BOXING: KLITSCHKO SEEKS SOLUTION TO KNEE INJURY.

Byline: ROBERT MORALES Boxing

Vitali Klitschko has had two diagnoses regarding the severity of the knee injury he sustained that resulted in the postponement of his heavyweight title fight against Hasim Rahman, scheduled for Saturday in Las Vegas.

Now, he is going to get a third opinion, he said Sunday. Klitschko, sometime in the next few days, will fly to Vail, Colo., to be examined by Dr. Richard Steadman, a knee specialist and pioneer in cartilage regeneration.

``I want to get another opinion on my knee and Dr. Steadman is known as the best in the world,'' said Klitschko, who injured his right knee while sparring Thursday in Los Angeles.

An MRI was taken Thursday night.

``After reviewing the MRI on Friday,'' Klitschko said, ``Dr. Bert Mandelbaum (of Santa Monica) told me that I have at least a torn meniscus and a bone bruise. I was examined again on Saturday by Dr. Tony Daly. I was fitted with several knee braces and tried to spar. But nothing worked.

``My knee was just too unstable.''

Daly, an orthopedic surgeon and the team physician for the Clippers, diagnosed Klitschko's injury as only a sprain.

This is the third postponement of this fight. Klitschko was to make the second defense of his World Boxing Council belt. He has not fought in 11 months because of a back injury that resulted in minor surgery last April.

Meanwhile, Rahman fought for the interim title last August and defeated Monte Barrett via lopsided decision.

``All of this is very devastating for me,'' said Klitschko, who said he wanted to apologize to everyone, including Rahman. ``I am not sure anyone can imagine how very sad and depressing this year has been for me because of all of the injuries.''

Klitschko was to make over $8 million Saturday. But he said he never considered going into the ring at less than 100 percent.

``Maybe others would have gone in, just for the money,'' Klitschko said, ``but I am too much of a sportsman for that. I could never betray my fans and the sport of boxing just for a payday, no matter how much it was.

``I have too much character to enter a fight knowing I am hurt, try and fight a round or two, then quit and go home. I would never take the money and run.''

Rahman, who questioned the legitimacy of Klitschko's back injury that caused the previous two postponements, could not be reached for comment.

--Lacy-Kessler? We recently wrote that Jeff Lacy won't be considered the best super middleweight champion among four until he fights and defeats Joe Calzaghe, the longtime World Boxing Organization champion with 17 consecutive title defenses.

Michael Marley is a publicist and one of his biggest clients is Bettina Palle, who along with her father, Mogens Palle, promotes boxing in Denmark. The Palles promote Mikkel Kessler, the World Boxing Association champion from Copenhagen, Denmark.

In response to our commentary on Lacy and Calzaghe, Marley sent an e-mail that read, in part, ``Kessler will knock Lacy around the block. But you be the judge.'' Meaning he is supposed to send a tape of a fighter we have never seen.

Since that was a week ago, the tape should arrive any day. Of course, Marley sent that e-mail before Lacy took apart Scott Pemberton on Saturday, knocking out Pemberton in the second round while defending his International Boxing Federation belt.

On a Web site, Marley describes Kessler as a ``white Thomas Hearns.''

On paper, Kessler's record is impressive. He is 36-0 with 27 knockouts. However, he has only fought twice outside of Denmark, only once in the U.S. It's not just being undefeated with a good knockout ratio that counts, it's who you have been beating and where, and who you have been knocking out.

Kessler's list of opponents is not inspiring, to say the least. The only three recognized by this reporter were Julio Cesar Green, Anthony Mundine and Tony Menefee. That says a lot right there.

Kessler, a 6-foot-1 right-hander, is 26.

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Vitali Klitschko is expected to fly to Colorado soon to see a doctor for a third opinion on his injured right knee.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News

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