By Troy Ondrizek

At first, we felt deprived.  As the much anticipated bout between England’s David Haye (22-1, 21KO) and Ukraine’s Wladimir Klitschko (52-3, 46KO) was called off due to a back injury suffered by Haye.  It was the most talked about heavyweight fight since Lennox Lewis left the sport.  The brash British banger who now lives in Cyprus walked around with magazines and t-shirts imprinted with his picture holding Wlad’s severed head.  Those acts enflamed the Klitschko brothers and helped set up the feud between them and Haye.  David knows that playing the heel will draw the ire of fans and his potential foe, but it also makes the money and creates buzz around the fight.  So when the former cruiserweight champion of the world pulled out of the fight yesterday, many claimed he was a coward, including Wladimir himself, but why give up a HUGE payday and a chance to become the top heavyweight in the world? 

It doesn’t make sense; it lends credence to the fact that Haye might have actually hurt his back as he has claimed.   Nevertheless we are without the prime heavyweight fight of the past six years, or so we thought.

Now we are thankful because David Haye might have given us the most important heavyweight fight this decade.  And it doesn’t involve Haye at all, unbeknownst to him; David just killed the goliath pain that has been the lack of a true heavyweight champion.  In walks perpetually injured and controversial WBA titlist Ruslan Chagaev. 

Last weekend Ruslan Chagaev (25-0-1, 17KO) was supposed to defend his absolutely worthless WBA belt against the over-exceedingly undeserving Nikolai Valuev (50-1, 34Ko).  In another fighting galaxy a long long time ago, the WBA heavyweight belt meant something.  That’s because it was around the waist of then heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.  Lewis didn’t feel like fighting the ridiculous mandatory who happened to be John Ruiz.  Nine years later Ruiz is still in the picture for the WBA title and the only interesting fight involving that belt during his tenure was when he was thoroughly dismantled by light heavyweight Roy Jones Jr. 

Why was that history lesson pertinent you ask?  Well because the “Champion in Recess” Chagaev was unable to defend against the “Regular” champion Valuev this past weekend due to his reoccurring Hepatitis issue.  To be honest, if there is a possibility of contracting the disease in the ring, I can’t blame any fighter for being hesitant to face him. 

For his part Chagaev has been in training and is more than ready to go come June 20th if given the opportunity.  Wladimir has the option of fighting Chagaev the 20th or postponing the fight with Haye until July 11th.  HBO still has the date for the 20th, and has approved Chagaev, and as for the Hepatitis issue in Germany, Ruslan has fought his last 19 contests in Germany or Austria. 

Wladimir’s first choice is Chagaev.  The importance of that decision will echo throughout the division.  Chagaev is the number 3 ranked heavyweight in the world in the Ring rankings while Wladimir holds the number 1 spot.  The Ring has blessed this fight for their title and more importantly the linear title.  A tear came to my eye thinking about this scenario, if this fight does go off as planned, we’ll have our first true heavyweight champion, once again, since Lennox Lewis. 

We were close to achieving this same status with David Haye, had he defeated Wladimir to become the top heavyweight and then the winner of him and Vitali would’ve been crowned king.  Now we get to skip all that and head straight to the Promised Land. 

You know what; it’s about damn time too.  Wladimir has been a very good heavyweight in an era of mediocre fighters.  This is his chance to finally stake claim to the true title and put a definitive stamp on the division.  Wladimir will be up against a crafty fighter who has a strong punch and a stronger chin.  This fight is more dangerous for him than had he fought Haye, but it is also more rewarding for him, the division, and the sport. Finally, Chagaev gets out of that horrendous WBA rotisserie of him, Valuev, and Ruiz. 

We ought to thank Haye’s sore back for this historic fight, not to mention thank Wladimir Klitschko and Ruslan Chagaev for their willingness to fight it out for the title.  As long the two sides can hammer out the schematics of it all, heavyweight clarity is on the horizon.