the world.”—Agencies