By Ruslan Chikov
IBF Chairman Lindsey Tucker confirms that heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko formally notified the sanctioning organization about his intention to fight WBA champion David Haye of England. He told the IBF his team is involved in negotiations with Haye's co-promoter, Sauerland Event and manager Adam Booth.
Because Klitschko is pursuing a unification fight, the IBF tells sportsbox.ru the mandatory defense owed to Alexander Povetkin has been pushed back to a later date. Previously the sanctioning organization ordered Klitschko and Povetkin to reach an agreement by April 26.
"According to our rules, holding a unification fight, as I said earlier, has priority over a mandatory defense," Tucker said.
