WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev is eager to fight “champion in recess” Ruslan Chagaev as soon as possible to finally clear the confusion surrounding the belts. After twice pulling out of a meeting with the Russian Giant, the Universum fighter had been named “champion in recess” last summer. Valuev went on to capture the vacant title by defeating John Ruiz in Berlin before making a successful defence against Evander Holyfield in December..
Even though the WBA ordered Valuev to defend against Chagaev on the latter´s return from injury to determine the unified champion, Chagaev requested a special permit from the WBA to fight Carl Davis Drumond instead. The special permit was granted, and Chagaev won, leaving the WBA with a “champion” as well as a rather active “champion in recess”. “Enough is enough,” Valuev said. “All this confusion has to end. There is just one way to determine the true champion and that is by meeting in the ring. I want to show the boxing world that I am the true WBA heavyweight champion. And I want to avenge the only loss of my career. I want to take on Chagaev as soon as possible.”
To settle the score, Valuev is willing to skip a potential voluntary defence. Said Sauerland Event General Manager Chris Meyer: “Instead of making another voluntary defence, Nikolai wants to fight Chagaev as soon as possible. We have therefore submitted a formal request to the WBA asking for the negotiations between the two camps to begin immediately.
If a voluntary agreement cannot be reached, a purse bid should be scheduled by the end of March. We have proposed that the fight will be eventually staged by the end of June.”
Meyer emphasised that Valuev will be forgoing a large sum of money which he could have made in a title defence. “Nikolai is fed up with the situation and wants to show that he is the one and only champion,” Meyer added. “Our request is in the best interest of all boxing fans. We hope it will be granted.”
Team Sauerland wins purse bid for Huck vs. Arslan
Marco “Captain” Huck (24-1, 19 KOs) will return to the ring in May to defend his European cruiserweight title against former world champion Firat Arslan (29-4, 18 KOs). Team Sauerland won today´s purse bid in Rome with an offer of 514,000 euros. “We are delighted that Marco will defend his title on a Sauerland show,” General Manager Chris Meyer said of the mandatory defence. “The fight will be staged in May. We will announce the date and the venue within the next two weeks.”
Captain Huck, who has dusted Geoffrey Batello and Fabio Tuiach since winning the title from Jean Marc Monrose last September, is looking forward to the showdown against Arslan. “We are both under contract with German promoters,” the 24-year-old said. “That makes the fight very special. It will be very interesting for the German boxing fans. I am really looking forward to it.”