BBC - Haye-Vitali confirmed

Just a headline at the moment, no article yet...

Vitali Klitschko's manager confirms WBC champion will fight Britain's David Haye in London next summer.

 

There was some wondering if Vitali would provide step-aside money or something...

But I thought, if he can, Vitali still has time like in Feb or March to fight Gomez. And then if he wins that, Haye in June or July. And the WBC Emeritus still insists (as strong as that is...) that part of the condition is that in exchange for an immediate title shot, you then have to fight a mandatory next.

Don't know if the upcoming BBC article will mention this, don't know what Vitali's manager has said.

But I wouldn't be surprised to see Vitali-Gomez still go ahead around Feb or March.
Gomez is a boxer, not the kind you'd get into a gruelling slugathon with. Unless he inflicts bad cuts or even wins, you have to think Vitali would still have time after that to prepare for Haye.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7782894.stm

Klitschko camp confirm Haye fight
By Ben Dirs


Haye believes he can unify the four main world heavyweight titles
David Haye will fight Vitali Klitschko in London next summer, the Ukranian's manager Bernd Boente has confirmed.

The deal was done after Briton Haye watched Klitchko's brother, Wladimir, retain his IBF and WBO heavyweight belts in Mannheim on Saturday.
"We agreed to do the fight next summer in London," Boente told BBC Sport.

"It could take place at Wembley, but maybe it's too big. I'd personally prefer Chelsea. I've been there a couple of times and I'm a fan."

London's former undisputed cruiserweight champion Haye, 28, knocked out American Monte Barrett in only his second heavyweight fight last month.
He immediately called out either Klitschko, although the younger but marginally smaller Wladimir seemed the more likely target.

Vitali, 37, boasts an impressive record of 35 wins and two losses from 37 fights, the most recent defeat at the hands of Lennox Lewis in Los Angeles in 2005.

He reclaimed the WBC belt, which he had vacated in 2005 by announcing his retirement, with a comprehensive victory over Samuel Peter in October.

"This is going to be the biggest fight since Lennox [Lewis] and [Mike] Tyson," Haye told BBC Radio Five Live on Sunday.

"I have said from day one I am going to be the undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight champion. I have not disappointed. I am not cherry-picking, I am going after the most dangerous fighter on the planet.

"We sat down and talked numbers that made sense for both sides, and it's done and dusted. We agreed terms and just need to dot the i's and cross the t's. Plain and simple, this is how boxing should be."

While Haye would be a big underdog against Vitali, who boasts 35 career knockouts, Boente, who also represents Wladimir, said the fight would reignite interest in the heavyweight division.

"This will be a very big fight across the world," said Boente. "The Klitschkos are heroes in Central and Eastern Europe and it's a fight [American television networks] HBO and Showtime would be very interested in.

"David brings something new and exciting. He looked great against Monte Barrett, who [WBA title-holder] Nikolay Valuev took 11 rounds to stop. Haye KO'd him in five rounds. He's young, hungry and very fast. It's a huge fight."

Boente added that Vitali's scheduled mandatory defence against Juan Carlos Gomez would not prove a stumbling block.

He added: "We'll talk to the WBC, but we'll go ahead with or without them. Vitali is the heavyweight champion of the world and this fight is bigger than the WBC belt."



Hope the WBC see sense and are accommodating.

 

Which would suggest even more that the WBC will need to be accommodating.

No offense to Gomez, but really this is a bigger fight, the kind which doesn't come along often. Hope something can be sorted to enable Vitali to remain WBC champ, I know there are rules and regs but it'll be shooting themselves in the foot.