By James Slater – With talks between Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye reportedly going so well, it has perhaps come as surprising news that “Dr. Steel Hammer’s” postponed fight with unbeaten but largely untested Brit Derek Chisora is back on. Set to go ahead in Germany on April 30th, the bout that was originally set for November has got people wondering if the Wladimir-Haye fight will not now go ahead as we all were beginning to feel it would.
It’s good news for Chisora that his big opportunity has not fallen by the wayside forever, and it’s honourable of the Ring magazine, IBF, WBO and IBO champion to decide to grant Chisora the opportunity a second time round.. But where does this leave the potential blockbuster that is the Haye fight?
Is Klitschko, who last fought in September, planning to “use” Chisora as a tune-up opponent to further sharpen his tools for “The Hayemaker?” Or is Wladimir’s decision to go ahead with the fight he so easily could have forgotten all about an attempt at panicking Haye into thinking he may well have to agree to some pretty hardnosed terms if he is to get the fight with the world’s number one? Haye has repeatedly said he will retire in October of 2011, and that if the Klitschkos want a fight with him “they better hurry up about it.”
But now, with the April 30th fight a go, Klitschko has given a sure sign to Haye that he will not be intimidated with such a “threat.” What will Haye be thinking right now? Who needs the unification fight the most, he or Wladimir?
Klitschko, by taking the Chisora fight, is showing that he will not be dictated to by Haye in terms of a timeframe for when he has to fight him. Klitschko has shown he has all the time he needs, even enough time to take another fight before he tangles with the WBA ruler. This is one way of looking at today’s breaking news, anyway.
Or maybe Klitschko HAS decided to move on from Haye altogether. Were the reports of good, encouraging negotiations false? Will we now actually get to see the fight that has been talked about for well over two years?
Forget about whether or not Klitschko still wants to fight Haye for a minute and ask yourself this: what if Chisora, the possibly-planned “tune-up,” upsets the odds and beats Wladimir? Is Klitschko, if he does still very much want the fight with Haye, playing a dangerous game by agreeing to square off with Chisora?
It’s tough to know what to think right now. Maybe Klitschko has played a mind game on Haye (and if there will be no Klitschko fight for Haye in the spring/summer time, what will HE do instead?), or maybe he is simply wanting to keep active so as when he does fight Haye he will be a 100-percent sharp and free from rust.
Whatever the case, at least we can now look forward to a reasonably intriguing heavyweight title fight; the first of 2011.