By James Slater – It seems any chance of rival heavyweight champions Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye facing one another any time soon really are slim at best. As we know, Wladimir will fight unbeaten Brit Derek Chisora in Germany on April 30th, and it has today been reported by various sources how Haye has began talking to his mandatory challenger, Ruslan Chagaev; with the plan being to fight “The White Tyson” next, possibly before the end of May.
Haye spoke on BBC radio earlier this week, when Klitschko had announced he would be fighting Chisora in April – explaining that he had been given permission by the WBA to hold off with the Chagaev fight only because he had a big, unification fight with Klitschko all but set. Haye claims the decision Wladimir made to face Chisora pulled the rug from under him, and that he now has to face Chagaev next, or face being stripped of his belt..
So, with Haye saying he is “done” with the Klitschkos (presumably he means Vitali as well. Vitali, by the way, looks set to defend against his mandatory, Odlanier Solis, on March 19th in Germany), he now moves on to Chagaev.
“The Klitschko situation is dead,” Adam Booth said today. “I have asked Chagaev’s manager to supply medical records.”
Booth was no doubt referring to the Hepatitis Chagaev has suffered with in the recent past. But if the former WBA belt holder can prove he is fit to fight, he will get the date with Haye. We do not know yet where the fight will happen, but the UK looks a good bet. Haye is a star over here, and though the idea of a fight between he and Chagaev will likely fail to set British fight fans on fire, a 20,000 seat arena would likely get filled on fight night.
There is nothing wrong with Chagaev’s credentials. He is a former champ, he has lost just once, and he is talented and still hungry. The downside with the southpaw, though, is this: he was utterly destroyed for every minute of all the nine rounds when he faced Wladimir Klistchko, and as such, even if Haye were to stop him as well, he would receive scant praise. Then there’s Chagaev’s overall fitness. He may pass all medicals, but has he been on the downside since even before he lost to Klitschko in the summer of 2009?
Certainly, a Haye-Chagaev fight is a poor second to a Haye-Klitschko fight. But Haye claims the unification fight falling apart was not his fault, and he has had to move on so as to not get stripped by the WBA.
So here we are: we have Klitschko-Chisora and, most likely, Haye-Chagaev and [Vitali] Klitschko-Solis to look forward to. At least all three heavyweight champs will remain active in 2011; even if they will not do so by fighting each other.