Vitali Klitschko-Jameel McCline in September?

[Derranged_]

I agree with most posters here on this thread, that Mccline's a credible opponent and good choice for a tune-up for Vitali. Putting Vitali in against, a 'no chancer' does nothing to prepare him for a world title fight against the incumbent WBC champion. So, hopefully he gets in some good rounds while he works out some of the ring rust and isn't injured in the process. I'll take Vitali by KO in the later rounds...

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

Mark has brought us some intersting news. McCline generally does his best and is rarely in a BAD fight. However, I'd like to correct the comment about Klitschko's MANY injuries etc. which caused him to retire.

This is NOT TRUE, and I'm constantly surprised (although I shouldn't be) when writers fail to properly research their subject.. He had only ONE injury, his extremely serious knee accident, which would have taken too far long for recovery, which was not GUARANTEED to be complete, and, so as not to hold up the Title, he retired. That's why in gratitude for his sportsmanship and honourable action, the WBC made him Champion Emeritus giving him the right, if he returned, to immediately move to #1 on the list of challengers. In law, Peter wouldn't have won, because the WBC rules were being observed.

As to his many injuries, and my contention that he only had ONE....

In April, 2005, training for Rahman, whilst jogging, he got a pain, and thought he'd pulled a thigh muscle. The fight was postponed, but his muscle didn't improve. He then got a CT Scan, which showed that he had NOT pulled or torn a muscle but had a spinal spur pressing on the offshoot sciatic nerve to his thigh, along which the pain travelled. He needed and had spinal surgery, which clipped away the spur, releasing the nerve pain.

He got back in training and was pronounced ready to fight for September. Then Don King pulled a clever political trick, making a fight with Monte Barrett for August, ostensibly for the "interim" title. This would give the winner a bigger purse against Klitschko. Klitschko protested that it would interfere with the September fight. Both King and Rahman swore that there was nearly 7 weeks in between and he definitely WOULD be ready (if he beat Barrett, which was a given).

In fact. the September fight was never mentioned again, and the fight was finally arranged for November. Just a week before the fight Klitschko, got his leg entangled with his sparring partner, fell and smashed up his leg badly. THIS was the ONLY injury he suffered in the whole situation, since the bony spur is a natural bodily occurrance, happening to millions every year.

There's no doubt in MY mind, but that Klitschko would have destroyed Rahman, regardless of Rahman's and King's bombastic PR accusations of cowardice.

As a footnote, Larry Merchant was the only boxing analyst to actually GO to the surgeon who performed the operation, and confirm everything I've written above.

You are 100% wrong. Even Dan Rafael on ESPN among many others, wrote that he was plagued with back problems, and that has well been documented. His knee was not the cause of every single postponed date.

[Mr. David]

You are 100% wrong. Even Dan Rafael on ESPN among many others, wrote that he was plagued with back problems, and that has well been documented. His knee was not the cause of every single postponed date.

Every. Single. Time. that I've written an article that mentions Vitali Klitschko's injuries, I've received an e-mail from this gentleman.

[Mr. David]

And FWIW, if you Google, in quote marks, "Vitali Klitschko" and "sciatic nerve," the only matches that even pair the two of them together are message board entries from said gentleman making said claims.

[Eno]

Isn't he fighting McCline for himself basically. Because he will not garner any respect for beating McCline and if he does look bad it was against Jameel fing McCline. And since its the ultimate lose lose situation you gotta assume that Vitali really wants to comeback...

[Mr. David]

I've appreciated having Edgar as a reader, but this has just riled me up. A point-by-point chronicle of Klitschko's injuries. I'm still waiting to see Mr. Edgar sources.

My articles found on Lexis-Nexis (emphases mine).

Las Vegas Review-Journal (Nevada)
March 14, 2005 Monday FINAL EDITION
Injured Klitschko postpones title fight

Heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko has postponed his April 30 WBC title defense against Hasim Rahman after pulling a muscle in his left leg Friday.
The fight hasn't been rescheduled, but the managing director of Klitschko's K2 Promotions, Tom Loeffler, said he is hopeful it will be sometime in June.
Klitschko was hurt while jogging in Kiev, Ukraine, Loeffler said. A doctor on Saturday told him the injury, while not serious, would require two to three weeks to heal.
A recovery time of three weeks would have left Klitschko just a month of preparation time before the fight and he didn't think that was enough.
'We're talking about June, but that's going to depend a lot upon HBO's schedule and the availability of Madison Square Garden,' Loeffler said.
Two major fight cards already are scheduled for the New York area in June. Miguel Cotto will defend his WBO 140-pound title against an undecided opponent June 11 at Madison Square Garden and Las Vegan Floyd Mayweather will challenge WBC super lightweight champion Arturo Gatti on June 25 in Atlantic City.
Rahman, of Las Vegas, had just agreed to terms last week after a long and often contentious negotiations. His business manager, Steve Nelson, said Rahman will stay in the gym and continue to prepare, though he wants the fight as soon as possible.
The Rahman camp has no evidence Klitschko is faking the injury, Nelson said.
'Anything is possible in boxing, but I have no reason to believe he's faking, so we'll take him at his word,' Nelson said. 'But we're next, no matter what, unless he wants to give up that belt because Rock is the mandatory (challenger).'

