Boxing promoter Don King believes the World Boxing Association must strip Ruslan Chagaev of any claim to its heavyweight championship after the Finnish Boxing Federation reviewed blood tests and refused to allow Chagaev to participate in Saturday’s match against WBA champion Nikolai “Giant Russian” Valuev in Helsinki.

“Unfortunately for Ruslan Chagaev, he has suffered from a number of different medical maladies that have prevented him from participating in matches since at least 2003,” King said. More...

Team Ruiz has filed an official petition with the World Boxing Association asking that heavyweight Ruslan Chagaev be stripped of his “Champion In Recess” status and demanding an immediate purse bid for Valuev-Ruiz III to be held by August 30 for the World Boxing Association heavyweight title.

Two-time WBA heavyweight champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz (43-8-1, 29 KOs) is the WBA mandated Official Challenger for WBA heavyweight champion Valuev. More...

Despite the headlining Ruslan Chagaev vs. Nicolay Valuev WBA heavyweight title rematch being called off, the show at Hartwell Arena in Helsinki, Finland went on as planned last night.

Local man Juho Tolppola, 22-6-1 (9), failed in his bid to win the European Union light welter title from Italian evergreen Giuseppe Lauri, 48-6 (28), when he was DQ'd in the tenth round.

On the undercard, Colombian born Norway resident Cecilia Braekhus, 12-0 (2), defended her WBA/WBC female welterweight crowns with a points verdict over American puncher Amy Yuratovac, 6-3 (6).

Undefeated Russian light welter southpaw Denis Shafikov, 20-0 (11), gunned down Australia's John Cotterill Jr, 23-8 (10), at 2:00 of the first round while Germany based Swede heavyweight Robert Helenius, 8-0 (4), KO'd former British champ Scott Gammer, 18-4-1 (9), in the sixth of a scheduled eight rounder. More...

Upon today’s announcement that Valuev-Chagaev II has been canceled, Team Ruiz is demanding an immediate purse bid in order for Valuev vs. Ruiz III to be held by August 30 for the World Boxing Association heavyweight title.

Two-time World Boxing Association heavyweight champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz (43-8-1, 29 KOs) lost to Valuev last August 30th in Berlin by 12-round split decision. More...

Boxing promoter Don King has asked the World Boxing Association to declare Nikolai “Giant Russian” Valuev its undisputed heavyweight champion after Saturday’s match between Valuev and WBA “champion in recess” Ruslan Chagaev at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland, was cancelled. More...

The heavyweight division kicks back into action tomorrow night in the unlikely city of Helsinki, Finland when giant WBA Champion Nikolay Valuev makes the second defence of his belt against former foe and WBA Champion In Recess Ruslan Chagaev.

The two men know each other very well. Back in April, 2007, Chagaev became the only man to beat Valuev when he took a close majority verdict over 12 rounds in Stuttgart, Germany.

Chagaev, unbeaten in 26 bouts, is one of those boxers who is a nightmare to fight. Relatively small by heavyweight standards and standing 6 foot 1 inch, Chagaev more often than not outfoxes and outsmarts his rivals using the southpaw stance.

Although the 30 year old has stopped 17 of his opponents, it's interesting to note that in the last three years, only one man has been stopped legitimately.

In Valuev, Chagaev meets a giant of a man who, funnily enough, does have underrated boxing skills. Although standing a massive 7 feet tall, the Russian has won many of his title defences over the 12 round course. With only none defeat in 51 fights, Valuev has KO'd 34 opponents. More...

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On December 20, 2008, Evander Holyfield made an attempt at becoming the only man to ever hold a portion of boxing’s most coveted prize for the fifth time, the heavyweight championship of the world.

So after all the critics blasted any chance he might have at success, Holyfield stepped into the ring against the 7 foot reigning WBA champion Nicolai Valuev and proceeded to prove his skeptics wrong by outboxing the champion.

But when the scores were read after the bout, only one reaction poured out from those in attendance; boos. Anyone and everyone that night in Hallenstadion, Zurich , Switzerland witnessing the bout all felt the same way: disgusted, everyone not in the camp of Valuev, that is.

This sport is used to controversial decisions, they take place all the time, but if not for these decisions, so many rematches may not take place. But there are limits to these things. More...

WBA Heavyweight Champion Nicolai Valuev retained his belt last night at Zurich, Switzerland's Hallenstadion Arena by posting a close majority decision over former champion Evander Holyfield.

Holyfield started off on his toes, staying away from the massive Russian's long jab with circular motion. When the American veteran did come in, he managed a few right hands but was also caught with a few hard shots from the champion. During a brief exchange near the end of the first, Holyfield got in a good left hook to the head of Valuev.

Holyfield managed another whipping left hook at the start of the second after slipping a big Valuev right and then resumed his circular dance on the outside. Valuev continued to try and engage with the jab but the challenger remained cautious until the midway point of the frame when Holyfield leaped in and banged Valuev with a nice left, right combination and continued with hard punches from either hand during a clinch.

