BERN, Switzerland — Vitali Klitschko retained his WBC heavyweight title on Saturday night with a unanimous decision over American contender Kevin Johnson.

The 38-year-old Ukrainian kept Johnson against the ropes for much of the fight but landed few heavy shots to hurt the 30-year-old challenger. Johnson proved a durable opponent and did his best work with counterattacking straight left jabs.
Klitschko (39-2) was making his third defense of the belt he reclaimed in October last year, following a four-year break to recover from injuries. He opted to take the fight just 11 weeks after beating Cris Arreola, another unbeaten American who did not come out for the 11th round of their bout in Los Angeles.
Johnson (22-1-1) was the WBC’s sixth-ranked contender, though few expected him to give the bigger Klitschko many problems. The champion is 6-foot-7 and weighed 247 pounds, 3 inches taller and a few pounds heavier than Johnson.
The size difference forced Johnson to rely on his defense, inviting Klitschko from the ropes to come at him beginning in the second round. Klitschko aimed mostly for the head, but several overhand rights found Johnson turning away in defense.
The champion’s right cheek was marked in the fourth round, and Johnson connected with a left hook in the sixth. But the New Jersey-born challenger failed to mount many combinations and Klitschko kept winning rounds with steady jabs, more big rights and an occasional straight left.
The fight heated up in the 11th when Klitschko responded to Johnson’s taunting, hands-spread gesture with a flurry of blows. In the final round, Johnson pointed at his chin to goad Klitschko into another attack, and the bout ended with the American finally trading punches in the center of the ring.
The two squared up after the bell and Johnson was ushered back to his corner by Klitschko’s younger brother Wladimir, the IBF and WBO champion who works in Vitali’s corner.