WBC may strip Klitschko for ducking Rahman-Barrett
By Mike Indri
Retired Boxers Foundation
Word out of Los Angeles is that very soon "Team Klitschko" will be announcing their choice of opponent for Vitali’s scheduled September 24th fight, which will be broadcast live on HBO.
Recent talk was that the resurrected Oleg Maskaev was the choice, until both HBO and Showtime deemed the bout "unacceptable". Since then, the choice appears to be the young, talented and undefeated former Olympian Calvin Brock (26-0 with 21 KO’s). While Brock is a quality fighter and a justified opponent, the consensus is that Brock is still too young and raw for the challenge; and "Team Klitschko" knows it.
Vitali Klitschko, 35-2 with 34 KO’s, is the WBC heavyweight champion and most boxing expert’s top pick in today’s much maligned and muddled heavyweight division. Nicknamed "Dr. Ironfist", Vitali is a boxing rarity; having earned a college degree.
Obviously a very intelligent person, Vitali does realize that whomever he eventually faces this September, that there is really only one right choice - his MANDATORY opponent - for his WBC title defense; the winner of the Hasim Rahman-Monte Barrett WBC Interim Heavyweight Championship bout slated for Showtime Pay-Per-View this August 13th.
So much has been written and said about Klitschko: both good and bad, about his boxing talent and skills, his being the savior of a weak heavyweight division, as well as his often-questioned heart.
The turning point of Vitali’s Klitschko’s methodically and strategically planned boxing career came against a very bored, tired and out of shape Lennox Lewis (June 21, 2003). With Lewis ripe to be dethroned of his WBC crown, the best Klitschko could do was push Lewis to his limit before sustaining a severe cut to his eye and inner lip which forced a stoppage after the sixth round.
In Klitschko’s loss he attained his biggest victory to date - winning over the majority of the boxing public who, up to that date, had never credited Vitali for his courage or heart. Klitschko had finally earned his respect within boxing’s inner circle, who appeared willing to forget about Vitali’s quitting against Chris Byrd (4/1/2000), after round nine and leading comfortably on all three judge’s scorecards, due to a Klitschko shoulder injury.
Upon Lewis’s eventual retirement, following his TKO win over Klitschko and escaping as champion, RING magazine tabbed Vitali Klitschko as their new champion.
Since then Klitschko blew away a disastrously out of shape Kirk Johnson (TKO 2) in Dec.’03, stopped an injured Corrie Sanders (TKO 8) 4/24/04, and breezed by the game, yet non-threatening Danny Williams (TKO 8) 12/11/04.
This brings us to former world champion Hasim Rahman, 40-5-1 (33 KO’s). Rahman, since losing a unanimous decision to John Ruiz in Dec.’03, has come back with five consecutive wins and earned the # 1 ranking of the WBC, mandating a title shot against Klitschko.
Due in part to a thigh injury, and then a back injury-which required minor surgery, Klitschko has pulled out of three (April 30, June 18 and July 23) planned fights against "The Rock", giving many people the impression that Klitschko really doesn’t want to fight Rahman anytime soon.
Rahman is doing his part and has agreed to take on worthy challenger Monte Barrett (31-3 with 17 KO’s), in an "WBC Interim Championship" bout while waiting for the unwilling Klitschko; with the full intention that the winner would be Klitschko’s next title defense.
Somehow Klitschko, and his "advisor" Shelly Finkel, feel there is no need to honor commitments and are trying to side step this MANDATORY fight.
Arturo Gatti’s recent mandatory title defense was against Floyd Mayweather; the best fighter today and of this generation. Kostya Tszyu went to England to fight Ricky Hatton and Diego Corrales will be giving Jose Luis Castillo a rematch in October. That’s what CHAMPIONS do - they fight the best, they display character and show courage and heart.
If Klitschko’s opponent on September 24th isn’t either Hasim Rahman or Monte Barrett, the WBC must strip Vitali Klitschko and tell him he is not worthy of being their champion.
Hey Vitali - FIGHT like a champion, or move on!