The Uncontested Heavyweight Champion of the World ...↵↵... will be crowned tomorrow in Germany. I know, I know, it’s getting less press than roller derby. Nevertheless, it’s true. Tomorrow was supposed to be the first heavyweight fight in about seven years that anyone cared about, as big-mouth David Haye was scheduled to finally step in the ring with Wladimir Klitschko. But Haye withdrew because of a back injury, and Ruslan Chagaev stepped into his place. When Klitschko fights Chagaev tomorrow afternoon at the Veltins Arena in Germany, there will be three heavyweight title belts on the lines -- the IBF, WBO and IBO editions of the crown. Most importantly, the fight also will be for The Ring Magazine’s heavyweight championship due to the fact that The Ring currently ranks Klitschko its No. 1 heavyweight and Chagaev at No. 3. ↵
Round by Round: Weekly Boxing Notes
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↵↵In this day and age of meaningless alphabet organizations, The Ring titles are generally recognized by the boxing public as the true indicator of weight-class supremacy. There hasn’t been an official Ring heavyweight champ since Vitali Klitschko retired back in 2004. In other words, this is a momentous occasion, and it’s live on free TV no less, ESPN Classic at 5 p.m. Woo hoo. ↵
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↵↵I jumped the gun last week here at TSB when I gave credence to a story in the UK Sun that a fight between Vitali Klitschko and David Haye already had been made for September. (A commenter wrote in and informed me that if I believed everything I read in the Sun, he wanted to sell me some real estate. I am appropriately chastened by my folly.) ↵But it looks like this fight is still a possibility. Courtesy of this piece at Boxing Scene come Vitali’s quotes to the BBC that the details for him to fight Haye in September are being worked out right now and that he believes the fight will happen. Then he drops the requisite Ivan Drago impersonation: “Let’s talk in the ring with the fists.” Absolutely, Vitali, I hear you. With the fists, already. ↵
↵↵Shane Mosley vs. Josh Clottey?↵
↵↵I don’t know if Bob Arum is looking to add insult to Shane Mosley’s insult, but the fact that he is publicly talking about trying to make a fight between Mosley and Josh Clottey, an Arum client, is definitely pouring salt into Mosley’s wounds. As everyone in the world is aware, Mosley is desperate to land a fight with Arum’s much more famous client, Manny Pacquiao. To say that Arum is offering Mosley the consolation prize in Clottey is to put it mildly. Mosley is on record as saying that at this point in his career he only wants super-fights, and to that end he has said that he is not interested in facing either WBC welterweight champ Andre Berto or the multi-weight phenomenon Paul Williams. So why on earth would he be interested in Clottey, who just lost a split decision to Miguel Cotto and who brings absolutely nothing to the table -- no title, no fanbase, no buzz, nothing but an iron chin and a guaranteed long night for anyone who steps into the ring with him? ↵
↵↵Another Brawl in Montreal↵
↵↵Granted, it’s not a Leonard/Duran-level matchup, but tonight’s fight at the Bell Centre in Montreal between WBC light heavyweight champ Adrian Diaconu and challenger Jean Pascal promises to be a hot one (and it’s also on live, free TV – Versus at 9 p.m.). Though neither man is a Montreal native (Pascal is from Laval, Quebec and Diaconu is from Romania), each has made the city his fighting home, and given the fact that Montreal always has been a great boxing town, there should be some real electricity in the house tonight. Pascal is making his first step-up to 175 after spending most of his career at 168. You may remember him from one of last year’s dark-horse Fight of the Year contenders, the staggering Pascal/Carl Froch fight in December that was about as all-action as they come. For Pascal, the goal tonight will be to win the belt, and for Diaconu it will be to start making a name for himself and a case that he is a worthy opponent for the consensus top dog at light heavy, Chad Dawson. Of the weekend’s free TV offerings, though the Kltischko/Chagaev bout tomorrow is far more significant, Diaconu vs. Pascal promises to be infinitely more entertaining. Don’t miss it. ↵
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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
