Los Angeles, November 11:

Hasim Rahman has received a majority of votes from the World Boxing Council board of governors to become the sanctioning body’s new heavyweight champion. The WBC said Rahman’s advancement to world champion will be made official when all of the votes have been compiled, but a ceremony is already planned to give Rahman the throne once owned by Vitali Klitschko. Ukranian Klitschko retired on Wednesday after suffering torn knee ligaments that would have postponed his fight against Rahman by at least nine more months, a fight already delayed three prior times since April.

“He has all the merits to become the undisputed champion after the retirement of Klitschko,” WBC president Jose Sulaiman said. Rahman returns to the throne he won by knocking out Britain’s Lennox Lewis in 2001. Lewis reclaimed the crown by knocking out the American later that year.