Haye pulled out on Wednesday with a back injury and was hoping for a delay. Klitschko, however, preferred to keep the original date as his training was on target for June 20 and a sellout is expected at Schalke's 60,000-seat soccer stadium in Gelsenkirchen.
Two viable opponents were available since the May 30 WBA title fight between Chagaev and Nikolay Valuev was cancelled when Chagaev's pre-fight blood test revealed evidence of Hepatitis B, a condition which has plagued his career in recent years.
Logic would suggest Klitschko fight the guy who DOESN'T have a disease which can be transmitted through contact with infected blood, right? So why is he fighting Chagaev instead of Valuev? Apparently, contracts couldn't be worked out on short notice with the Valuev camp and Klitschko's doctors and management have advised him that "the chances that Wladimir is infected by this guy are about as much as the sky falling on our heads".
Klitschko is obviously no Chicken Little but this fight nevertheless has a stink about it that likely would have prevented it from being sanctioned in the United States. Even HBO, which was going to televise the Haye fight, decided to pass on the Chagaev fight . . . even though Chagaev is arguably a more viable opponent than eight of Klitschko's last nine bouts -- all of which were televised by HBO.
Comments
I would like a more complete explanation as to why HBO is not televising this fight.
Was it Lincoln who mentions something about fooling some of the people some of the time but not fooling all of the people all of the time? Well the “brothers” are becoming more of a cartoon pair with the non-opponents they have dragged into the ring. In a division badly in need of competition, it is a shame good talent is not to be had. Just maybe someone like David Tua, still not too old, and still potentially letal with either hand can get his career back together again and we can see more life in the division.