Herald News (Passaic County, NJ)
April 19, 2005 Tuesday
All Editions
Klitschko injured; bout again moved

Vitali Klitschko will have back surgery Wednesday in Los Angeles, a setback that has again postponed the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion's mandatory match against Hasim Rahman, this time indefinitely.
The thrice-postponed title fight could finally be staged by September if Klitschko heals correctly from the minor procedure to correct a nerve problem that has hindered his recovery from a pulled upper thigh muscle. Klitschko (35-2, 34 KOs) versus Rahman (40-5-1, 33 KOs) was supposed to take place on April 30 at Madison Square Garden, but the huge Ukrainian champion sustained the thigh injury while jogging in his native Kiev on March 11. That postponed the bout to June 18, but the date was switched again to July 23 because Klitschko was healing slowly.
Baltimore's Rahman might meet Hackensack heavyweight Monte Barrett (31-3, 17 KOs) on July 23 for the WBC interim championship. The winner would then encounter Klitschko whenever he is healthy. If Barrett instead opts to challenge International Boxing Federation champ Chris Byrd (38-2-1, 20 KOs), for whom he is the mandatory challenger, Rahman, a former undisputed champ, could fight the WBC's next available contender for its interim title.
Klitschko's injury isn't considered career threatening, but it is troublesome enough to prevent him from traveling to his younger brother's fight on Saturday night in Dortmund, Germany. The Klitschkos always work each other's corner, but Vitali Klitschko decided that a long plane ride could cause considerable discomfort, so instead he'll have surgery Wednesday and recover at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Klitschko brothers were bred in Germany, where they're both very popular, but moved to the United States a few years ago.
Wladimir Klitschko (43-3, 39 KOs), once thought to be the heir apparent to Lennox Lewis' heavyweight throne, will try to continue rebuilding his reputation against Cuba's Eliseo Castillo (18-0-1, 14 KOs) in an HBO bout on Saturday. The younger Klitschko has been knocked out twice since his last noteworthy win, a 10th-round technical knockout of former West Paterson resident Jameel McCline (31-4-3, 19 KOs) on Dec. 7, 2002, in Las Vegas. Vitali Klitschko has since proven to be the better of the Klitschko brothers.
His blood-filled, courageous challenge of Lewis won him American acclaim nearly two years ago and the 33-year-old fighter has since won the WBC belt Lewis vacated when he retired last year.

Take note. That's three delays. King's July 23 date ended up being an August date. At the time, Klitschko mentioned coming back and defending against Calvin Brock -- I was on the conference call -- but there it was an uproar and it never came about.

As for the change from September to November, the WBC and other parties involved wanted to give time for the winner of Rahman-Barrett to heal in case of a cut caused during their fight.

Rahman out-bored Barrett, and soon afterward:

Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
August 18, 2005 Thursday
SECOND LINE: Sports briefs, TV listings, and upcoming schedules

BOXING
Klitschko-Rahman fight set
Vitali Klitschko will defend his heavyweight title against former champion Hasim Rahman in Las Vegas, most likely Nov. 12. Promoter Bob Arum said he won the rights to the WBC title fight with a purse bid of $12 million, beating out bids by rival Don King and K2 Promotions. Rahman won the right to meet Klitschko by beating Monte Barrett by decision Saturday in Chicago. Klitschko, who had back surgery in April, has not fought since stopping Danny Williams last December. It will be the first heavyweight title fight promoted by Arum since George Foreman beat Axel Schulz in 1995.

That bout was going to be delayed again because of the knee injury, but then Klitschko retired.

These writers did not go off of hearsay. Edgar puts together an intriguing narrative, but it is without basis.

[Kayjay's Ghost]

David you have to carry your opponent a bit if you want him to come back for more.

This is Klitschko-Danny Williams II, the straight-to-video version, with McCline reprising the Williams role...

Has McCline got my boy's balls though?

[Derranged_]

Has McCline got my boy's balls though?

Wow, a cameo appearance by Anorak; we don't see much of you on nsb anymore...