The last time many in the sporting public saw Vitali Klitschko, his left eye lid was sagging down his face, a mixture of caked on coagulates and blood holding it together, like a poorly patched puncture in a wall.

His cutman, Joe Souza, worked feverishly between rounds to plug up the hole that was created above his left eye. The veteran cornerman was like a city worker who busted a water main and all he had to fix the problem was duct tape. No matter how hard he tried the hole got bigger and the amount of blood greater with each passing second.

So gruesome was the sight of the eye, that the 18,000-plus inside the Staples Center in Los Angeles gave a collective gasp when the image was shown on the arena's large scoreboard. As the wound continued to worsen, Klitschko pounded away on the unprepared Lewis, who had been training to fight Kirk Johnson, until a torn pectoral muscle to Johnson changed plans less than two weeks before the fight. Klitschko fought on until the fight was halted after the sixth round on advice from the ringside doctor.

Unable to secure a rematch with Lewis, Klitschko, ironically enough, will now take on Johnson Saturday night on HBO for a shot at Lewis' heavyweight crown, should the Canadian Englishman by way of Jamaica decide he wants continue his career as a pugilist-specialist.

On a conference call Monday afternoon that featured Klitschko, his brother Wladimir (who is fighting on the 20th) and trainer Freddie Roach, Klitschko reinforced the importance of not looking past Johnson.

"This fight is important because the winner fights for the championship," Klitschko said. "I will not underestimate him. Kirk Johnson is an experienced fighter with a good record and I have prepared like this is a world championship fight. It is important to win in order to be the official challenger."

Klitschko entered the Lewis fight with many ringside observers and fans questioning his heart. In 2000, Klitschko lost via TKO to Chris Byrd because of a torn rotator cuff. He stopped fighting as Byrd was gaining momentum, causing some to believe that the 32-year-old Ukrainian nicknamed Ironfist, turned into aluminum foil when the going got tough. At the time of the stoppage all three judges had the bout scored in favor of Klitschko.

"I tore one ligament and there was no guarantee that more wouldn't be torn," Klitschko said. "It was a difficult injury and I am still an active sportsman. Maybe it would have been the finish of my career had I continued."

He was able to change some perceptions when he fought Lewis, unable to see out of his badly damaged left eye. The effort turned the indifferent LA crowd his way. Scaling the ropes after the fight, his hands raised in the air, Klitschko was definitely the people's champion that night.

Johnson enters this fight with some of the same questions Klitschko faced.

In July of last year he faced John Ruiz and had points deducted for low blows in the first, fourth and seventh rounds. Johnson was sent to one knee in the ninth and as his frustration boiled over in the next round when he hit Ruiz low again causing referee Joe Cortez to disqualify him. When asked what might have been going through Johnson's mind, Klitschko responded dryly, "That is a good question for Kirk Johnson."

He was equally as dry when pressed about how he will fight Johnson, saying only that we will all see it unfold on fight night.

Trainer Freddie Roach, working for the first time in Klitschko's corner was vague as well.

"We are ready for whatever," Roach said. "Styles make fights and Vitali is in great shape and that's the deciding factor in this fight."

Looking for any insight into how Klitschko will take on the big Canadian, the questions turned to Wladimir to see what he thought about Johnson.

"He has quick hands and feet, he moves a lot," Wladimir said. "I've seen Johnson's shape and looks heavy and big, it should be interesting."

Interesting indeed. While his eye has healed, the frustration over what might have been has not, and while Klitschko wants another shot at Lewis, even he feels he may never get to the sequel.

Klitschko said he met up with Lewis and the champ's mom in London a few months ago and when he looked into the eyes of Mrs. Lewis, he said he could tell she didn't want her son back in the ring. But ultimately that decision is up to Lewis who turned 38 in September.

"I want part two to see who the winner is," Klitschko said. "When is the second part? Everyone wants to know."