KING PUTS OUT SPIN ON KLITSCHKO SITUATION
By Boxing News November 8th, 2005
Here is the material being put out by Don King Productions in reaction to Vitali Klitschko pulling out of Saturday’s previously scheduled fight with Hasim Rahman due to inujury:
(FROM PRESS RELEASE)
DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla.—To make an informed conclusion on whether Vitali Klitschko should be stripped of the World Boxing Council heavyweight championship for failing, on four separate occasions this year, to face his mandatory challenger Hasim “The Rock� Rahman, the following chronology of events should be considered:
• 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 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.
• 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].�
What do YOU think? Let us know.
November 8th, 2005 at 5:10 am
I think we can all wait just a little longer and so can Rahman. Everyone is trying to act like Rahman is so hard done by. He’s getting a third chance to win the title a second time. All of a sudden people are talking like Rahman is a prime Mike Tyson - let’s get real. Rahman’s last performance was pathetic. If anyone was to take a second look at the Barret fight they would see that the decision could’ve went to Barret easily. Now Rahman has the nerve to say he’s been quiet and he’s letting Vitali do all the trash talking, but that’s a lie - Vitali hasn’t said a thing, it’s been all Rahman. I understand what has happened to Vitali’s knee. I did the same thing last year and had to take two weeks off work - it’s easy to walk straight but if you turn fast or move sideways at all you just collapse. I remember seeing Rahman get knocked through the ropes by Oleg Makeav, but now he’s the most dangerous man in the heavyweight division - yeah right. It doesn’t matter if he needs the money and that now! he’s hungry. I’ve been hungry my whole life - this isn’t Cinderella Man.
November 8th, 2005 at 11:01 am
Although I agree that Rahman is NOT the best next challenger for the Heavyweight title and that this recent postponment has elevated his status for no good reason, I think as a TRUE champion, Vitali needs to relenquish his WBC title, get healthy, and then earn it back the right way. This is the only way to save his name
November 8th, 2005 at 4:01 pm
KLITSCHKO NEEDS TO STOP STALLING AND GET HIS ASS ON THE MAT AND START KICKING SOME ASS. RAHMAN IS NOT A GREAT FIGHTER. HE’S JUST AN OBSTACLE…IF VITALI DOES NOT FIGHT THIS MANDATORY FIGHT HE THEN DESERVES TO HAVE HIS TITLE STRIPPED AND GIVEN TO RAHMAN…AND THEN HAVE A BIG TOUNAMENT TO SEE WHO IS THE BEST HEAVYWEIGHT OUT THERE…
November 8th, 2005 at 4:24 pm
I agree, his fight with Rob Calloway was pathetic too. He’s been beat by Maskaev, Ruiz, and an old Holyfield, and Barrett in my opinion! He’s a decent fighter though. I just think his mouth is making him look bigger and stronger than he really is. I can’t wait to see the fight when Vitali is in good shape, though.
November 8th, 2005 at 4:40 pm
let’s see how klitchko’s knee is in 2 weeks if a good fight is on in 4 weeks … and rahman the new mike tyson? tyson could have been one of the best heavyweights of all time if he wanted to but people feared tyson, they dont fear rahman.
November 8th, 2005 at 8:42 pm
With Don King involved nothing said or done can be believed. King ruins boxing period. Only in America. As for Rahman- Klitschko is about as scared of Rahman as I am of getting eaten by a shark on land. Rahman’s been knocked out numerous times and lately can’t do the same to his opponents. Let’s get rid of King and start unifying the titles. Rahman, Ruiz, Byrd, and Brewster would all be beltless. Im tired of all these belts. There should be only ONE champion.
November 11th, 2005 at 12:47 pm
The heavyweights are not real good to watch fight anyway - no one stands out in my mind as being a true champ. What we need is a boxer no one has ever heard of to come save the division. Cause I’ve seen harder fighters at the day care than I see watching these Heavyweights!
November 12th, 2005 at 10:45 am
klitschko is not a great champion, and has lived on hand picked opponents. whereas hasim has fought whoever was set before him, including a victory over lennox lewis. he has remained active and should be awarded his chance or given the belts held by vitali who can’t perform. the wbc rules are being twisted because vitali represents the great white hope that cooney was in the 80’s. hasim isn’t holyfield, lewis, or tyson - but he’s a solid active fighter with good skills. give him his just do and stop with the politics!
November 13th, 2005 at 6:37 am
nate is the only person here not smoking crack. the rest of you are apparently cracked up. who is gonna sit here and say that barret beat rahman or that it was even a close fight? what were you on that night? remember it’s not necessarily that rahman wasn’t good, it’s that barret backpedalled and covered up for 10 of the 12 rounds. rahman can’t look good if barret is going to run away. and apparently all u who are devoted klitschko fans know that the robotic urkranian will stand there, making a great performance by probably both fighters. the only difference between Vitali Klitschko and Ivan Drago (Rocky 4) is that Drago actually took chances and fought some good fighters.
November 14th, 2005 at 3:45 pm
I THINK VITALI WILL COME BACK AND PROVE HIMSELF WHEN HE RECOVERS FROM HIS INJURIES, AND I HONESTLY FEEL FOR THE MAN HE FIGHTS. THIS MAN HAS HONOR, TALENT, COURAGE AND NONE CAN DISPUTE HIS HEART. I DONT THINK HE AND HIS BROTHER WILL LET THIS INCIDENT RUIN THEIR DREAMS. THEY SIMPLY HAD TO GIVE IN TO THE HYPE CREATED BY RAHMAN AND HIS HANDLERS. IT IS AWFUL TO ME TO SEE SOMEONE SO PROUD OF HIS NAME, HIS BROTHER AND HIS CAREER TO BE SHAMED IN THE MEDIA FOR AN INTELLIGENT DECISION HE WAS FORCED TO MAKE FOR THE BENEFIT OF HIS HEALTH. I WOULD HAVE WAITED ANOTHER YEAR TO SEE THIS FIGHT, AND I WILL WAIT LONGER IF NECESSARY. I DONT THINK HE IS DONE FOR GOOD, AND I FOR ONE WILL STILL BE A FAN IF AND WHEN HE COMES BACK.
November 14th, 2005 at 10:18 pm
The shame of heavyweight boxing is con artist promoters and multiple belts…and lousy judging. This is a sport in dire need of a facelift. Someone should create one title, ingnoring all the current ones, and figure out a way to have non-controversial judging. In other words, revamp the entire sport.
Too often, these days, the only prevailling feeling from the stands is one of disappointment or downright disgust. Hello? Anyone with a brain and good marketing skills listening??
November 15th, 2005 at 1:16 pm
Rahman at one point in his career about the time he fought Tua the first time had real potential but something happen to him and he lost it maybe it was the almost fatal auto accident he was in. Klitcho is a good fighter not a great fighter and personally I believe he only wanted to be heavy weight champ he didn’t want to defend it. He didn’t want to fight Rahman plain and simple and if he is reluctant to take a chance with Rahman he doesn’t deserve the title. Somewere out there there is a good heavy weight who has lousy management and can’t recognized, Boxing needs a recruiter just like baseball and football to find these guys and move them along. HBO should pay someone to find these guys and introduce them to top management other wise the sport I love so much is going to down for the count.