by James Slater – It looks like the remainder of 2009’s heavyweight world title action will come from WBC champion Vitali Klitschko and WBA ruler Nikolia Valuev. According to his manager, Bernd Boente, in speaking to ESPN.com yesterday, IBF and WBO king Wladimir Klitschko will probably be out of action until spring of next year.
According to Boente, who spoke with Dan Rafael, “Dr Steel Hammer” injured his left shoulder during his dominant, one-sided stoppage win of Ruslan Chagaev back in June. Minor tendon surgery was necessary and Wladimir is now in rehabilitation..
“His rehab is going well, making good progress,” Boente told ESPN.
As has been reported, Klitschko was in talks with his WBO mandatory challenger, “Fast” Eddie Chambers, and a talked of date for the two fighting one another was December. However, this now looks extremely unlikely, due to the shoulder injury and, as Boente says, a lack of available American T.V dates for the rest of this year.
“We want U.S TV to be on board,” Boente said.
The new target date for Klitschko-Chambers is thought to be some time in the spring of 2010, although it will depend on Wladimir’s healing process and available arena and TV dates.
This is slightly depressing news, it must be said. Wladimir is on a roll right now, and his dominance has continued. Chambers was really looking forward to testing the Ring magazine champion, and the fans were looking forward to seeing yet another promising U.S heavyweight getting his shot at a world title – unbeaten Chris Arreola being the other one, facing big brother Vitali as he is on September 26th.
The September fight, and maybe a November date between WBA champ Nikolai Valuev and Britain’s David Haye, will now be the only heavyweight title action we will get to see out the year. But with the WBA still having to reach a decision as to whether or not they will sanction Valuev-Haye as a title bout, there could be just one further “world” title fight up at heavyweight this year.
It will be interesting to see if Philadelphia’s Chambers will take another fight in the meantime as he waits for his date with destiny; after all a potential seven or eight months is a long time in which to remain idle. And how will the layoff affect Wladimir’s sharpness?
Knowing Chambers, he will likely opt to box another fight as he waits for his big chance. Klitschko-Chambers will surely now be one of the fights to look forward to in the first quarter of 2010.