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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Klitschko-Ibragimov bout nears fruition

The Spokesman-Review

IBF champion Wladimir Klitschko and WBO titleholder Sultan Ibragimov hope to wrap up negotiations this week for a bout to unify two of the four heavyweight world titles.

Leon Margules, Ibragimov’s promoter and lawyer, told Germany’s Die Welt newspaper on Tuesday the fighters expect to sign this week in New York to fight on Feb. 23 in Madison Square Garden.

“We have to clear up some small things,” Margules said. “But since all of us absolutely want this fight, we’ll make it.”

Regarded by many as the best of the current heavyweights, Klitschko (49-3, 44 knockouts) tops the independent IBO rankings. Ibragimov (22-0-1, 17 knockouts) pounded out a unanimous decision against Evander Holyfield last month.

Holyfield lost heavyweight boxing’s last unification fight in 1999, dropping his WBA and IBF belts to WBC champion Lennox Lewis. The current fractured state of the title in boxing’s marquee division is blamed in part for a slide in the sport’s popularity.

The other two heavyweight champions are Ruslan Chagaev of the WBA and Samuel Peter of the WBC.

Auto racing

Vegas race canceled

The Vegas Grand Prix will not return in 2008.

Race officials said they were unable to find a new promoter to replace Phoenix-based DDB Ventures, which hosted the inaugural Las Vegas race last Easter weekend but canceled a December race in Phoenix and chose not to return next year.

In announcing the Champ Car World Series schedule for next year earlier this week, Steve Johnson, president of the open-wheel series, said, “The promoters of the 2007 Las Vegas event were the same promoters who canceled our Phoenix event. To make a long story short, we’re not prepared to work with them again. We’d certainly consider returning to Vegas in the future, but really only under the right situation.”

•Don Freeland, who drove in the Indianapolis 500 eight times and finished third in 1956, has died. He was 82.

Freeland, of Torrance, Calif., died Friday in San Diego after a period of declining health, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway said.

Soccer

U.S. men will host

The United States will host the CONCACAF under-23 championship, a qualifying tournament for the 2008 Olympics in men’s soccer.

Games will be played in Carson, Calif., Tampa, Fla., and Nashville, Tenn., from March 10-23, U.S. Soccer and CONCACAF announced. The two finalists in the eight-team tournament will advance to Beijing.

The U.S., Mexico, Canada, Cuba and Haiti – as well as three to-be-determined squads from Central America – will participate.

•The United States lost to Portugal 6-5 at the 16-team Beach Soccer World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Portuguese reached the quarterfinals from Group B. Spain clinched a spot as the Group B winner despite a 5-4 loss to Iran. The top two teams in each of the four groups advance.

Defending champion Brazil defeated Russia 5-4 to remain unbeaten.