by James Slater – As fans know, Ring magazine, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko released a video message yesterday, in which he not only publicly called out WBA ruler David Haye, but also implored him not to run away! Well, not surprisingly, it didn’t take long for a reply to arrive from Team-Haye.
Yesterday, speaking with Sky Sports, Haye’s trainer Adam Booth (not Haye himself, which is perhaps somewhat surprising), fired back at Wladimkir’s taped message..
“It’s funny that Wladimir says ‘on behalf of the boxing fans,’ maybe on behalf of the boxing fans Wladimir can sort out with his brother which one is world champion,” Booth said to Sky Sports. “Maybe they can have a scrap first. It can be in their back garden for all I care. The winner can fight David. If they don’t want to have a scrap, maybe one brother can give the other his belt so David can unify this mess in one punch.
“The last talk we had with the Klitschko brothers was regarding Vitali because the WBC and the WBA are the two major titles as far as we’re concerned. Vitali holds the most significant belt in our eyes.”
To my way of thinking, unless he was speaking with his tongue placed firmly in his cheek, some of the things Booth has had to say are very strange indeed. Why on earth would Wladimir and Vitali fight one another? And why should they? “So David can sort out this mess with one punch?!?” What happed to Haye wanting to fight and defeat both brothers?
Also, when Booth says he looks at Vitali’s WBC belt as “the most significant,” does that mean he has no interest in, or respect for, the impartial Ring Magazine title currently held by Wladimir? Haye, remember, was proud to hold the Ring belt at cruiserweight; why doesn’t he crave it at heavyweight?
Booth went on to speak more about a possible Klitschko-Haye fight.
“I had a call last week just after David’s win [over Ruiz] and we agreed we could speak this Wednesday, but obviously Wladimir couldn’t wait that long. Over the next couple of days we’ll be looking at what direction David is going. If that involves a Klitschko, I’ll give Shelley Finkel a call. We’re not far away, that’s for sure.”
The word “If” that involves a Klitschko isn’t likely to convince those fans who feel Haye is not too keen on facing a Klitschko to change their minds, but at least the two sides will be talking again soon. But has Booth really answered Waldimir’s video message? Will Haye look to face Vitali instead?
One man Haye will not be fighting, according to Booth, is Audley Harrison. Making it clear that Audley is “not on Haye’s radar,” Booth went on to say how his fighter would get “nothing out of fighting Audley.”
So, if the direction Haye takes is not to be one towards a Klitschko, just who will the WBA champ face next?