Press Release:  Former lineal heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs (47-4-1, 41 KOs) says he's going to erase boxing's Eastern Bloc of heavyweight champions and single-handedly return the belts to his beloved homeland. "I pledge to uphold the pride and honor of our great country. Starting November 4 when I knock (WBO Champion) Sergei Lyakhovich out. Then I intend to knock (WBC) Oleg Maskaev, (WBA) Nikolai Valuev and (IBF) Wladimir Klitschko out and take back all the heavyweight championships of the world." Briggs says its an important time for the country to score a knockout abroad and points to other times in history when an American heavyweight champion has re-energized the nation. "Jim Braddock helped bring us out of the Great Depression with his working man heroics and when Joe Louis knocked out Max Schmeling, it let the country know we were still the best when we needed to be reminded. These Russian champions aren't our enemies, but with Iraq and the way things are going in the U.S. lately, we could sure use a victory to uplift our spirits. A strong American heavyweight champion for people to point to would do us a lot of good. And I'm going to be that American champion." Briggs will get his chance againsy Lyakhovich on November 4, 2006 at a site to be determined.