Meehan vs. Alexander - August 30th Berlin - "Beast" on the menu?

WBA No. 3 rated heavyweight Kali “Checkmate” Meehan has signed to fight American Dominique Alexander in Berlin August 30th in a WBA eliminator bout. The winner will face the winner of the WBA heavyweight title bout between Nikolay “Beast from the East” Valuev and former 2 time world champion John “Quietman” Ruiz, which will be the main event.
And whilst not looking too far ahead Kali has one great wish: to be the first person to crush Valuev. During his 15 year/50 professional fight career, the 320 pound Russian fighter who stands 7 feet tall, has yet to come close to tasting the canvas. But if Meehan gets his way that will all change radically.

“There’s a great old saying the bigger they are, the harder they fall, and if Valuev has to face me he’s going to find that out that lesson the hard way” said Meehan. “I have not only the tools and strategy to take him apart, but most importantly I have the balls needed to apply it. I’m going to show him that against me his size will be a disadvantage which will make it easier for me to brutalize him like no one else has. Valuev will have what I have been sacrificing my life for to this point, and I am going to take it by brutal force.”

The giant Russian is a former WBA champion, looking to regain the belt in a second fight against the vaunted American spoiler. Ruiz meanwhile is looking to re-establish himself at the top of the tree, but already has one loss to Valuev from their first fight in Germany (December 2005). Betting odds are favouring Valuev, and Meehan fully expects Valuev to get past Ruiz, setting up the bout between them.

“I really do not see him as the ‘Beast from the East’. So far his size has helped him defeat lower calibre opponents, but I will not back down from him and will take his heart early, and leave the ring with his belt and soul. He’s been pushed hard by fighters with less ability than me, and I aim to be the first man to show the world that this supposed ‘Beast’ is only a man like me. When he is on the canvas he and the boxing world will realise this too”.

Meehan has a lot more than talk going for him. Many believe that Meehan is already an uncrowned world champion after his August 2004 WBO heavyweight title bout against hard punching American Lamon Brewster. Whilst winning the fight on one card by 114-113, the two other judges scored the bout 114-113 and 115-113 to Brewster.

But many fans thought the decision was wrong, and a rematch never occurred before Brewster lost the title. The bout was a wild, hard slugfest, with both fighters struggling towards the end of the bout, but Meehan showed against Brewster, who famously knocked out current WBC heavyweight champion and fighter considered to be the best current heavyweight boxer, Wladimir Klitschko, that he legitimately belongs in the upper echelons of the heavyweights of the sport.

“I’ve always known what is required but these last few years have really given me the experience and insight I truly need to make the next big step, and hopefully I’ll get to prove that once and for all before years end and return home with the WBA heavyweight world champion’s belt around my waist. And I want to be the one with my name in the history books to be the first person to knock out “The Beast from the East. At the moment my only focus is Alexander, but my ultimate wish is the crush the huge Russian for the world title”.

Meehan debuted in New Zealand in 1997 and first won the Australian heavyweight title in 1999 against Bob Mirovic, and again in 2000 against James Grima. Meehan is currently in training camp based in Manly Sydney Australia preparing to become the 1st ever Australian to win the world heavy weight world title.

Kali Meehan’s fight promoter is Don King Productions Inc.

He is trained by Mark Janssen and managed by Tough Guy International.