It was Valuev who then was a bit more reserved, wary of the still quick hands of Holyfield, coming forward slowly behind a double jab that failed to hit the target. Holyfield then came in fast with thirty seconds left in the frame, digging in a right to the body before crashing a big left hook to the head of Valuev.
Holyfield repeated the combination, driving Valuev into the ropes and roughing up the champion in a clinch.

The challenger stepped it up in the third session, pressuring Valuev with more feints and movement but was nailed with a good left hook from the champion on the next trip inside and that bought the Russian giant a bit of breathing room. But on Holyfield's next attack, it was a big right hand that found the target after he slipped a Valuev jab.

Holyfield stayed on the outside for the next minute before trying to repeat his last success but Valuev was waiting for it, slipping the right and ripping Holyfield to the body with a right uppercut. After three rounds, it's a close contest with Holyfield likely ahead two rounds to one. More...

Tonight at Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland, 46 year old Evander Holyfield will add another chapter to a career that began over 24 years ago in Madison Square Garden.

The fact that "The Real Deal" is still getting opportunities to deliver upon his goal of regaining a world title is pretty amazing but the man who delivered so many miracles in the past cannot be counted out in his challenge of WBA Heavyweight Champion Nikolay Valuev, 49-1 (34), but from the outset, it's unlikely Holyfield can pull this one off.

Despite his gigantic, 7 foot, 310 pound frame, Valuev can box and is fairly light on his feet but as Ruslan Chagaev displayed last year in Germany, the big Russian isn't that hard to hit and he can be beaten.

Chagaev disrupted the big man's offense by parrying the jab that Valuev works behind and staying out of range. The much quicker Chagaev countered well by leaping in with southpaw power left hands to head and body and then getting out of range again before taking return fire.

But Holyfield, 42-9-2 (27), isn't a southpaw and isn't nearly as mobile as Chagaevs so he'll likely have to take on Valuev in a much more straight forward fashion and that means standing right in front of the big fella.

While that will definitely allow Valuev more opportunities to hit his opponent than it did against Chagaev, it will also give Holyfield probably his only chance to win the fight. More...

In preparation for their WBA Heavyweight title clash tonight at Hellenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland, the principal fighters all weighed in yesterday.

WBA Heavyweight Championship
Nicolai Valuev: 310.75 lb
Evander Holyfield: 214.25 lb More...

Four-time world heavyweight Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield’s vast experience edge is key for a potential upset Saturday night against WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai “The Russian Giant” Valuev on pay-per-view live from Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland. More...

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Evander Holyfield is convinced that neither size nor age will matter in Saturday´s showdown with WBA Heavyweight Champion Nikolai Valuev. The 46 year old challenger is determined to become the oldest heavyweight champion in the history of boxing when he takes on “The Russian Giant” in front of a sellout crowd of 12,500 fans in Zurich, Switzerland. More...

Wilfried Sauerland’s Sauerland Event and its Managing Director, Christian Meyer, in association with Don King Productions, present a PPV broadcast , distributed by Integrated Sports, from Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland on Saturday, December 20, 2008.

The main event features Nikolay “The Russian Giant” Valuev, 49-1 (34), the two-time and reigning WBA Heavyweight Champion from St. Petersburg, Russia vs. Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield, 47-9-2 (27), the four-time former World Heavyweight Champion from Atlanta, Georgia. More...

Integrated Sports will distribute the December 20 heavyweight showdown between tow-time and reigning WBA Champion Nikolay “The Russian Giant” Valuev and future Hall of Famer Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield, on pay-per-view in the United States and Canada, live from Zurich, Switzerland. Holyfield is attempting to make boxing history by defeating the largest man ever to hold a heavyweight championship. More...

By Per Ake Persson

It´s not official but Nikolay Valuev´s defence of the WBA heavyweight title appears to be on for Zurich in Switzerland December 20 with Evander Holyfield as opponent. As always when Sauerland Event promotes they have the Austrian Federation as supervising body - in this case it´s a must as the Swiss Federation have an age limit for 35 for professional boxers and Evander is 46. More...

Last week at the WBA Convention in the Dominican Republic, two-time WBA heavyweight champion John "The Quietman" Ruiz, 43-8-1 (29), petitioned the organization to enforce its regulations regarding foreign tax deductions in his fight August 30 against Nikolay Valuev in Berlin. More...

Former two-time WBA heavyweight champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz has announced that he’s prepared to replace WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev to fight another former WBA title-holder, Nikolay Valuev, for the WBA belt.

Chagaev pulled out of his scheduled mandatory defense against Valuev in May, reportedly due to a cold that forced him to break training, but Ruslan hasn’t made his initial mandatory defense since capturing the WBA belt on April 14, 2007 via a 12-round majority decision versus Valuev. More...