LONDON - World heavyweight champion Vladimir Klitschko will fight Ruslan Chagaev in Germany on June 20 after Briton David Haye was forced to pull out injured.

LONDON - World heavyweight champion Vladimir Klitschko will fight Ruslan Chagaev in Germany on June 20 after Briton David Haye was forced to pull out injured.

"It is sad that David cannot compete," Klitschko, the IBF, IBO and WBO champion said.

"However, I am looking forward to fighting against Ruslan."

Haye had to drop out of the scheduled fight against Klitschko due to a back injury.

The Briton had hoped to put the fight back three weeks, but with about 50000 tickets already sold at the 60000-seater Schalke 04 soccer stadium in Gelsenkirchen, organisers were eager to find a replacement.

Undefeated Uzbek Chagaev is the WBA champion-in-recess. He had been due to fight Russian Nikolai Valuev in Finland for the WBA title on May 30 but the fight was called off. - Reuter