18.09.07 – With Vitali Klitschko pulling out of his fifth consecutive boxing match in a row, the following is a chronological list of Vitali’s dubious heavyweight maneuverings from 2004 to present.
– Vitali Klitschko has never made a mandatory defense of a world title (WBC or WBO).
– Vitali Klitschko defeats Corrie Sanders by technical knockout in round eight on April 24, 2004, at Staples Center in Los Angeles to win the vacant WBC heavyweight title (vacated by Lennox Lewis).
– Pursuant to “WBC Rule 1.25 Vacant Title,” Klitschko was able to petition the WBC “to approve one voluntary defense, with the condition that the winner must meet his official challenger next.” The WBC granted the exception paving the way for Klitschko to meet Danny Williams on Dec. 11, 2004.
– Hasim Rahman defeats Kali “Checkmate” Meehan in New York at Madison Square Garden in a WBC heavyweight championship elimination bout on Nov. 13, 2004, to become the WBC mandatory challenger.
– Vitali Klitschko makes an optional defense against Danny Williams in Los Angeles on Dec. 11, 2004, winning by technical knockout in round eight.
– Tom Loeffler, Klitschko’s promoter at K2 Promotions, states on Dec. 24, 2004, that Vitali’s hands “were badly swollen but not broken” after his fight with Williams and that the timetable for future bouts “depends on Vitali’s hands.”
– Klitschko agrees in February 2005 to make a mandatory defense against Rahman on April 30, 2005, at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
– The April 30, 2005, meeting is rescheduled to June 18, 2005, after Vitali suffers what is called a “thigh injury” while jogging.
– Klitschko re-schedules this mandatory defense to July 23, 2005, claiming his thigh did not respond to treatment.
The July 23, 2005, re-scheduling is postponed yet again after Klitschko claims his thigh injury has spread to his back.
– Klitschko undergoes what his handlers refer to as “minor back surgery,” on April 19, 2005.
– “WBC Rule 1.27 Inactivity of a Champion” states: “When a world champion is: a) inactive for more than six (6) months but less than one (1) year, for certified medical reasons, or b) for whatever legal impediment or other reason beyond his control is unable to defend his championship within the time periods prescribed by the Rules and Regulations, the WBC may determine an interim champion pursuant to Rule 1.25 hereof.”
– Don King Productions successfully petitions the WBC in May 2005 to sanction for its interim heavyweight championship on Aug. 13, 2005, the match between WBC No. 1-ranked mandatory challenger Hasim Rahman and WBC No. 2-ranked, and No. 2 mandatory challenger, Monte “Two Gunz” Barrett pursuant to WBC Rule 1.27.
– Don King implores Klitschko to face Rahman on Aug. 13, avoiding the necessity of the interim championship bout. Klitschko claims he cannot be ready to fight by Aug. 13. After Rahman and Barrett sign to fight each other, it is leaked to the media that Klitschko suddenly recovers to the extent that he is fit to fight on HBO Sept. 24. Klitschko’s hand-picked opponent, Oleg Maskaev, is subsequently rejected by HBO as a suitable opponent according to media reports.
– Klitschko subsequently petitions the WBC to allow him a second voluntary defense against Calvin Brock on Sept. 24, 2005. The WBC rejects Klitschko’s bid on July 15, 2005, and orders Vitali to face the winner of Rahman vs. Barrett.
– Rahman wins unanimous decision over Barrett at the United Center in Chicago on Aug. 13, 2005, to become the WBC interim heavyweight champion.
– The WBC announces on Aug. 17, 2005, that Klitschko will make his thrice-delayed mandatory defense against Rahman on Nov. 12, 2005, at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
– Klitschko is reportedly “knocked down” and “banged up” by sparring partners during the first week in November to the extent he claims a knee injury. Two doctors fit Vitali with two different knee braces, but it was never reported that either physician determined that Klitschko’s apparent knee injury would prevent him from fighting on Nov. 12.
– Vitali Klitschko himself makes the decision to pull out of the Rahman fight on Nov. 5, 2005.
