Vadim Bukhkalov: «The audience was giving Wladimir Klitschko a big hand for about forty minutes»

We offer your attention an interview in which Vadim Bukhkalov, promoter of «K2 East Promotions» shares his impressions after visiting boxing event on July 12th in Hamburg.

- Mr. Bukhkalov, what’s your impression of the event, first of all, as an eyewitness?
- I liked the tournament very much – it was perfectly organized, on top level. The fight was broadcasted live to more than 100 countries. About 14,000 people came to «Color Line Arena» in Hamburg. Our team got a very good example about how such boxing events should be organized. Besides, we were not just onlookers – in the undercard of Klitschko-Thompson fight there were two bouts of «K2 East Promotions» boxers: Zaurbek Baysangurov and Alexander Ustinov. So we had to spend some time for managerial procedure. Mr. Krasyuk, general manager of «K2 East Promotions», had successful talks with Emanuel Steward about our fighters’ participation in sparring sessions with the best US fighters. I myself had fruitful discussions with Anna Bezlyudna, general producer of «Inter» TV channel.

- And what is your impression of the main event itself?
The fight was not easy for Wladimir – it was tough during the first half, I would say, and full of intrigue till the last moment. Tony Thompson was well-prepared for the fight. However, Klitschko coped with difficulties and won by KO. The audience enjoyed the show 100% – they received a lot of positive emotions and were quite satisfied. Only one detail will tell you a lot: just after the fight the audience was giving Wladimir Klitschko a big hand for about forty minutes. They simply could not just leave – they were full with too much emotion. Earlier during the undercard fights they greeted Zaur Baysangurov and Alexander Ustinov very warmly too.

Besides all this, «K2 East Promotions», group of «Inter» TV channels and world brand «Nemiroff» won one more victory at that tournament – I mean TV ratings of Klitschko-Thompson fight. In Ukraine it reached 59.5%, in Germany – 54.1%. 7,100,000 viewers watched the fight in Ukraine with «Inter» TV channel, in Germany number of viewers of RTL channel reached 10 million people. I’m very glad too that share of viewers of fights in the undercard (i.e. Zaurbek Baysangurov and Alexander Ustinov fights) was 41.8%. Frankly speaking we did not expect such figures.

- Was there anything interesting besides the fight?

There was some unbelievable coincidence. Together with Anna Bezlyudna and some other friends we decided to have dinner in one of numerous restaurants in Hamburg. It was quite far from «Color Line Arena», far from the center of the city and far from the hotels we stayed in. But by some incredible luck we met Vitali Klitschko there. When we told Vitali that we decided to go to that restaurant at the last minute and met him just by chance he answered: «Nothing in this world happens just by chance».