Berne to stage Klitschko-Thompson fight in July

BERLIN, (Reuters) – Vladimir Klitschko will have a rematch with American challenger Tony Thompson in the Swiss city of Berne on July 7, the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO world heavyweight champion said yesterday.

The 36-year-old Ukrainian knocked out Thompson in their first bout in 2008.
“Thompson has a very good technique and gave me one of the toughest challenges of my career,” Klitschko said in a statement.

The champion, who beat Britain’s David Haye in July 2011, has a 57-3 record including 50 knockouts.

Southpaw Thompson, 40, has a 36-2 record with 24 knockouts but has won all five fights since the defeat by the Ukrainian.