WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev will have to defend his crown against American Fres Oquendo and Australian Lucas Browne before the year end.

Chagaev just defeated Francesco Pianeta via first round technical knockout on a title defense on Saturday.

Like Us on Facebook

However, his rematch with Oquendo has to be done within four months, and the winner of that bout will have to take on Australia's Lucas Browne (22-0, 19 KOs).

Dugazaev believes Chagaev will go on and beat Oquendo and Browne, possibly within the year."

Chagaev is looking beyond Oquendo and Browne and is also targeting the bigger names sych as Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury or a rematch with Wladimir Klitschko. 

"Ruslan will be very busy in the next months," promoter Timur Dugazaev said before the Uzbek defeted Pianeta.

Chagaev of Uzbekistan dropped Italian-born German Pianeta with two left blows early in the first round, but the challenger got up before the count. 

Sensing blood, Chagaev pursued Pianeta and pummeled him with two lefts that dropped him again onthe canvas.

Referee Jean-Louis Legland had seen enough at that point and halted the bout.

It was Pianeta's second defeat in 34 professional bouts, with his previous loss coming in the hands of Wladimir Klitschko in 2013, where he was knocked down three times that resulted in a technical knock-out.

The Hamburg-based Chagaev improved to 34-2-1 (21 KOs) with his first defense of his second reign.

He defeated American Fres Oquendo to win the vacant title last year in Grozny, Russia.

Chagaev first won the WBA world title in 2007 by beating Russian  Nikolai Valuev on points.

He suffered his first defeat to Klitschko in 2009 and failed to win the WBC version in a loss to Alexander Povetkin in 2011.

The WBA heavyweight title went up for grabs in 2011 when Klitschko was promoted to the WBA's 'Super' champion.

Meanwhile, Pianeta drops to 31-2-1 (17 KOs).

The German and European heavyweight champion, Pianeta was hoping to become Germany's first heavyweight champion since Max Schmeling in 1932. 

Pianeta suffered the second loss in 34 professional bouts having previously lost to Wladimir Klitschko in 2013 on a technical knock-out after being knocked down three times.

TagsWBA heavyweight champion, Ruslan Chagaev, heavyweight title defense, Fres Oquendo, Lucas Browne, Francesco Pianeta