The Klitschkos can't find anyone to fight and there are hardly any marketable stars on the way up. David Haye and Alexander Povetkin are probably the closest guys. So Wladimir set up a fight against Povetkin, who then no-showed this week's press conference in Germany.
The heavyweight champ and his people mocked on Povetkin by taking a series of photos with a cardboard cutout of the young Russian heavyweight. It was a nice joke. Well now, the joke is on boxing fans.
It turns out the Povetkin camp, led by trainer Teddy Atlas, didn't think he's ready for his shot and they bailed from the fight. So who did Team Klitschko turn to? That's right, another guy he's already fought in Sam Peter. What has Peter done to earn to the shot? You got it! Very little.
Peter has won four straight over the likes of Nagy Aguilera, Gabe Brown (pictured), Ronald Bellamy and Marcus McGee. Brown (18-12-1) is one of our all-time favorites. He's lost five straight fights and weighs 363 pounds.
Peter and Klitschko met back in 2005. Klitschko won via unanimous decision. Their careers have gone in opposite directions since with Peter going 10-2 but with the other wins coming against Oleg Maskaev, Jameel McCline, Julius Long, Robert Hawkins and James Toney twice. Klitschko has nine straight since the Peter fight.
Atlas' excuse for why he didn't want Povetkin fighting Klitschko has some validity but it also pours gasoline on the tire fire that is the bogus boxing rankings system. Atlas told Brian Kenny on ESPN Friday Night fights that although Povetkin is the No. 1 ranked fighter in the IBF and WBO, that doesn't mean whole lot. It's only a number.
So if the fighter and his trainer don't think he's the top contender how can both sanctioning bodies justify having him in that slot? Of course it makes more sense when you see that Kali Meehan and Ray Austin are No. 1 contenders for the other sanctioning bodies.
Klitschko (54-3, 48 KOs) and Peter (34-3, 27 KOs) meet in Frankfurt on Sept. 11 at Commerzbank-Arena.
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