Vitali Klitschko stripped of WBC belt, declared ‘emeritus champion’

This post has been updated. See below for details.

The World Boxing Council on Monday stripped Vitali Klitschko of his heavyweight belt, proclaiming him “emeritus champion,” with the right to return to fight for the title again.

Klitschko, however, is in the midst of intense political work in the Ukraine, where he is chairman of the opposition party Udar and is angling for a 2015 presidential run.

“This offer makes it theoretically possible to return to the ring, which I cannot imagine at all happening as things stand now,” Klitschko said in a statement. “I am now concentrating on the politics in Ukraine. I feel people need me there.”

Klitschko (45-2, 41 knockouts) defended his WBC belt nine times, last winning with a fourth-round stoppage of Manuel Charr in September 2012.

He previously fought at Staples Center, losing to Lennox Lewis when he suffered a cut, then beating Corrie Sanders and Riverside’s Chris Arreola.

Arreola (36-3, 31 KOs) is in position to fight for the title pending WBC clarification. The organization’s top-ranked contender, Bermane Stiverne (23-1-1, 20 KOs), is involved in a dispute with his promoter, Don King.

Unbeaten American Deontay Wilder is the No. 3 contender.

“Vitali Klitschko is fighting the fight of his life, this time outside the ring,” Mauricio Sulaiman, the WBC executive secretary, said in a statement. “Vitali is showing to the world what is the true heart of a champion by leading his countrymen to battle in the streets in their search of human equality, rights and peace for the great country of the Ukraine.”

[UPDATED, 7:15 p.m.: Promoter Richard Schaefer said he’s working to put the fight between Arreola and either Stiverne or Wilder on the Feb. 15 pay-per-view fight card at Staples Center that will include a featherweight title rematch between champion Jhonny Gonzalez and Abner Mares and a super-bantamweight title defense by Southland fighter Leo Santa Cruz.

Stiverne’s availability could be established by a Wednesday meeting among WBC officials and Stiverne representatives.]

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