World heavyweight champion according to the World Boxing Association (WBA) version, American John Ruiz, has challenged Ukrainian Vitali Klitschko. In an interview with a correspondent of the German DPA agency, Ruiz's manager Norman Stone stated that his charge has expressed readiness to defend his title on April 24 against Klitschko senior, who is currently the number one in the WBA rating list.
"Ruiz has finally shown his desire to meet Klitschko in the ring," added Stone. "This is now his dream. John is already awaiting the start of training, and we are awaiting the decision of Klitschko's promoter, German Klaus-Peter Kohl."
Klitschko's negotiations with South African Corrie Sanders regarding a fight for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) champion title are still tense, and it is not excluded that after March 1 the WBC will decide to announce an auction for the right to hold this bout, ITAR-TASS reports.
The WBC leadership has set such a deadline in case the parties cannot agree on the fight. However, if Klitschko prefers to contend for another belt or Sanders refuses, then the third number in the organization's rating list, New Zealander David Tua, will become the contender for the WBC title (currently Klitschko is first, Sanders second).
As for Ruiz, on Tuesday he was officially proclaimed WBA world champion. The boxer's representative Anthony Cardinale received official notification that American Roy Jones (he defeated Ruiz in the title fight and won the champion's belt) confirmed the information about vacating the title. Ruiz became the "interim" WBA champion on December 13, 2003, by defeating his compatriot Hasim Rahman. Now he becomes the full-fledged champion.