Lebedev not avoiding Jones

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Published time: February 07, 2012 14:26
Edited time: February 07, 2012 18:26

The manager of Russia’s top cruiserweight, Denis Lebedev, says his client has no intension to avoid the bout with WBA champion, Guillermo ‘El Felino’ Jones as the Panamanian claims.

­"What Jones said is nonsense,” Vladimir Khrunov told Boxingscene.com. “We never received any contract. Denis is ready, willing and able to fight. Please tell Jones that his plane ticket is ready and he can fly down to Moscow at any time. I am currently speaking with Don King, but no contract has ever been issued."

Jones (38-3-2, 30KOs) has recently filed a complaint to the World Boxing Association, which said that the organization’s interim champ, Lebedev (23-1, 17KOs), refuses to fight him.

"We sent a contract to Lebedev and he did not accept the fight,” the complaint said. “I demand that the WBA please force the issue for the interim champion to fight.”

Denis Lebedev became WBA interim champion in November last year when the 32-year-old beat James Toney by a unanimous decision in Moscow.

The win made him the mandatory challenger for the Jones’s crown, with the Russian always saying he wanted this match.