Klitschko Wants to be the "People's Champion"

Who knew Wladimir Klitschko (50-3, 44 KOs) watched WWE? Or maybe he's just a big fan of The Rock...I mean Dwayne Johnson. Nevertheless, Klitschko wants to be known as the "People's Champion" once he becomes the Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion of boxing. The question I pose is: Can anyone stop him?

This afternoon, Klitschko defends his IBF, WBO and IBO world heavyweight titles against Tony Thompson (31-1, 19 KOs), his next lackluster opponent. The fight is at 4:30 p.m. (EST) because it is in Germany and is on HBO for free.

In order to fulfill his dream, he will need to defeat WBC heavyweight champion Samuel Peter (30-1, 23 KOs) and undefeated WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagev (24-0-1, 17 KOs). While the world is waiting patiently for someone to step up and hold all the major belts, it doesn't seem that boxing as a whole is in any rush to make it happen. Do they not see the amount of ground they are losing to MMA?

While the heavyweight division has dropped in popularity faster than the Titanic sank, there are no violins playing on the way down, just a rowdy crowd ready for the rebirth of the division. And while Klitschko may only have amounted to a good contender a decade or two ago, he is in the position to be the first Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion since Lennox Lewis.

"I will not see myself as champion until I have all of the belts," Klitschko said. "I still have work to do to be recognized as the real champion, and this is driving me on, this is my motivation. To me, it is important to become the people's champion, the real champion. This is why I fight."

Klitschko, a Ph.D., is a smart cat. He realizes his talent but also has that important desire to be more than he's made out to be. It is time for him to separate himself from his peers and prove his desire and ability to be a worthy and undisputed champion. The only problem is time might be running out.

Can David Haye Bring Boxing Back?

David Haye is the biggest name in boxing you have not heard of yet. And it is not your fault. Nobody can expect you to follow a sport that does not provide reasons to watch. That, however, is about to change.

Haye, 27, has a professional career record of 21-1 (20 KOs) and is the current world cruiserweight champion, holding the WBA, WBO and The Ring magazine cruiserweight titles (he vacated the WBC title on 5/12 losing the distinction of being “undisputed.") And now, after dominating the cruiserweight class, Haye is ready to take his chops to the next level—heavyweight title fights.

That transition has begun as Haye officially signed a five-year contract with Golden Boy Promotions as announced this morning by ESPN. He plans to vacate his cruiserweight titles over the next few months as he prepares to step up to the heavyweight division. Hailing from London, England, Haye has said he wants to be the next Evander Hollyfield.

"If you look at the heavyweight landscape, it is waiting for someone like David Haye to come along," Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com. “He's very exciting in the ring. He knocks guys out and he gets dropped. If he can succeed at heavyweight, boxing fans around the world will have a heavyweight who can define the division and the sport."

Haye has taken his dedication to the next level to heart and even met for lunch with world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko to discuss a title fight for later this year. Klitschko agreed in principle, but wishes for Haye to fight some heavyweight bouts before giving him a title fight.

"I see myself at the top of the pile in the heavyweight division," Haye said. "There's only one guy out there and that's Wladimir Klitschko. That's who I have my eyes set on. He's the premier heavyweight on the planet right now and I am coming for him. It's always been my strategy to go after the best."

With a boxing pedigree like Haye’s, coupled with the promotional power of Golden Boy and the desire of the world to see a return to the glory days of heavyweight boxing, it is looking like that fight will come sooner than later. The only question is, can it revive and help legitimize the sport once again?