Klaus-Peter Kohl: “Nikolai Valuev is the biggest and heaviest coward in the world”

After the WBA heavyweight world championship was surprisingly called off over the weekend in Helsinki, WBA champion Ruslan Chagaev’s promoter Universum Box-Promotion held a press conference at the InterContinental Hotel in Hamburg. Universum chief Klaus-Peter Kohl, Chagaev, German Federation (BDB) President Bodo Eckmann, Dr. Michael Ehnert (Chagaev’s doctor) and Dr. Heiner Wedemeyer of the German Liver Foundation spoke to reporters..

Dr. Heiner Wedemeyer, who is one of the experts of the Hepatitis B in Europe, gad contacted Universum independantly and stated the following: “Ruslan Chagaev is completely healthy according to the documents. I don’t follow the interpretation of my colleague from the Finnish lab. It was probably done more for legal protection rather than scientific facts. There is no infectivity and Ruslan Chagaev would have without a doubt boxed for the third time without danger. Mr. Chagaev has a completely normal liver function and is not considered to be ill, he is merely a bearer of the hepatitis B antigen. The German Liver Foundation will soon be issuing a separate press announcement in regard to this state of affairs. To us this is a very important subject. “

Wedemeyer, further urged all athletes to exclude the risk of contracting hepatitis with vaccinations. “We at the Liver Foundation say that every athlete should inoculate themselves against hepatitis and we have already carried out this initiative with the German Olympic team in 2008.”

Chagaev’s personal physician Dr. Michael Ehnert, from the Asklepios Klinik Hamburg-St.Georg stated, “The blood tests of Ruslan Chagaev during the last years have always remained constant, the same as they were in the 2007 fight against Nikolai Valuev under Sauerland supervision. The results from Finland do not differ from those from Germany. There is no reason that Ruslan can’t box.”

Klaus-Peter Kohl angerly lashed out at the incident in Helsinki. “Valuev is the biggest and heaviest heavyweight in the world and he is the biggest and heaviest coward in the world. He’s not only afraid of Ruslan, but also of a small prick from a vaccination needle which would give him 100% safety in his sport. One small prick for an active or passive vaccination would have been enough after the fight. He can shoot wild boars and bears, but he avoids a tiny prick? That’s why he got out with a dirty trick. He could have turned to an expert, so therefore from my view there are other reasons why this fight was called off. We will call to account the people responsible for this cancellation, but first we want to wait for the decision of the WBA at the end of the week and then weigh the judicial steps. The Finnish Federation is a small federation and this situation probably demanded too much. But Sauerland has been a promoter for a long time, longer than me, and he must make sure the rules are properly implemented. To me this is a big scandal.”

Kohl also expressed surprise that Dr Walter Wagner, the usual ring doctor used in Sauerland Event cards was not used in this promotion.

“Walter told me that he has been rejected because he doesn’t speak Finnish. It’s strange that Sauerland for the first time abroad doesn’t use the Austrian Federation supervision, but transfers the supervision to the small, inexperienced Finnish Federation. Otherwise, as in all important Sauerland Event promotions, Walter Wagner would have been the responsible ring doctor.”

BDB President Bodo Eckmann commented: “There were many formal errors, which would have been avoided because the German Federation offered help to the Finnish Association far in advance of the event. For example, with the situation at the scale the time ended up elapsing to call off a fight. I can assure that under our supervision this fight would have taken place.”

Kohl added, “Before the fight Universum Box-Promotion had at no time received a written request for further blood tests. Then after the first rumors, without being asked, had another one done ourselves. This test had the same values as ones in preceding years. Merely the interpretation by a Finnish lab doctor was out of line. We and the Federations have known Ruslan’s blood count for many years. We have continually tested Ruslan to avoid any residual risk, and also for his sparring partners, be excluded. We do not act frivolously. I think that each athlete should be vaccinated. But in any event, the fight would have been rescued if Valuev would have done this postfight vaccination or if Sauerland Event had quickly transferred the responsibility for supervision to the very experienced Austrian or German federations.”

Universum general manager Stefan Braune said “According to WBA rules a committee of three well-known doctors would meet and reach a decision. In Helsinki this didn’t happen. This is a clear breach against the guidelines of the WBA.”

WBA world champion Ruslan Chagaev stated, “After my Achilles tendon tear, Sauerland called me a faker. I was quiet because I thought it would be better to prove him wrong in the ring. This was handled very dirty and they have taken the fight from me. One cannot treat me in such a way. Everything was out there for weeks and they could have informed me of any doubt. Then on Friday there was a knock on the hotel door when I was already sleeping. My whole world collapsed. The behavior of Sauerland is not understandable. Two years ago the values were just like today and nobody at that time said anything. I will act against everybody who spreads lies about my health. I am healthy and can box. I will take on everybody.”

