| Fight Name: | Dangerzone |
| Fight Date: | 11 October 2008 |
| Location: | O2 World, Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany |
| Titles: | WBC Heavyweight Championship |
| Fighter1: | Samuel Peter |
| Nickname1: | "The Nigerian Nightmare" |
| Hometown1: | Akwa Ibom, Nigeria |
| Record1: | 30–1 (23 KO) |
| Height1: | 6 ft 2 in |
| Weight1: | 254 lb |
| Style1: | Orthodox |
| Recognition1: | WBC Heavyweight Champion The Ring No. 2 Ranked Heavyweight |
| Fighter2: |  Vitali Klitschko |
| Nickname2: | "Dr. Ironfist" |
| Hometown2: | Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine |
| Record2: | 35–2 (34 KO) |
| Height2: | 6 ft 7 in |
| Weight2: | 274 lb |
| Style2: | Orthodox |
| Recognition2: | WBC Heavyweight "Champion Emeritus" |
| Result: | Klitschko wins via 8th-round RTD |
Samuel Peter vs. Vitali Klitschko, billed as Dangerzone, was a professional boxing match contested on 11 October 2008, for the WBC heavyweight championship.[1]
After winning the WBC title against Oleg Maskaev, Samuel Peter entered into negotiations for a mandatory defence against former champion Vitali Klitschko, who was returning from an almost four year retirement. Klitschko had been set for a tune up bout with Jameel McCline in September 2007 before a back injury forced him to withdraw. In May 2008 an agreement was reached for the two to face off at O2 World Berlin in October.[2] Peter's only previous defeat came at the hands of Vitali's younger brother Wladimir in September 2005.[3] [4]
As his brother had also become a Heavyweight champion during his absence from the ring, Vitali was hoping to become part of the first pair of brothers to hold versions of the heavyweight title simultaneously.[5]
Speaking to the tabloid newspaper Bild in the build up to the bout, Klitschko said "I'm still the same Vitali. I'm ambitious, mentally strong and hard working. It's not really a comeback for me, more like a fight between two world champions after injury."[6] [7] [8]
Klitschko was the 1 to 4 on favorite to win.
Klitschko dominated the bout, utilising his left jab and landing powerful hooks to Peter's body and head. The much younger Peter kept a tight defensive stance and did manage to land a number of solid body shots on Klitschko however he wasn't able to consistently get inside Klitschko's massive reach. At the end of the eighth round Peter informed his corner that he did not want to continue, making Klitschko a two time Heavyweight Champion (three time if the then lightly regarded WBO belt is included). At the time he trailed on all three scorecards with two scoring it a 80–72 shutout and the other had it 79–73 giving Peter one round.[9] [10] [11]
Vitali's victory meant that between himself and his brother, they held three of the four major title belts, with only the WBA title (held by Nikolai Valuev) left.[12] The WBC would order Vitali to make the first defence of his second reign as Heavyweight Champion against former WBC Cruiserweight champion Juan Carlos Gómez, who had won a "final eliminator" in September against Vladimir Virchis.[13]
Confirmed bouts:[14]
| align=center | Country | align=center | Broadcaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTL | |||
| RTL Klub | |||
| Setanta Sports[15] | |||
| Showtime |