Bernd Bonte, manager for WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko has denied any deal being reached, or any potential plans to fight WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev in the fall. He said the fight has potential to take place in 2010, but not at any point in 2009. The two fighters spoke on the phone and some comments from both had appeared in several international newspapers. Promoter Wilfried Sauerland, sent out a press release advising the media that Valuev was ready to move forward with the fight.
Bonte said it won't happen this year.
"We currently have no interest in a fight with Valuev - neither Vitali or Wladimir [has any interest]. Sauerland negotiates through the media, and always with himself," Bonte said to RTL. "Both Klitschko brothers want their next fights to be against other opponents. Perhaps next year the fight is a possibility."
Vitali Klitschko is looking at bouts with David Haye and Chris Arreola, while Wladimir will make his IBF mandatory against Alexander Povetkin.
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Klitschko manager Bernd Bönte has denied that Klitschko will fight Valuev in the fall:
"We currently have no interest in a fight with Valuev. Both Klitschko brothers want their next fights to be against other opponents. Perhaps next year the fight is a possibility", Bönte said to RTL Online. WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev would like to meet WBC _title_ holder Vitali Klitschko in a unification fight this year.. Nikolai Valuev on Vitali Klitschko: “It is true. We want to make the fight happen.” Manager Wilfried Sauerland: “I know of a phone conversation between Valuev and Vitali. That is why I spoke to Vitali about a potential fight when I met him last weekend at Boris Becker´s wedding. I will get in touch with Vitali in the next days." Klitschko became eligible to fight Valuev after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that he did not have to make a mandatory defense against former champion Oleg Maskaev.
Bernd Bönte, the managing director of Klitschko Management Group, has commented on reports that WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko could be facing WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev in a heavyweight unification fight later this year. “We are at the moment not interested in a fight against Valuev,” Bönte said via email. “Vitali has other options which make more sense and are more intersting for the fans and the media (eg.Haye, Arreola). Valuev had the chance to fight Wladimir last weekend but he declined contrary to Chagaev. Should Valuev beat Ruiz in his mandatory we can maybe think about a fight with Wladimir or Vitali beginning of next year. And the WBA _title_ is not a big deal anymore, because Wladimir beat the WBA champion in recess Chagaev by knockout and Chagaev had beaten Valuev. The win of the Ring Magazine championship belt means way way more to us!”