By Alexander Pavlov
There appears to be some confusion regarding the deadline for Wladimir Klitschko's mandatory defense against Alexander Povetkin. Wladimir, the WBA/IBO/IBF/WBO champion, will be ordered next year to fight WBA "regular" beltholder Povetkin. The Russian champion's promoter, Sauerland Event, said the WBA gave both sides until February 27 to make the fight.
However, Klitschko's manager Bernd Boente said the WBA gave him a different deadline to make that match. In an earlier BoxingScene.com article, Boente said his boxer has until July to make that fight.
Sauerland's General Manager, Chris Meyer, says Boente is probably going to submit a request to delay the mandatory.
"We received a message from the WBA on the need for Klitschko-Povetkin [to happen] by the 27th of February 2013. I presume that Boente is making statements based on the earlier demands of the [WBA]. His statements in the press about this fight not happening until July is probably based on K2's intent to get "special permission" to delay the mandatory defense for one fight. Whether the WBA will endorse such a request and under what conditions is another question," Meyer said.
Alexander Pavlov covers boxing for Sportbox.ru.
