By Jake Donovan

His summer drubbing of heavily favored Alex Dimitrenko instantly placed “Fast” Eddie Chambers on the fast track towards a title shot.

It was a win that allowed his career to come full circle; 17 months prior saw a disappointing performance against Alex Povetkin cost him a mandatory shot at Wladimir Klitschko. The upset over Dimitrenko this past Independence Day put the Philly contender right back to the head of the line for a crack at the best heavyweight in the world.

All that’s left to do now is wait his turn for a shot at the World heavyweight champion. Unfortunately for Chambers, it could be a while: Klitschko is out for the rest of 2009 as he recovers from shoulder surgery, with a title shot guaranteed to not take place any sooner than the first quarter of 2010.

Such news would served as a disappointment to the Chambers of old, one who would let himself go between fights, and not exactly look body beautiful when he did fight.

But the new and improved Chambers views the opportunity as a test of his patience, and also of his will. He plans to put that to the test, as he’s perfectly content to wait for the younger Klitschko to heal rather than make a long wait even longer.

“Right now, the best plan is to stay in shape and stay ready,” says Chambers, who managed to shed a considerable amount of weight and flab for the Dimitrenko fight and has kept it off. “I’ve done enough to put myself in position for a title. Staying in the right frame of mind is what will keep me ready for whenever that phone call comes.”

Stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready. It’s all part of the born-again version of Chambers, who earlier this summer realized for the first time in his career the upside to serving as a small heavyweight in the era of European behemoths, many of whom weigh 250 lb. and beyond.

Despite the lack of a stateside television outlet for his Independence Day showdown with Dimitrenko, Chambers had every intention of sending a message, before and during his fight.

Gone was the fleshy exterior that had accompanied the Philly-based heavyweight during his rise to contention. Showing up that evening in the Color Line Arena in Hamburg, Germany was not a new and improved Chambers, but a return to the Fast Eddie of old, showing up below 210 lb for the first time in more than five years.

The end result was Chambers delivering the best performance of his career, twice dropping the hulking Dimitrenko en route to a majority decision that was a landslide in the eyes of most.

He gave away 6” in height, 8” in reach and was outweighed by 45 lb. But it’s only an advantage if you know how to properly utilize your strengths, rather than rely on them and expect auto-pilot to carry you the rest of the way.

“If you’re a small heavyweight, stay small. Your strength is your speed, so make it that much more of an advantage. Play to your strengths.”

It was a lesson that should’ve been realized after his lone loss, coming up short on the scorecards against Alexander Povetkin last January. Things instead sunk in surprisingly after what served at the time as the biggest win of his career.

“Looking at the Samuel Peter fight, I saw how hard I worked but also noticed things I didn’t do,” admits Chambers of his ESPN2-televised win over the former heavyweight titlist this past March. Both fighters looked like they spent more time at the all-you-can-eat buffet than a boxing gym, with Chambers weighing a near-career high 223 lb, while Peter came in more than 40 lb. heavier at a career fattest 265.

Both fighters have taken drastic measures to improve their conditioning, showing up in much better shape in recent fights, and delivering positive results. 

“My strength increased even though I dropped weight,” insists Chambers, who employed a more aggressive fight plan than had been the case in recent fights. “I was well prepared for that, more so than any other fight in my career.”

Chambers now prepares for an inevitable title shot, though he’s well aware he’ll have to wait his turn. Ahead of him in line is the only man to beat him in the pro ranks, Alexander Povetkin. Despite having to wait in line and for Wladimir Klitschko to rehab from shoulder surgery, Chambers is perfectly content with staying on the sidelines and waiting to see how things shake out.

“Hopefully, first quarter of 2010, February or March,” is Chambers’ anticipated wait time for a crack at the lineal heavyweight crown. “The IBF gave him an extension, so we’ll see what comes of it, if he chooses to fight us first. If we go into 2010 and it’s another six or seven months, then we’ll certainly look at a tune-up.”

For now, it’s wait and see. Not for fear that he can lose in the interim, but that even a win doesn’t guarantee he’s healthy once it’s time to challenge for a title shot.

“Anything can happen in a tune-up. You can suffer an injury or cut, and wind up waiting even longer.”

Besides, Chambers is well aware of the small window of opportunity that will allow him to return to American airwaves. Unlike most fighters, Chambers has a sensible gauge on where he stands in today’s marketplace.

“I’m on HBO because I’m fighting Wladimir. If it was anyone else, I’m not on TV. With Dimitrenko, they had him pegged as “the next guy,” and nobody gave me a chance, so no network picked up. They’ll be very picky, and I don’t see any other heavyweight that forces them to put me on.”

Such is the dilemma facing most American heavyweights today, since there doesn’t exist a true star among them. While it’s just another challenge Chambers opts to embrace, a part of him sometimes wonders if it’s truly worth the effort.

“I chose this business and sometimes ask why, thinking about all of the other things I could’ve done. I didn’t want to when I was a kid, but when I did it, I couldn’t get away from it.”

Now he’s one fight away from reaching the goal he only dreamed of when first entering the sport.

“With me winning the title, I can grab the attention. When I win the title, I believe people will look at me and say, “He’s a nice guy, a small guy, just like me. A genuine person can be the champion.”

All it takes is talent and, for the moment, a little patience.

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Contact Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com.