By Jim Dower: The IBF’s deadline passed for IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko to put together a unification bout with World Boxing Association heavyweight champion David Haye a few days ago. Wladimir and his management team will now start looking to put together a fight against the IBF mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin. Wladimir was hoping to put together a fight with the 29-year-old Haye. However, Haye wanted more time to spend with his family and rest. Klitschko’s management will continue to try and put together a fight between Haye in the future after Klitschko gets finished with his title defense against Povetkin, provided he beats the former Russian Olympic Gold Medalist.

As for Haye, he’s going to take it easy for awhile. It’ll be interesting to see if he waits on a fight with Wladimir or goes after his older brother WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko for a fight. Haye reportedly is more interested in fighting Vitali rather than Wladimir.

Povetkin, 30, is coming off a 5th round stoppage of Javier Mora in March. Povetkin has been taking it easy more or less since defeating Chris Byrd and Eddie Chambers in the IBF elimination tournament in 2008. Povetkin has defeated the following fighters since the tournament ended: Taurus Sykes, Jason Estrada, Leo Nolan and Mora. Against Mora, Povetkin looked slightly pudgy, slow and was breathing really hard after only three rounds. He won the fight, but it wasn’t a good sign to see him looking so exhausted so early in the fight and against a badly overmatched opponent. At 6’2” 223, Povetkin will have problems matching up with the size, power and speed of the 6’6” 245 pound Wladimir. However, this is perhaps the best time that Povetkin can take to go after Wladimir. If Povetkin waits much longer, he’s likely to have a lesser chance of beating Klitschko because he’ll likely start slowing down and putting on weight.

Klitschko stopped Chambers in the 12th round on March 20th in a one-sided fight from start to finish. In the 12th round, Wladimir knocked Chambers out with a thunderous left hook to the head. The punch left Chambers on the canvas badly hurt.