Hamburg  - Ukrainian heavyweight Vitali Klitschko believes there is little interest in a fight ordered by the World Boxing Council (WBC) with the German-based Cuban Juan Carlos Gomez.

Klitschko, 37, had wanted to line up another opponent, preferably the Russian Nikolay Valuev, with the Briton David Haye also a possible candidate.

But he has now been told to make a mandatory defence of his WBC belt against the WBC's top-ranked contender Gomez.

"I can well remember knocking Gomez down when he was my sparring partner," Klitschko was quoted as saying by Friday's Bild newspaper.

Manager Bernd Boente was also quoted as saying: "No television station will be interested in covering this fight."

Should the promoters of both boxers fail to agree on a fight, the bout would be open to purse bids on December 19 at the WBC's headquarters Mexico City.

Klitschko returned to the ring after a four-year absence to reclaim the WBC belt last month by beating Samuel Peter in a one-sided contest in which the Nigerian retired after the eighth round.

His younger brother, Wladimir, will defend his IBF and WBO heavyweight titles against former champion Hasim Rahman of the United States in Mannheim, Germany, on December 13.

Both the Klitschko management agency and Gomez's promoters Arena are based in the northern German city of Hamburg.

The 35-year-old Cuban won the final elimination bout against Ukrainian Vladimir Virchis on September 27 in Hamburg.

Russian giant Valuev meanwhile holds the WBA belt, the only one of the four heavyweight titles now not in the hands of the Ukrainian brothers.

"It would be really great if all four titles were in the family's hands," Vitali Klitschko had been quoted as saying last month. (dpa)