Haye will be ringside for the wlad-chagaev fight

David Haye: I'll be ringside for Klitschko-Chagaev

Monday, 08 June 2009



By Richard Cawley

DAVID Haye is planning to be at ringside on June 20 to watch Wladimir Klitschko’s heavyweight clash with Ruslan Chagaev – despite that date being the one he believed he would be in possession of the Ukrainian's IBF and WBO world titles.

The explosive Bermondsey boxer, 28, was forced to pull out of meeting Klitschko after injuring his back while shadow boxing last Wednesday – and he is set to have an injection in his back tomorrow which will help solve the problem.

After that Haye will have eight days of total rest and will be able to resume full training within a fortnight.

And the South Londoner says he intends to be at Klitschko’s re-arranged defence at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany – even if it painfully brings home the fact he is not realising a childhood ambition of being crowned heavyweight champion of the world.

His attendance will also serve another purpose. He is still targeting a showdown with a Klitschko – either Wladimir or his big brother Wladimir, the WBC belt-holder – before the end of the year.

Certainly Haye is not expecting a lengthy wait before he entices one of them into the ring, despite the fact that both currently have mandatory defences of their titles on the horizon.

“Our fight sold out in record time and was going to be the biggest indoor crowd in history [for a boxing fight],” said Haye. “Simply because people wanted to see Wladimir Klitschko defend against David Haye – it’s the biggest fight in the world. I’m going to keep beating the drum [for the pair to meet].

“I would like to apologise to Wladimir for the inconvenience I’ve put him through. I’m sure he is as disappointed as me because this was going to be his defining fight.

“I was a couple of weeks away from the pinnacle of what I’ve strived for since I was a young child. I couldn’t be more gutted for myself, my British fans and worldwide boxing fans. It’s really knocked me big time. People don’t realise how hard I’ve trained my whole boxing career – amateur and professional leading up to this – to know it’s not happening means I have to re-evaluate things. But first I’ve got to get myself healthy so I can train.”

Haye, 28, says he has boxed with injuries before – but that if he had pressed ahead with his meeting with Klitschko it would have been a disaster.

He said: “If I had tried to fight the way I was feeling I don’t think there is an opponent I have boxed, amateur or professional, who wouldn’t have beaten me. It was that bad.

“Every fighter or athlete has their niggles but you work round them. You can use muscle relaxants, painkillers or anti-inflammatories but my back completely went – when it affects your movement and you can’t even pick things up that’s when it’s not good.

“I’m a clean-living guy, I spend my whole time training, and I’ve never had it where I can’t physically train before. It’s pretty hardcore but it’s something athletes have to deal with at one stage or another. I’ll do whatever it takes to get back.”

Haye’s manager and trainer Adam Booth said: “We would have been able to box in five weeks which would’ve delayed [the Klitschko fight] until July 25 – we understand totally the decision Wladimir has taken. If the shoe was on the other foot we would’ve done exactly the same thing.

“Hopefully Wladimir looks good, he wins [against Chagaev] and that at some point we can get this on.”

 

i do.

 

why wouldn't he?:huh