Povetkin vs Holyfield: Sauerland Not Committed to the Fight

Despite all appearances to the contrary, promoter Wilfried Sauerland says he's not committed to matching new WBA heavyweight titlist Alexander Povetkin to a December fight with soon-to-be 49-year-old Evander Holyfield:

"In reality [Evander Holyfield] is only one of the options under consideration. We are negotiating with several potential opponents, and executives of several arenas. I think the final decision on this issue will be made in the next 10 to 14 days," Sauerland told Alexander Pavlov.

Povetkin (22-0, 15 KO) picked up the vacant "regular" WBA belt with his win on Saturday over Ruslan Chagaev, and after the fight, his trainer Teddy Atlas brushed off the idea of fighting Wladimir Klitschko, the legitimate world heavyweight champion, and a man whom Povetkin has twice ducked in the past. With the Klitschko brothers not in Povetkin's (or Atlas') day planner, and David Haye largely hiding out for the time being, options for Povetkin are kind of limited, and that's where Old Man Holyfield comes in.

As delusional as Holyfield is, I have long since accepted the fact that old American stars can travel abroad in their golden years and be the big deal in a foreign land that they no longer are at home. I mean, look at Antonio Tarver and Roy Jones Jr, who can barely sell out a ballroom in the States, but attract serious attention when fighting in places like Australia or Russia.

Still, Povetkin vs Holyfield can't possibly really excite anyone, I don't think. Not really. Can it? Could it really? There are literally oodles -- oodles! -- of more deserving challengers out there. I've personally seen enough of washed-up Holyfield not winning in title shots he didn't earn.