Klitschko Ready For Saturday

NEW YORK (Ticker) - IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko is in peak physical condition for Saturday night's unification title bout with Sultan Ibragimov on Saturday night. That's the opinion of unbeaten Irish middleweight Andy Lee, who is a sparring partner of Klitschko. Klitschko and WBO champion Ibragimov of Russia meet at Madison Square Garden in the first heavyweight unification bout since Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield to become undisputed champion in 1999.

Klitschko and Lee, the Irish super-middleweight champion with a 15-0 (12 KOs) record, share the same trainer in Hall of Famer Emanuel Steward. And despite being a middleweight, the Detroit-based Irishman - a 6-2 southpaw - has become a regular sparring partner, particularly when the heavyweight is training to face a lefty such as Chris Byrd two years ago or Ibragimov this weekend. After breaking training camp in West Palm Beach, Florida, 2004 Olympian Lee said the IBF champ is ready to go. "Klitschko's looking very good. He always prepares 110 per cent in every aspect of his boxing," Lee said. "His approach is just so professional that he's always going to be ready. "His body is a work of perfection and he's just so focused. "When he's in camp he's just so switched on, whether he's training, sparring or watching videos with Emanuel. What he eats, how much he sleeps, everything is monitored." Lee said Klitschko's focus never waves during his preparation for a bout. "When he turns up to camp he only brings about three outfits because he just trains and trains and trains," Lee said. "He doesn't go out or hang around with a lot of people, just talks to Emanuel a lot, before and after training. They spend a lot of time together working on things."

Lee has a fight of his own to prepare for on March 21, with a television debut on ESPN against the "Contender III's" Brian Vera (15-1, 9 KOs) at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. Being in camp with Klitschko, Lee said, can only benefit his own career as he homes in on a middleweight title shot. "To me he's a great role model and I look up to him a lot," Lee said. "When he's in New York he'll know exactly what he's doing, when he's doing it, what car is picking him up and at what time. Everything he does is so professional. "That just comes from years and years of experience but for me, if you want to pick up certain things without making mistakes he's done all that stuff. And he's a great guy as well, the way he handles the public, giving autographs and that side of things. He's very good with people and takes his time with everyone."