V. Klitschko to fight Arreola in LA on Sept. 26

By GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Vitali Klitschko has agreed to defend his WBC heavyweight title against rising prospect Chris Arreola in Los Angeles on Sept. 26.

Arreola promoter Dan Goossen confirmed details of the much-rumored fight to The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The bout will be the 38-year-old Klitschko’s third fight since returning from a layoff of nearly four years to beat Samuel Peter late last year. Klitschko (37-2, 36 KOs) hoped to fight England’s David Haye in Germany on Sept. 12, but Haye backed out last month, choosing to fight Nikolai Valuev instead.

So Klitschko agreed to a major fight at Staples Center for the third time in his career. He’ll take on Arreola (27-0, 24 KOs), who grew up east of Los Angeles and lives in Riverside.

Arreola is hoping to become the first Mexican-American fighter to win a major heavyweight title, and Goossen expects a large Southern California crowd supporting both boxers. Klitschko has lived in Los Angeles at times for the past several years.

“I just think it could go through the roof,” Goossen said. “I think we’re going to pack Staples.”

Klitschko, whose brother Wladimir holds the IBF and WBO heavyweight titles, fought Lennox Lewis at Staples Center in June 2003, losing on cuts in the sixth round despite leading the fight on the judges’ scorecards. Klitschko then won the WBC title in Los Angeles in 2004, stopping Corrie Sanders.

After one more defense, Klitschko retired and repeatedly scuttled comeback attempts because of injuries and two failed campaigns to become the mayor of Kiev, Ukraine. When he finally returned against Peter, Klitschko had little trouble stopping the champion, who quit on his stool after the eighth round in Germany.

The fight with Arreola came together quickly after Haye dropped out. Arreola had been anticipating a fight against Oleg Maskaev next month, but eagerly seized the chance to take on Klitschko instead.

Arreola informally broke news of the fight to several dozen fans at the Agua Caliente Resort near Palm Springs last weekend while watching Timothy Bradley’s victory over Nate Campbell.

“It’s going to be big,” Arreola told a handful of cheering fans. “I’m going to get that (title), believe it.”

Valuev to fight Haye for WBC belt in November

By ROBERT MILLWARD, AP Sports Writer

LONDON (AP)—Tired of waiting for Vitali Klitschko, Nikolai Valuev will defend his WBA heavyweight title against David Haye in November.

The fight is likely to be in Germany on Nov. 7 with Haye, the brash former cruiserweight world champion now trying to make his name as a heavyweight, promising to be the first fighter to knock out the 7-foot Russian.

“It is not the first time that my opponents have said things like that,” Valuev said Thursday. “Haye is a young man with a big mouth. Let him talk. It will be different in the ring. He will certainly not get my belt.”

Valuev’s German-based backers said they had been trying to set up a unification bout with Klitschko, the WBC champion, but they did not hear back from his management.

“I know that a lot of boxing fans really wanted to see Valuev fighting Vitali,” said Valuev’s manager, Wilfried Sauerland. “We wanted to make this fight happen. It was our top priority and I had really good talks with Vitali.

“But all of a sudden, I did not hear back. I could not get in touch with his management anymore. We were under time pressure and at some point we had to look for a different opponent. We are happy to present an up-and-coming challenger such as David Haye. I am sure it will be an exciting fight.”

Haye became available after his challenge to Vitali’s brother, Wladimir, was called off last month because Haye injured his back in training. Haye was also close to a deal to fight Vitali before deciding to take on Valuev instead.

Haye is still a novice at heavyweight, having fought only twice at that level, and will be nine inches shorter and probably up to 100 pounds lighter than Valuev, the tallest and heaviest world champion in boxing history.

The 36-year-old Valuev is 50-1, while the 28-year-old Haye is 23-1.

“I saw the guy actually fight when I was 16 years old at Battersea Town Hall” (in London), Haye said. “I went up next to him and I couldn’t believe human beings got that big. And now I am fighting him. I have got to get inside him and outmaneuver him. Big heavyweights punch a lot harder, but they punch a lot slower, so I can see everything that’s coming.”

Vitali Klitschko’s manager, Bernd Boente, said Thursday that Haye had turned down an offer to fight his client in Frankfurt so he can instead take on Valuev, considered by many a less formidable opponent than the Klitschko brothers.

Boente said he learned about the Valuev deal through the media, and railed against Haye for backing out of what he considered a completed deal to fight Sept. 12 at Commerzbank-Arena.

“The cancellation was very surprising,” Boente said. “Haye’s manager, Adam Booth, did not even have the courage to give me a call personally and tell me about their decision—for me a sign of his inexistent class.”

Wladimir Klitschko also took a shot at Haye, who irked the brothers during a media tour for their scheduled fight. Haye wore graphic T-shirts that depicted him holding the Klitschkos’ dismembered heads up in the center of the ring.

“David always had a big mouth and tried to offend us with ridiculous, self-made T-shirts,” Wladimir Klitschko said. “But when it comes up to step into the ring and show what he’s got, he runs away. He even admits that fighting Valuev is the easier way. For me Haye is a little, inexperienced kid who is afraid of his own courage.”

AP Sports Writers Nesha Starcevic in Frankfurt and Dave Skretta in New York contributed to this report.