By Eric Thomas: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum wants his fighter, former World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Samuel Peter (34-3, 27 KO’s), to fight IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (54-3, 48 KO’s) if the IBF mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin (19-0, 14 KO’s) doesn’t take the fight with Klitschko next, according to Fight News. Arum plans on making it so that Klitschko will have to fight Peter next if Povetkin doesn’t face Klitschko. The reason why Povetkin wouldn’t be facing Wladimir next would be if WBA heavyweight champion David Haye paid Povetkin a step aside fee, so that Haye could fight Wladimir before Povetkin.

A fight between Klitschko and Haye would be a huge money fight and would gain a lot of attention worldwide. However, if Arum is able to make it so that Wladimir has to fight Samuel Peter next instead of Haye – if Povetkin steps aside – it ruins the whole idea behind Haye paying Povetkin a step aside feel, because he still wouldn’t be able to fight Klitschko next if Arum is able to make it so that Peter would be getting the fight with Wladimir next.

Peter, 29, is currently ranked number #4 by the IBF. Wladimir previously defeated Peter by a 12 round unanimous decision in 2005 in an exciting bout that saw Wladimir hit the deck on three separate occasions. Aside from the rounds in which he was knocked down, Wladimir dominated the rest of the fight, even staggering Peter badly in the 12th round with a tremendous left hook to the head. Peter lost his WBC heavyweight title in an 8th round stoppage to Vitali Klitschko in 2008.

Peter has improved since then, losing a lot of weight and getting back down to his best weight of the low 240s. In his last fight, Peter came in at 237, his best weight since 2001, and destroyed Nagy Aguilera in March.

None of this may matter if Haye decides not to pay Povetkin a step aside feel. Wladimir would then face Povetkin and most likely beat him. Peter would then have to wait awhile before Wladimir is ready to face him in a year or so. Peter matches up much better with Wladimir than Vitali because of Wladimir’s less sturdy chin. However, Wladimir has improved since he last faced Peter, and he might dominate Peter in a rematch. It would still be a very interesting fight to see, as would a match between Peter and David Haye.