Klitschko mandatory plans!
Thursday, October 7 2004
Regarding the process for selecting a mandatory challenger for WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, WBC President Jose Sulaiman said today, "We had #1 ranked James Toney as one of the fighters in a final elimination bout, but unfortunately, he was injured. The Board of Governors decided we should respect the WBC Rules and Regulations that state that in every vacant title, there must be two defenses of the title. We gave the champion a voluntary defense, but we have to appoint two official challengers. So, once Toney was out, it was presented to the WBC here that #2 ranked Hasim Rahman was going to fight #5 Kali Meehan, the fight was already contracted. So the WBC decided to have that as an elimination bout. The WBC also decided to have #3 ranked Monte Barrett fight #4 Owen Beck. Then Toney will come back into picture when he is able to return. Now, if what I'm hearing is true, that Rahman is fighting Meehan in a WBA elimination bout, then they're out. They're out of the WBC, period. Then it would be only Barrett versus Beck. I don't like it when promoters play with us. I don't accept it, because we play with no promoters. For us to vote for an elimination bout between Rahman and Meehan, it was because the promoter told us that the fight was signed and that they would accept it as a WBC elimination bout. But if they have the other commitment, may God bless them and I wish them very good luck. We would have had #1 Toney in with #2 Rahman, but Toney was unavailable. So, Toney will fight the winner of Barrett vs Beck to determine the second
Thursday, October 7 2004
Regarding the process for selecting a mandatory challenger for WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, WBC President Jose Sulaiman said today, "We had #1 ranked James Toney as one of the fighters in a final elimination bout, but unfortunately, he was injured. The Board of Governors decided we should respect the WBC Rules and Regulations that state that in every vacant title, there must be two defenses of the title. We gave the champion a voluntary defense, but we have to appoint two official challengers. So, once Toney was out, it was presented to the WBC here that #2 ranked Hasim Rahman was going to fight #5 Kali Meehan, the fight was already contracted. So the WBC decided to have that as an elimination bout. The WBC also decided to have #3 ranked Monte Barrett fight #4 Owen Beck. Then Toney will come back into picture when he is able to return. Now, if what I'm hearing is true, that Rahman is fighting Meehan in a WBA elimination bout, then they're out. They're out of the WBC, period. Then it would be only Barrett versus Beck. I don't like it when promoters play with us. I don't accept it, because we play with no promoters. For us to vote for an elimination bout between Rahman and Meehan, it was because the promoter told us that the fight was signed and that they would accept it as a WBC elimination bout. But if they have the other commitment, may God bless them and I wish them very good luck. We would have had #1 Toney in with #2 Rahman, but Toney was unavailable. So, Toney will fight the winner of Barrett vs Beck to determine the second
Comment