WBC: Vitali must face Mandatory or be Stripped

WBC: Vitali fight your mandatory! The WBC Board of Governors has rejected a request for an exception by WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko and voted to force Vitali to face the winner of the August 13 Hasim Rahman vs Monte Barrett clash unless a step-aside agreement can be reached. It was announced earlier this week that Klitschko had an agreement in principle to face Calvin Brock on HBO September 24. IF the respective camps can arrange a step-aside deal, the WBC has stipulated Klitschko can make a voluntary defense on September 24 as long as the winner faces the winner of Rahman-Barrett no later than December 2005. IF no step-aside agreement is reached, the Rahman-Barrett winner must be ready and medically approved to fight Klitschko within 6-8 weeks of their August 13 bout. The situation came about after Klitschko-Rahman mandatory bouts had previously been scheduled and postponed three different times (April 30, June 18 and July 23) due to Klitschko injuries. Promoter Don King successfully petitioned the WBC to allow Rahman to face Barrett for the organization's interim title. If the Rahman-Barrett winner allows Klitschko to fight Brock in September, the purse split for the December showdown would be 55-45% in the champion's favor. If the Rahman-Barrett winner demands Klitschko to make his mandatory with no interim fight, the split will be 65-35% for Vitali. Rahman vs Barrett can be seen on Showtime PPV on August 13.