Mean Papi Green Posted March 15, 2005 Share Posted March 15, 2005 V. Klitschko's injury a blow to Garden BY TIM SMITH DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER WBC heavyweight champ Vitali Klitschko strained a muscle in his left thigh doing roadwork on Friday, and over the weekend pulled out of his match against Hasim Rahman scheduled for April 30 at Madison Square Garden. The injury sent a coast-to-coast ripple yesterday as HBO, the Garden and a host of promoters, managers and boxers scrambled to fill the void left by the postponed bout. It came just a few days after promoter Don King had convinced Rahman to sign a deal to fight Klitschko. Shelly Finkel, Klitschko's rep in the U.S., said the heavyweight from Ukraine didn't think he could go through with the fight after he visited his doctor on Saturday. "It looks like he can't do anything for three weeks," Finkel said. "But he should be fine after that." The fight will be postponed until June 18, but that won't necessarily work for the Garden, which is interested in a June 11 match featuring Miguel Cotto, the Puerto Rican WBO 140-pound champ. The promoters are hoping to tie Cotto's match into a week of festivities in New York culminating in the Puerto Rican Day Parade. The Klitschko-Rahman postponement left HBO and King scrambling to find a suitable replacement for the April 30 date. King got WBA heavyweight champ John Ruiz and James Toney to move up their bout. Though both have agreed to take the April 30 date, it is unlikely that the Garden would have the same interest in that matchup as it did in Klitschko-Rahman. Eric Gelfand, a spokesman for the Garden, said it still was discussing options. And HBO isn't keen about anything involving Ruiz, whose style sends most viewers heading for the remote. King also was trying to revive his talks with IBF champ Chris Byrd about a match against Wladimir Klitschko, who is slated to fight Serguei Liakhovich on April 23 in Germany. Byrd and the younger Klitschko also would be a tough sell at the Garden, though Byrd had an appealing fight there back in November against Andrew Golota. HBO may be looking at a lower weight class to fill the April 30 date and has asked whether light-heavyweights Antonio Tarver and Glencoffe Johnson would be interested in moving up their June rematch. Joe DeGuardia, Tarver's promoter at Star Boxing, said Tarver is in shape and ready to go. Johnson is in .Jamaica and could not immediately be reached. "We're exploring it and there are a couple of things to consider, but I expect we'll be able to do it if we can work some things out," DeGuardia said. "There is some value in taking an early date. It means that Antonio can get in another fight this year, provided he wins." Originally published on March 15, 2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kentucky Jet Posted March 15, 2005 Share Posted March 15, 2005 he is extracting his revenge with the DOLANS! Go JETS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxman Posted March 15, 2005 Share Posted March 15, 2005 he is extracting his revenge with the DOLANS! Go JETS! That is funny! Klitch supports the West Side Stadium! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiamiJet Posted March 15, 2005 Share Posted March 15, 2005 HBO isn't keen about anything involving Ruiz, whose style sends most viewers heading for the remote. Or the bathroom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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