Chagaev Injured, Won’t Face Valuev
By Michael Woods June 26th, 2008If it weren’t for bad luck, Ruslan Chagaev wouldn’t have any at all. The WBA heavyweight champ was supposed to tangle with Nicolay Valuev on Saturday, July 5, but in sparring he suffered a complete tear of the Achilles tendon in his left ankle.
He’s scheduled to have an operation on Monday, and is expected to be back by the end of the year. The July 5th card will go on with WBA middleweight champion Felix Sturm’s rematch against Randy Griffin as the topper.
Chagaev was bitten before by the bad luck/injury/illness bug; he was set to meet WBO titlist Sultan Ibragimov in a unification match on October 13, 2007 but cancelled, saying he’d contracted hepatitis B.
Chagaev defended his title against Matt Skelton on January 19, 2008, winning by unanimous decision.
June 27th, 2008 at 9:44 am
I no longer TRUST any of the Russian/ Ukraine Heavyweights!! They are phony , BS’ing people. Starting withthe Klitscho brothers, the others learn fast. they have the only title that are never defended against real competition! The others have learned fast. Ask Sam Peters, he’ll tell you. I will never pay or even watch the heavyweights if they are competing. The rules have to be changed to force these fighter with no backbone to fight or vacate!! hey should have 2 manatoru fights per year with the #1 and #2 ranked in their respective division ever year. 1 to be broadcast on free Tv. If they fail to do so even due to injury . The challenger becomes interum champion and be able to fight as champ until such time as the old champ is ready to fight him. They should receive 9 month to set a rematch and it must work in to the interum champs schedule. If we are ever to have a division worth watching this type of thing need to happen. Let the various chairmen of the WBA
June 27th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Send your letters to Michael Woods who wrote the article. He will see they get to the right place……….Or to the Sweet science website………………