Valuev vs Chagaev – Universum considering legal action

After a hearing by the WBA, Universum Box-Promotion has issued the following statement about the events in Helsinki: Universum Box-Promotion has presented the WBA with medical proof that Ruslan Chagaev does not have the infectious disease hepatitis, but only a hepatitis antigen (a substance that prompts the generation of antibodies and can cause an immune response). Ruslan Chagaev’s blood values have been examined for many years regularly — by measuring methods which are substantially more sensitive than that of the Finnish lab which carried out the blood test that the organizers used to support the refusal to fight.

Universum also provided the WBA with evidence that Ruslan Chagaev’s blood values are unchanged for many years and are safe. They are invariably below the international standard from which the hepatitis disease is considered infectious. Ruslan Chagaev’s current blood values also correspond to those which he had in the first fight against Nikolai Valuev in April 2007. The fight at that time was promoted by Sauerland Event under the supervision of the Austrian Federation in Stuttgart and if there was any doubt about these blood values, it would have been mentioned then. Therefore, today, like the first time, there is no reason to call off the fight.

The Finnish Federation explained in today’s hearing that they have not prohibited the fight, but wanted Nikolai Valuev to agree to a passive protective inoculation (immunglobuline) within 24 hours of the fight. A decision from Valuev was not communicated.

Against this background, Universum Box-Promotion reserves the right to take legal steps.

The results and evaluation of Chagaev’s physician Dr. Michael Ehnert were confirmed by the independent Hamburg Zentrum für Infektiologie (IfI) and the doctor of the German Federation (BDB) Prof. Walter Wagner. Ehnert: “In each of the analyses carried out so far, using highly sensitive quantitative molecular biological testing for HBV circulierende viruses by PCR (polymerase chain reaction), showed that there is no viraemia (viral load in the blood). In all tests, including the latest in Helsinki, HBV-DNA was below the detection limit. Therefore it’s clearly demonstrated that the hepatitis B that Ruslan Chagaev recovered from in 2006 is currently not identified as infectious. There is definitely no danger for him or his opponents.”

World champion Ruslan Chagaev, who attended the hearing, said: “I’m healthy. I have no doctor attesting to any danger of infection. So I would box Valuev today, tomorrow or whenever. I’m very disappointed and can’t understand this decision. I’m fit and ready.”

Dietmar Poszwa, a member of the Universum management: “We have the impression that someone here wants to get the world champion Ruslan Chagaev out of the way. Since 2006 nobody has been interested in this subject. Now, of all of a sudden, the issue arises immediately before the fight. But we are still ready to box. Ruslan is and remains the WBA heavyweight world champion.“

Statement Universum Box-Promotion: Chagaev vs. Valuev cancelled

We cannot understand all this. Ruslan Chagaev is ready to box. His bloodwork has been stable for several years, including before this fight. The German Boxing Federation (BDB), the WBA and Prof. Dr. Walter Wagner, the doctor representing the Austrian Boxing Federation (FVA) which regulates cards of Sauerland Events, have all classified him as safe. They are trying to dodge Ruslan Chagaev here by hook or by crook. We will examine this situation very closely and take any steps necessary.

Valuev vs Chagaev off – Braekhus, Helenius to fight in Helsinki

By Per Ake Persson: May 30, Helsinki, Finland: The fight between the two WBA heavyweight champs Nikolai Valuev and Ruslan Chagaev is off after Chagaev failed his medical. It is now confirmed that the reason is a positive Hepatitis B test. According to Chagaev´s promoter Universum he´s fought with the same blood tests for years now under supervision of the German, the BDB, and Austrian, FvA, federations but the Finnish Federation will not allow Chagaev to fight. What´s right or wrong in the case is impossible to speculate on but one can be certain there is more to come from the parties involved.

The show tonight at the Hartwall Arena will go ahead though with Cecilia Braekhus vs Amy Yuratovic, Robert Helenius vs Scott Gammer and Giuseppe Lauri vs Juho Tolppola as headliners. Also on the bill are Dennis Shafikov, Niko Jokinen and Jarno Rosberg. A refund or a discount on the tickets are apparently offered.

Off the bill are Lamon Brewster vs Juho Haapoja, Leonard Bundu vs Frank Shabani and Kali Meehan vs Cerrone Fox