By James Slater – Last night at Ballys in Atlantic City, Philadelphian heavyweight contender “Fast” Eddie Chambers won an important IBF elimination bout, as he won a wide 12-round unanimous decision over a determined Derric Rossy – winning by scores of 120-107, 117-110 and 115-112.
These two had met before, with the slicker, more naturally talented Chambers scoring a 7th-round TKO back in 2007. Last night, having put further experience under his belt, 30-year-old Rossy was able to stick around to the final bell. Chambers, two years the younger man, dropped the former football player in the sixth-round, with a nice overhand right, but he was unable to finish his man..
Chambers, who improved to 36-2(18), was having his first fight back since his losing fight with Ring Magazine, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko, almost a full year ago. Rossy, who could well go on to defeat a couple of name fighters who are not as tricky as Chambers, is now 25-3(14).
With last night’s win, Chambers moves closer towards a rematch with the current IBF ruler; Klitschko. But is there any way fans will buy into Chambers having a chance of putting on a more competitive showing against “Dr. Steel Hammer” in a rematch, much less of beating him?
With his style, size and poundage (Eddie was 208 for last night’s win), Chambers appears to have a much better shot of winning a title from a guy not called Klitschko. The two brothers are simply too big, too solid and too hard to hit for the man some fans say should be a cruiserweight anyway. That leaves just WBA champ David Haye for Chambers to tackle.
This match-up would prove a hugely intriguing one with fans wondering whether the Philly talent would be able to avoid Haye’s bombs on the way to out-boxing him. But there seems to be next to no chance of this fight happening. With Haye promising he will retire this October, meaning he will have two more fights at the most – with Ruslan Chagaev, Alexander Povetkin or Denis Boystov being in the frame for May – Chambers appears to be nowhere on Haye’s radar.
So “Fast” Eddie, it seems, must look towards Wladimir if he wants to become world champion. Unless, of course, someone comes along and upsets Haye, taking his title in the process, and then opts to defend it against Chambers. If, for example, Povetin were to get the Haye fight in May and beat him, would the Russian then look forward to a return with Chambers, who he out-pointed in another IBF eliminator in 2008?
To me, the WBA belt looks like the one Chambers has his best chance of getting hold of.