Alexander Povetkin and Eddie Chambers could rematch for interim title

With Wladimir Klitschko rehabbing the shoulder he had surgery on earlier this year and out until spring 2010, his two mandatory challengers are discussing a fight for the interim IBF heavyweight title. Alexander Povetkin and Eddie Chambers could rematch for the strap in January.

In January 2008, Povetkin (17-0, 12 KO) outpointed Chambers (35-1, 18 KO) to win the four-man IBF eliminator tournament. In the previous round, Chambers beat Calvin Brock, while Povetkin upended Chris Byrd. I have long felt that Chambers took himself out of that fight with the bad habits he seems to have gotten past, e.g. "admiring his work," letting his opponent get into too easy a rhythm, and taking his foot off the gas. He was faster than Povetkin and every bit as strong, but Povetkin won the fight because he boxed for 12 rounds and never relented.

Povetkin has sat on that mandatory for almost two years now, fighting just twice, beating journeyman Taurus Sykes and American semi-prospect Jason Estrada. Estrada was his only fight in 2009, an April victory. Povetkin had a fight with another journeyman, Damon Reed, scheduled for this weekend in Baltimore (his American debut and first fight with Teddy Atlas as trainer), but that has been scrapped with the Chambers negotiations beginning.

Chambers has gone on a tear since losing to Povetkin. He beat trial horses Raphael Butler, Livin Castillo and Cisse Salif, then outpointed former titlist Samuel Peter and took the "0" away from Alexander Dimitrenko on hostile ground in Germany this past July. Though Povetkin won the first bout and statistically, the winner of a first fight almost always wins the rematch, I would actually favor "Fast" Eddie.

I also think it's a totally worthwhile fight and the initiative the two fighters would be showing is quite admirable. Chambers is Klitschko's WBO mandatory, and would be basically forfeiting that position to fight Povetkin for the interim IBF title, but a win guarantees him the fight with Klitschko and makes for one of his better pay opportunities while Wladimir is on the shelf.