By Allan Fox: It’s already been 11 months since WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (45-2, 41 KO’s) last defended his World Boxing Council title in an optional title defense against Manuel Charr last September, and now it looks like it’s going to be a lot longer before he defends his trap because the 42-year-old fighter reportedly has injured his right hand in training.
The injury will require the 42-year-old Vitali to miss the remainder of 2013, and his mandatory challenger, #1 WBC, Bermane Stiverne is not pleased about it. He wants his title shot, and he’s tired of waiting for Vitali to get around to finally defending his WBC title.
Vitali traveled to Mexican and met with the WBC to tell them about his hand injury. Vitali’s not sure if he’ll need surgery on his hand or not, but according to Dan Rafael of ESPN, Vitali’s hand was “swollen and puffy below the wrist with a mouse-like lump.”
According to Dan Rafael, Stiverne had three purse bid attempts, but they kept getting postponed.
The WBC won’t decide what they’re going to with Vitali and his WBC title until 2014, which means Stiverne will have to sit and wait for the remaining four months of the year.
Stiverne said “I would have to think the WBC treats some fighters more highly than others. I don’t understand. Bradley was stripped when he was injured, but I’ve read that the WBC would never strip Vitali. Do they have favorites?”
It’s doubtful the WBC will strip Vitali or even elevate him to the WBC Champion Emeritus status, because he brings in big money for his fights in Germany where he fights in front of huge crowds of 50,000 fans.
It doesn’t matter who Vitali fights in Germany; he always draws huge crowds, and the same with his brother Wladimir Klitschko. They can pick a fringe contender out like Albert Sosnowski and still sell out a huge arena like the Veltins Arena in Germany. The WBC isn’t going to strip a fighter that brings in big cash; that’s just not going to happen.
With Vitali involved with politics and not staying busy to at least defend his WBC title twice a year, you have to wonder why he doesn’t vacate his title and retire instead of stringing it out for lengthy amount of time. You’ve got to feel sorry for Stiverne, because Vitali is sitting on the title without doing anything with it. It’s almost like a useless symbol with him holding onto the belt and not defending it.
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