[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The WBA heavyweight title will not be at stake tonight when IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and Ruslan Chagaev, the WBAs champion in recess fight in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. That has been confirmed by the WBA in a statement on their web page. Please be informed that the WBA will not complete its review of either the matter relating to the cancelled Helsinki heavyweight title bout or the recent Chagaev special permit request until after 21 June 2009, nor has it sanctioned any heavyweight title unification bout, WBA Legal Director Robert E. Mack states. least chag is outta the ruiz valuev wba joke circle [/FONT]
That statement is key. They could very well make the winner the WBA Super Champion since it would be unified with other belts. Clearly they are waiting to see who wins........
I wouldn't be so sure. If Chagaev loses he still might try to stake a claim to the WBA strap. As a sidenote, I watched Foreman v Ali last night and it kind of made me sad. The heavyweight title meant something then. Sure it was comprised of the WBC and WBA but it wasn't anything like the situation we have now and certainly wasn't thought of as being a composition of sanctioning bodies.
Who cares about these WBA-clowns in Panama. Tonites winner is linear and Ring Champ. ABC-titles are for crooks...
I think that Wlad needs to win tonight then go after Valuev and then take all the ABC belts and Throw them in the trash! Hold up the ring belt and say "I'm the best **** the alphabet orgs"
Which is why the WBA title means nothing at this stage. Chagaev is the true WBA Champ... the winner of this fight is the true IBF, WBO, WBA, IBO and Ring Magazine Champion. The WBC also means nothing at this point because nobody who has held it for years has done anything of note. The Champ makes the title, the title doesn't make the champ.
You'd have to have a seriously lax view of lineage to declare the winner of tonights fight linear heavyweight champion. Seriously, I often disagree with people's ideas of who is linear champion, but can at least see their argument. I can't even see the argument for this one.
WHO CARES?! Screw the WBA- they know that there is more money to be made from Valuev-Ruiz XVIII so this decision doesn't in the least suprise me.
Has anyone heard anything of what's going on with the WBA heavy situation??? WBA hasn't released ratings since May!! They never followed up on Chagaev's status (should be obvious though) and they haven't released the findings of the Valuev/Chagaev circus act. Not to mention they never followed up on the Holyfield/Valuev robbery. Personally I think Valuev should be stripped for ducking Chagaev. The WBA title should be vacant and a tournament set up (excluding Valuev, Chagaev and Ruiz) and the matches take place outside of Germany.