by James Slater – It seems the chances of an all-British showdown between heavyweights David Haye and Audley Harrison taking place grew today, as it has been reported how “A-Force” has agreed to the £1 million offer he has been given to challenge the reigning WBA champ in November.
According to The Mail, the 38-year-old former Olympic gold medallist has agreed to terms, and all that is needed now is for Haye to get back to Harrison’s promoters at Matchroom. The fight is tentatively set for November 13th (venue to be decided, but sure to be in the U.K; probably London) and there is a big chance it will be televised live on pay-per-view by Sky Sports.
If Haye, who will be making his second defence of his WBA belt, does agree to fight Harrison and puts his signature down, fans in America and Germany are sure to criticise him for taking the “easy option” and not facing one of the Klitschkos instead. Maybe, and hopefully, Haye WILL fight either Wladimir or Vitali next year (how long have we been waiting now?) – as long as he defeats southpaw Harrison first.
And, as big a favourite as “The Hayemaker,” would be in the lead up to a fight with Harrison, anything can happen in heavyweight boxing, and the chances of an upset occurring cannot be written off completely..
The fight, if it indeed happens, will be a pretty big affair in the U.K, and the live gate and pay-per-view numbers will likely reflect this. Still, will a decent and relatively “safe” payday prove worth it for Haye, considering all the backlash he is sure to receive right along with it? Only a few days ago, Haye’s manager Adam Booth was saying he was against his man meeting Harrison, largely because Audley has not fought anybody in the world’s top-30. Has he had a change of heart? However, just because Harrison has agreed to the fight, it doesn’t mean Haye will, does it?
If Haye does put pen to paper, though, it will mean Wladimir Klitschko can forget all about a big unification clash taking place this year. More and more, it looks like “Dr. Steel Hammer” will face Alexander Povetkin next, while there is talk that Vitali Klitschko may face Russian giant Nikolai Valuev in his next fight.
If both brothers win, and if Haye takes care of Harrison, maybe, just maybe, we will see a heavyweight unification in 2011. But if “A-Force” does cause that big upset………..