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As was originally reported on ********* last month, the representatives of IBF Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko and WBC Heavyweight Champion Oleg Maskaev are still in serious negotiations for a unification match to take place in the spring. "The one thing boxing fans are clamoring for is to end the chaos in boxing and in particular in the heavyweight division," Maskaev promoter Dennis Rappaport explained to ********* on Tuesday afternoon. "We're having an open dialogue and we have an understanding with Klitschko. We have a tentative date, subject to sanctioning, of April 21st."
The major roadblock in all of this is the mandatory defense Maskaev will have to make against the winner of the January 6th rematch between Samuel Peter and James Toney. "The Big O" is coming off an optional title defense last week when he won a lopsided unanimous decision over Peter Okhello in Russia.
Whether the WBC would grant Maskaev a second consecutive optional defense is questionable at this point. "We're requesting from the WBC a short extension," Rappaport explained. "What are we asking for? A 90-120 day extension? That's a small thing to ask to unify the division." Rappaport will make his case in a written letter to WBC president Jose Sulaiman to be sent out this weekend. "I'm going to write him a detailed position on Sunday," Rappaport said.
While negotiations are still ongoing, the fight is looking more and more likely to take place outside of the United States. "There's a good chance it would take place in Moscow," Rappaport told *********. "It's not 100 percent, but it's a real good chance." As for television, the unification bout will likely take place on regular HBO, not Pay-Per-View. "It would be regular HBO because if it it's done in Russia it would be (televised in the US) in the afternoon."
Maskaev, 34-5, 26 KO's meanwhile was scheduled to have orthoscopic surgery completed on his right elbow on Thursday in New York. That surgery however has now been pushed back to early January with a rehabilitation period of approximately one month to follow.
The major roadblock in all of this is the mandatory defense Maskaev will have to make against the winner of the January 6th rematch between Samuel Peter and James Toney. "The Big O" is coming off an optional title defense last week when he won a lopsided unanimous decision over Peter Okhello in Russia.
Whether the WBC would grant Maskaev a second consecutive optional defense is questionable at this point. "We're requesting from the WBC a short extension," Rappaport explained. "What are we asking for? A 90-120 day extension? That's a small thing to ask to unify the division." Rappaport will make his case in a written letter to WBC president Jose Sulaiman to be sent out this weekend. "I'm going to write him a detailed position on Sunday," Rappaport said.
While negotiations are still ongoing, the fight is looking more and more likely to take place outside of the United States. "There's a good chance it would take place in Moscow," Rappaport told *********. "It's not 100 percent, but it's a real good chance." As for television, the unification bout will likely take place on regular HBO, not Pay-Per-View. "It would be regular HBO because if it it's done in Russia it would be (televised in the US) in the afternoon."
Maskaev, 34-5, 26 KO's meanwhile was scheduled to have orthoscopic surgery completed on his right elbow on Thursday in New York. That surgery however has now been pushed back to early January with a rehabilitation period of approximately one month to follow.
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