26.03.07 – WBC number one cruiserweight and European boxing champion David Haye has a new target at 200 lb with Jean-Marc Mormeck’s recent world title win over hated rival O’Neil Bell. “I’m really looking forward to fighting Mormeck,” said Haye. “I think our styles will make for a great tear up but I’m convinced that I have the ability to beat him. Haye has a letter from the WBC confirming that Mormeck must face the lanky London powerhouse and Haye’s promoter Frank Maloney feels a sense of deja vu.
“Having already taken Lennox Lewis to the top, I firmly believe David has what it takes to rule the cruiserweights,” said Maloney. “We also believe David can win the world title at heavyweight but he’s at a very dangerous stage of his career and must dispose of Tomasz Bonin before we can start looking too far ahead.”
Haye, 18-1 (17), is scheduled to face Bonin, a full fledged Polish heavyweight with a boxing record of 37-1 (20), at Wembley Arena in London on Friday, April 27. The 33 year old Warsaw man is best known in the UK for pushing Audley Harrison to the limit before suffering a controversial ninth round referee stoppage almost three years ago.
“My next opponent is a lot bigger than me and I know what to expect in that situation,” said Haye. “The last guy I fought, Fragomeni, came at me and I stopped him in his tracks but Bonin presents me with a much bigger problem. I want these kind of fights that put me in with a guy who can wreck my plans.”
At six foot three inches tall and heavily muscled, Haye has struggled greatly in the past to make the cruiserweight limit and is relishing the opportunity to try out a new boxing division.
The “Hayemaker” is currently training in Tenerife for Bonin while Maloney is engaged in a running tug of war with Mormeck’s promoter Don King over where the cruiserweight showdown will take place, with a likely date penciled in for this autumn.
Maloney confirms that tickets sales for Haye’s clash with Bonin have been brisk on the promoter’s self titled website. The brash Maloney will also be angling to bring Haye’s world class coming out party against Mormeck to the 20,000 seat New Den soccer stadium of Millwall F.C. in South London while King will be holding out for boxing a venue in the Paris area.