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© Jim Everett / Saddo Boxing
Now that IBF titlist Wladimir Klitschko cruised by the highly touted yet mediocre Sultan Ibragimov, lifting the WBO strap, he’s got an open dance card and a few people who’d be likely opponents in his next match.
Alexander Povetkin won the IBF eliminator last month and is the current #1, while Tony Thompson is the #1 contender for the WBO. But neither guy is necessarily going to be the challenger for the man of the hour. Klitschko wants to be THE champion and he may take on the winner of the Sam Peter vs. Oleg Maskaev bout in March for the WBC belt, or he may take on German, by way of Uzbekistan, Ruslan Chagaev for the WBA.
A third option would be for Klitschko to appease the two sanctioning bodies by fighting an opponent who is mutually in their top tens. This option holds the least appeal as no one really knows Alexander Dimitrenko, who is ranked #5 by the IBF and #2 by the WBO and by virtue of him and others being further down on the list, perceived as lesser opponents.
Unless there are some serious concessions, don’t expect Tony Thompson to get the nod because he’s ranked #8 by the IBF. They won’t want to be slighted, but that bitter pill could be easier to swallow if perhaps Tony Thompson gets the fight and whoever wins keeps both belts and has to fight the next 2 to 3 IBF #1 contenders.
This is probably the best option for all involved because it gives the fans a top guy fighting a champion while the other two belt holders get more attention because of the reunification going on.
That’s just this writer’s opinion, but it’ll probably wind up being someone like Shannon Briggs, a cruise of a fight for Klitschko, lowly ranked on both lists, but an appeasement to both sanctioning bodies.
