LAS VEGAS, 12 April 2004 — The American dream of Wladimir Klitschko — and his brother Vitali as well — ended in a Las Vegas hospital Saturday.

Klitschko was hurried off to a local clinic for a CAT scan immediately after being knocked out in the fifth round of his World Boxing Organization title fight against little-known American Lamon Brewster.

Ukrainians Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko — the latter set to meet South African Corrie Sanders on April 24 in Los Angeles in a World Boxing Council title bout — had aimed to become the first brothers to be world champions at the same time.

Now that will never happen — and Wladimir Klitschko’s career may also be over for good.

That, at least, was the view of experts like promoter Don King and light-heavyweight world champion Roy Jones immediately after favorite Klitschko lost for the second time in a row. The other defeat was last year against Sanders. “Now everyone knows how he is to be beaten. I wasn’t surprised. He has no stamina and no heart,” said Jones of 28-year-old Wladimir Klitschko.

The Klitschkos had left Hamburg, Germany, a few years ago for the United States to make the most of their promising boxing careers.

They are currently in a court dispute with their German Universum camp about the duration of their contracts. But that may come too late, at least as far as Wladimir is concerned.

Wladimir turned pro after winning Olympic gold in 1996. His first and only defeat until last year came in 1998 against Ross Puritty. Saturday’s fight reminded some of that bout.

Klitschko, 28, controlled the fight and even floored Brewster in the fourth round, but by then it was obvious that he was not his former self.

South Korea’s Chi Wins World Title

In Manchester, England, South Korea’s Injin Chi was crowned WBC world featherweight champion on Saturday with a knockout of England’s Malcolm Brodie.

The Korean had Brodie under pressure throughout the bout and finished the job when a left uppercut sent Brodie crashing to the canvas where he was counted out after two minutes and 48 seconds of the seventh round.

The fight was a rematch of their first meeting last year, when Chi was declared the winner before a draw was controversially called because of a mistake in the scoring.