As previously reported, heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko pulled out of his fight against France’s Jean-Marc Mormeck. Wladimir had surgery to remove a kidney stone over the weekend and was still feeling ill. The fight had been scheduled for Saturday in Duesseldorf.
Klitschko’s manager, Bernd Boente, revealed that March 3 was a possible new date. The IBF would have to approve because Klitschko would be requested to fight a mandatory challenger on that date.
“We hope to know in two or three days. Mormeck is also ready to accept it,” Boente said.
Klitschko, the WBO, IBF, IBO and WBA champion, had abdominal pain at his training camp in Austria on Friday. The 35-year-old Ukrainian was taken to Innsbruck for treatment before he was transferred to a Duesseldorf hospital. The stone was removed Saturday, but Klitschko returned to the hospital Sunday before a scheduled television appearance.
Older brother Vitali Klitschko, the WBC champion, appeared on the live program and said Wladimir became ill shortly before the show and returned to the Duesseldorf hospital. He declined to elaborate.
The 39-year-old Mormeck is a former WBC and WBA unified cruiserweight champion. He has won all his fights since moving to the heavyweight division in 2009. He has a career record of 36 wins (22 KOs) and four defeats.
Saturday’s fight was supposed to be Klitschko’s 20th title bout and his first appearance since beating Britain’s David Haye in July. His record is 56-3 with 49 KOs.