Kali Meehan now fighting Nikolay Valuev this weekend?
Posted: 29 May 2009, 10:34
The Daily Telegraph can exclusively reveal that Meehan is poised to be rushed into the title fight that was originally supposed to see dual WBA title holders Nikolay Valuev and Ruslan Chagaev finally split the belt.
But with Chagaev sensationally withdrawing after contracting hepatitis, the Central Coast construction worker has been catapulted into top billing for the fight in Finland today.
Boxing: See our special section
"Everything looks set to go; we are just in the final stages of negotiations," Meehan's manager George Christodoulou said before flying out of Sydney.
"There was talk Lamon Brewster may take the fight. Someone else said Evander Holyfield was flying over. But we are confident Kali will be fighting for the title.
"He sees this as his destiny. He's quietly confident, relaxed and wants to bring the heavyweight title home to Australia.
"This is going to be massive, they're talking about 100 million people watching worldwide."
A boxer whose story plays out to the Rocky soundtrack, Meehan was already in Helsinki after agreeing to fight American Cerrone Fox on the undercard of the Valuev-Chagaev stoush.
Instead, he now he faces Valujev, the hulking Russian who is 17cm taller than Willie Mason, eats 3kg of red meat a day and boasts of once killing a wild boar with his bare hands.
Meehan, too, is not without a yarn after being all set for a life on an Auckland prawn trawler when his mate rang offering "a fight at some party place called Surfers Paradise".
History shows Meehan headed across the Tasman, knocked his rival out in five and has since moved furniture, bounced on nightclub doors, worked security, played park footy and dug holes to survive.
Even today his trainer is based in Queensland. He works out of a gym in his garage. This father of three rising out of bed at four every morning to run between eight and 16km before grabbing his hard hat and shovel.
Going into his world title without even a major sponsor.
Meehan first captured the attention of Aussie fight fans back in 2004 when he lost a controversial points decision to then WBA champion Lamon Brewster - a decision so controversial even Brewster's old man said his son "should give the belt to that Aussie next door".
The Coastie has since fought everywhere from Wyong RSL to Madison Square Garden, with a new chapter set to be written in Finland today.
But with Chagaev sensationally withdrawing after contracting hepatitis, the Central Coast construction worker has been catapulted into top billing for the fight in Finland today.
Boxing: See our special section
"Everything looks set to go; we are just in the final stages of negotiations," Meehan's manager George Christodoulou said before flying out of Sydney.
"There was talk Lamon Brewster may take the fight. Someone else said Evander Holyfield was flying over. But we are confident Kali will be fighting for the title.
"He sees this as his destiny. He's quietly confident, relaxed and wants to bring the heavyweight title home to Australia.
"This is going to be massive, they're talking about 100 million people watching worldwide."
A boxer whose story plays out to the Rocky soundtrack, Meehan was already in Helsinki after agreeing to fight American Cerrone Fox on the undercard of the Valuev-Chagaev stoush.
Instead, he now he faces Valujev, the hulking Russian who is 17cm taller than Willie Mason, eats 3kg of red meat a day and boasts of once killing a wild boar with his bare hands.
Meehan, too, is not without a yarn after being all set for a life on an Auckland prawn trawler when his mate rang offering "a fight at some party place called Surfers Paradise".
History shows Meehan headed across the Tasman, knocked his rival out in five and has since moved furniture, bounced on nightclub doors, worked security, played park footy and dug holes to survive.
Even today his trainer is based in Queensland. He works out of a gym in his garage. This father of three rising out of bed at four every morning to run between eight and 16km before grabbing his hard hat and shovel.
Going into his world title without even a major sponsor.
Meehan first captured the attention of Aussie fight fans back in 2004 when he lost a controversial points decision to then WBA champion Lamon Brewster - a decision so controversial even Brewster's old man said his son "should give the belt to that Aussie next door".
The Coastie has since fought everywhere from Wyong RSL to Madison Square Garden, with a new chapter set to be written in Finland today.
