Booth Eyes Haye/Klitschko For New Year

pbffan · 08-12-2010 11:33pm #1

Wladimir Klitschko has withdrawn from his double heavyweight world title defence in Mannheim against Londoner Dereck Chisora, citing a back injury.

Klitschko, 34, the WBO and IBF champion, will be out for three to six weeks and will then resume training.

The injury could now bring forward the much-anticipated world title unification between David Haye and the widely-regarded No 1 heavyweight in the world.

Adam Booth, Haye's manager and trainer, said from London last night: "Now this has happened we are going to focus on getting this fight made early in the New Year. Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, who acts for Haye in the United States, added: "He tore a muscle in his back and has had back spasms I have been told by Klitschko's adviser."

Schaefer added: "I have spoken to Shelley Finkel [Klitschko's US adviser] and the thinking is that if we can make a Wladimir Klitschko fight with David Haye we will do that next and if not then Wladimir will revert back to fighting Chisora."

Ironically, Haye pulled out of facing Klitschko with a bad back himself in June 2009 two weeks before he was due to face the younger of the brothers who between them hold the other three main world title belts. Vitali, 39, holds the WBC title.

Haye, the WBA heavyweight champion, is already in Las Vegas to see Amir Khan defend his WBA light-welterweight title this weekend against Argentine Marcos Maidana. Booth, meanwhile, lands in Nevada on Friday.

Call it serendipity, but with the important parties in the world's fight capital this weekend negotiations between Haye, Booth, Finkel and Schaefer will now go ahead as they discuss the fight.

"The logical place for the fight is London but we need to speak to HBO to see if the economics stack up to holding the fight in America,” added Schaefer.

Haye may now get what he has been calling for since early last year. The hype he has generated in the heavyweight division may now finally materialise into a meaningful contest.

Boxing's heavyweight division needs this fight desperately. Indeed, Haye's last defence against Audley Harrison in Manchester almost a month ago received almost universal derision as a mis-match while Klitschko's defence with Chisora had been pilloried in some quarters.

Chisora, 26, who holds the British and Commonwealth title belts, who is 14-0 in his career would have pulled off one of the greatest shocks in the history of heavyweight boxing had he been able to dethrone the giant 6ft 7ins Ukrainian, who has 55 wins and 3 losses.

A victory, highly unlikely, would have been compared to a young Leon Spinks when he fought, and defeated, Muhammad Ali on points in 1978, after just seven professional contests.

Klitschko, regarded as one of the least entertaining heavyweight champions in history, but who has earned his straps with 12 consecutive title defences in the last six years, may indeed get what he wants.

He has said he wants “to punish” Haye in a ring for all the insults Haye has thrown at the brothers.

At last, it could be game on.

"I'm convinced it's going to happen now as the stars seem to be aligned. This is one of those fights which has to be made for the good of boxing," added Schaefer.