Povetkin vs Rahman is Now Moving Over To Germany?

by Alexander Pavlov and Alexey Sukachev

According to sources, WBA heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (24-0, 16KOs) will not defend his title on the huge July show at Upton Park in West Ham, London.

Povetkin will still defend his title on July 14, against mandatory challenger Hasim Rahman (50-7-2, 41KOs) - but the fight is going to take place at a venue in Germany.

The heavyweight main event, between David Haye and Dereck Chisora, is causing a lot of controversy. The British Boxing Board of Control is applying a lot of pressure on the fight promoters to cancel the event - because Haye and Chirora are not licensed by the BBBoC and the show is being sanctioned by an outside body, the Luxembourg Boxing Federation.

However, that is not the reason being given for the movement of Povetkin-Rahman.

It appears that German television network ARD is refusing to televise the fight between Haye and Chisora - because the involved boxers "do not match the image of the channel."

The network is probably worried about the negative feedback over the incident from this past February in Munich - when Haye and Chisora were involved in a violent brawl at the post fight press conference to Chisora's fight with Vitali Klitschko. The incident made front page headlines all over Germany.

Alexander Pavlov covers boxing for Sportbox.ru