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By Jake Donovan - It doesn't happen often, which is all the more reason to point out when the alphabet sanctioning bodies do the right thing for a change.
This weekend's heavyweight battle between undefeated prospects-turned-contenders Alexander Povetkin and Eddie Chambers (Saturday, HBO, 10PM ET/PT, tape delayed from Berlin, Germany) came about because the IBF did the right thing for a change.
Rewind back to last summer, when writers and fans were furious over the prospect of either Chris Byrd or Calvin Brock being given the chance to once again face Wladimir Klitschko, BoxingScene.com's #1 ranked heavyweight, after both fell miserably short in 2006. Rumors were running rampant that, in efforts to create a mandatory challenger for Klitschko, the IBF would sanction a Byrd-Brock eliminator, giving Wlad enough time to take an optional defense and the alphabet boys a chance to extract sanctioning fees from places other than title fights.
As with any rumor, the adage "believe half of what you see, none of what you hear" rang true. Yes, a possible rematch for either fighter was somewhat in reach. Only they weren't one fight, but two away from earning the opportunity. They weren't merely being given a second (or in Byrd's case, a third) chance at a first impression, but would have to literally fight their way to the top, and not just against the usual suspects. [details]
This weekend's heavyweight battle between undefeated prospects-turned-contenders Alexander Povetkin and Eddie Chambers (Saturday, HBO, 10PM ET/PT, tape delayed from Berlin, Germany) came about because the IBF did the right thing for a change.
Rewind back to last summer, when writers and fans were furious over the prospect of either Chris Byrd or Calvin Brock being given the chance to once again face Wladimir Klitschko, BoxingScene.com's #1 ranked heavyweight, after both fell miserably short in 2006. Rumors were running rampant that, in efforts to create a mandatory challenger for Klitschko, the IBF would sanction a Byrd-Brock eliminator, giving Wlad enough time to take an optional defense and the alphabet boys a chance to extract sanctioning fees from places other than title fights.
As with any rumor, the adage "believe half of what you see, none of what you hear" rang true. Yes, a possible rematch for either fighter was somewhat in reach. Only they weren't one fight, but two away from earning the opportunity. They weren't merely being given a second (or in Byrd's case, a third) chance at a first impression, but would have to literally fight their way to the top, and not just against the usual suspects. [details]
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