Wladimir Klitschko’s plans for April 30 tune-up threaten July 2 date vs. David Haye
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World heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko doesn’t want to wait until July 2 to fight David Haye, and Haye’s representatives don’t like the idea of Klitschko fighting April 30.
‘To us, it’s a deal-killer,’ Haye’s promoter, Richard Schaefer, of Golden Boy Promotions said Wednesday.
So, plans to stage a title unification bout between WBA king Haye of England and long-reigning WBO/IBF champ Klitschko are now ‘falling apart,’ according to Schaefer.
Klitschko advisor Tom Loeffler said the Ukrainian fighter was hopeful Schaefer would opt to move an April 16 world junior-welterweight title defense by England’s Amir Khan off the country’s pay-per-view provider Sky Sports, which will only air one pay-per-view fight card per month.
‘Haye-Klitschko is a bigger fight,’ Loeffler said.
The German television network RTL, with rights to Klitschko, was unavailable in May and June, prompting a July 2 fight date as the best alternative.
Klitschko (55-3, 49 KOs) hasn’t fought since knocking out Samuel Peter in September and preferred to take a tune-up bout against previously scheduled foe Dereck Chisora (14-0, 9 KOs) April 30 at Mannheim, Germany’s SAP Arena. Loeffler said the Chisora bout is ‘finalized’ and will probably be on ESPN.
‘It’s very frustrating,’ Schaefer said. ‘We don’t like the idea of Klitschko taking a fight so close to the other date. What if this guy [Klitschko] gets cut? What do we do then?’
Loeffler said Klitschko is still ‘open to [Haye] negotiations’ but was reluctant to wait until July without another fight because of Haye’s past withdrawals against Wladimir and his WBC-champion brother, Vitali.
‘Agreeing on a date and actually having David Haye step in the ring are two separate events,’ Loeffler said. ‘If they want Wladimir in July or in a fall date, it can still work.’
-- Lance Pugmire