– “WBC Rule 1.28 Penalty on Inactivity by Champion (or Interim Champion)” states: “A champion (or an interim champion) not defending his title within one (1) year will lose his title.” Therefore, if Klitschko is not able to face Rahman by Dec. 11, 2005, (one year since Klitschko last defended his title against Danny Williams), the WBC must, by its own Rules and Regulations, strip him of his title. Furthermore:
– “WBC Rule 1.29 Penalty on Refusal to Fight” states: “If any of both, the WBC Champion [Klitschko] and the interim champion [Rahman], is not willing to participate in a contest to have one sole undisputed champion in the division, he [Klitschko] will lose his portion of the title, with the willing champion [Rahman] becoming automatically, the undisputed WBC Champion of the division.” Therefore, the WBC must declare Rahman its heavyweight champion by Dec. 10, 2005, pursuant to rules 1.28 and 1.29, if it follows its own Rules and Regulations. Any deviation from the aforementioned Rules and Regulations would certainly leave the WBC open to needless and unnecessary lawsuits for obvious violations of its own Rules and Regulations.
– “WBC Rule 1.21 Championship Defense Obligations” states: “b) Mandatory Defense Obligations. All WBC recognized champions are obligated to make at least one yearly mandatory defense against the designated official challenger [Rahman].” It further states: “Mandatory Defenses. A WBC champion is obligated to make at least one yearly mandatory defense against the designated official challenger [Rahman].”
– Vitali Klitschko announces his retirement from boxing on Nov. 9, 2005
– The WBC announces that Vitali Klitschko has been named “WBC heavyweight champion emeritus” on Nov. 17, 2005. A curious move for a supposedly retired fighter that facilitates Klitschko to unretire at any time and become the WBC’s mandatory challenger to the heavyweight champion.
– The WBC holds a ceremony in Cancun, Mexico, on Dec. 20, 2005, where interim WBC heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman is named outright WBC heavyweight champion.
On Dec. 10, 2005, Vitali Klitschko announces that he will run for elected mayor of the Ukrainian capital of Kiev. He loses that bid on March 26, 2006.
– Oleg Maskaev becomes WBC heavyweight champion after scoring a 12th-round technical knockout over Hasim Rahman on Aug. 12, 2006.
– In January 2007 Vitali Klitschko announces his unretirement and petitions the WBC to leapfrog its heavyweight mandatory challenger Samuel “The Nigerian Nightmare” Peter, who had won two successive elimination bouts against James “Lights Out” Toney, to fight for the title against Oleg Maskaev. Klitschko’s promoters, fearing a legal challenge from Peter, promise millions to Peter to step aside, but the money to complete the deal does not materialize, and these plans are scrapped in April 2007.
– Vitali announces on July 9, 2007, that he will fight Jameel “Big Time” McCline in Munich, Germany, on Sept. 22, 2007.
– On Sept. 9, 2007, Vitali pulls out of his scheduled Sept. 22 fight with Jameel McCline claiming an apparent back injury, just not the previous apparent back injury that postponed a match with Rahman on July 23, 2005. This marked the fifth consecutive fight in a row where he was unable to participate in a scheduled match. His last boxing match where he showed up was in 2004.
Klitschko spokesman Tom Loeffler told ESPN.com, “He was doing his training when his back tightened up. It needed immediate surgery to relieve pressure on the nerve. It was just an unfortunate occurrence, but it’s not an uncommon injury.” Heavyweight contender DaVarryl “Touch of Sleep” Williamson sparred with Klitschko on the Sept. 4, Sept. 6 and Sept. 7, j one day prior to Klitschko’s supposed injury on Sept. 8. Williamson said, “I don’t know what they [the Klitschko camp] anticipated from me [in sparring] but I will tell you they got their money’s worth,” Williamson said. “It was competitive on both sides. I sparred with Vitali on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday [Sept. 4, 6 and 7] and didn’t notice anything unusual,” Williamson said. “I didn’t know anything about his injury, which they said happened the next day on Saturday [Sept. 8]. I don’t know what happened between Friday and Saturday morning.”