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The International Boxing Organization will fill its vacant heavyweight title on April 22nd when American Chris Byrd, ranked No. 1 in the I.B.O. computerized rankings, fights No. 4 Vladimir Klitschko in Manheim, Germany in a much-anticipated bout. Byrd is 39-2-1, while Klitschko, from the Ukraine, is 45-3.
The I.B.O. has been without a heavyweight champion since February 6th, 2004, when the legendary Lennox Lewis retired. Lewis is expected to be there to pass on to the winner the I.B.O. title belt he never lost in the ring. Klitschko's older brother, Vitali, a former heavyweight champion himself, is also expected to be there to help uphold the family name.
The I.B.O. has declined to have a heavyweight champion until now, according to I.B.O. President Edward Levine, because it chose to wait until it could have a champion who would bring similar esteem to the title that Lewis established in an eight-fight, five-year run of I.B.O. title fights.
In another headliner I.B.O. title fight, this one matching two unbeatens, American Jeff Lacy (21-0) will defend his super middleweight crown against England's Joe Calzaghe (40-0), the WBO champion. They'll meet on March 4 in Manchester, England.
In other upcoming I.B.O. championship bouts, light middleweight Mihaly Kotai fights Steve Conway on March 3rd in England; welterweight Jawaid Khaliq goes against Chad Bennett on April 2nd in Melbourne, Australia; lightweight Isaac Hlatswago battles Aldo Rios on February 25th in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Others include featherweight Thomas Mashaba taking on Israel Perez on March 23rd, also in South Africa, and flyweight Vic Darchinyan facing Diosdado Gabi on March 3rd in Santa Ynez, California.
In a bout for the I.B.O.'s heavyweight Intercontinental title, promising Israeli Roman Greenburg tries to move to 22-0 when he faces Russian Alex Vassilev. The fight will be March 18th in Monte Carlo.
And finally, on February 18th in Uncasville, CT, Mike Oliver will face Castillo Gonzalez for the U.S.B.O. Super Bantamweight title on ESPN.
The I.B.O. has been without a heavyweight champion since February 6th, 2004, when the legendary Lennox Lewis retired. Lewis is expected to be there to pass on to the winner the I.B.O. title belt he never lost in the ring. Klitschko's older brother, Vitali, a former heavyweight champion himself, is also expected to be there to help uphold the family name.
The I.B.O. has declined to have a heavyweight champion until now, according to I.B.O. President Edward Levine, because it chose to wait until it could have a champion who would bring similar esteem to the title that Lewis established in an eight-fight, five-year run of I.B.O. title fights.
In another headliner I.B.O. title fight, this one matching two unbeatens, American Jeff Lacy (21-0) will defend his super middleweight crown against England's Joe Calzaghe (40-0), the WBO champion. They'll meet on March 4 in Manchester, England.
In other upcoming I.B.O. championship bouts, light middleweight Mihaly Kotai fights Steve Conway on March 3rd in England; welterweight Jawaid Khaliq goes against Chad Bennett on April 2nd in Melbourne, Australia; lightweight Isaac Hlatswago battles Aldo Rios on February 25th in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Others include featherweight Thomas Mashaba taking on Israel Perez on March 23rd, also in South Africa, and flyweight Vic Darchinyan facing Diosdado Gabi on March 3rd in Santa Ynez, California.
In a bout for the I.B.O.'s heavyweight Intercontinental title, promising Israeli Roman Greenburg tries to move to 22-0 when he faces Russian Alex Vassilev. The fight will be March 18th in Monte Carlo.
And finally, on February 18th in Uncasville, CT, Mike Oliver will face Castillo Gonzalez for the U.S.B.O. Super Bantamweight title on ESPN.