Briggs ready for first title defense

                                                                                         

Barry WilnerWashington, U.S. (AP) - Shannon Briggs is the heavyweight champion of the world. Well, the WBO's version of the champ, and one of four titleholders in what usually is considered boxing's prestige division. Briggs knows how to end all the uncertainty about which fighter is the best of those champions. He plans to show everyone on Saturday night in Atlantic City, N.J., that the main man is none other than himself.He plans to do it quickly, too, against Sultan Ibragimov of Russia, a 2000 Olympic silver medalist who is unbeaten (20-0-1) as a professional. "I'm going to take him out," Briggs said during the buildup for his first title defense, at Boardwalk Hall. "What can they tell him about me, that he can punch? He's going to find out. "I'm a vicious puncher. Like me or love me or hate me, I am a vicious puncher. When I hit this kid, he's going to wish he had never seen gloves." Ibragimov is no slouch, though. He has 17 knockouts _ Briggs has 42 in his 48-4-1 record. While Briggs was recovering from pneumonia in March, forcing postponement of the original date for this bout, the 32-year-old Ibragimov was stopping an overmatched Javier Mora in 46 seconds. Mora wouldn't even make a good sparring partner for Briggs, but that doesn't diminish Ibragimov's chances of joining Wladimir Klitschko, Ruslan Chagaev and Oleg Maskaev as titleholders. "I am ready for this fight and I am ready to win this title for myself and for my people in Russia," he said. "There has been enough talk already and it is time now to fight."

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