Wladimir Klitschko still taunting David Haye
If this is how they behave when there is no fight on what might happen if David Haye and Wladimir Klitschko ever actually get into the same ring?
Professional boxing always has its share of ticket-selling hype but, even though there are no tickets even printed for a Haye-Klitschko bout, the two men seem to be talking about each other almost as much as they do their next opponent.
It was Klitschko’s turn this time when he went on the offensive about Haye’s failure to sign up for a match between the two holders of various portions of the world heavyweight championship. He then praised Dereck Chisora, the current British and Commonwealth title-holder, for the speed with which he took the offer of their match, which takes place in Mannheim, Germany on December 11th.
For his part Chisora, perhaps feeling that he was being somewhat damned by faint praise, told Klitschko that he planned to take him "out of his comfort zone" when they meet for the Ukrainian-born boxer’s IBF, IBO and WBO belts.
Working out the rights and wrongs, whys and wherefores of just who is to blame for the Haye-Klitschko fight never getting past the dispute stage would take a lot longer than fight itself but one thing is pretty clear. Chisora wanted it a lot more and was prepared to sign away rights to his next three fights for a lot less than Haye – who has far more bargaining power that comes with the WBA belt – was prepared to do to get in the ring with Wladimir, or his elder brother Vitali.
None of which was going to prevent a quick bout of the ritual bad-mouthing from Klitschko minor when it came to referring to Haye – not by name just to give added emphasis – and his bout with Audley Harrison in Manchester on November 13th.
"Dereck has impressed me with his latest win, a spectacular knockout of Sam Sexton," Klitschko said at a press conference in London. "I think boxing fans around the world would love to see Dereck fight me. I respect Dereck that he took the chance without considering it too long. He heard about it and took it.
"We chose Dereck because he's an undefeated fighter and he's the British and Commonwealth champion. Considering he's younger and only had 14 fights, it doesn't say a lot. His confidence, though, says a lot. I expect a great challenge from every opponent I meet in the ring because they are fighting the heavyweight champion of the world. This is the highlight of their career.
"I have to also give a lot of respect to him because he took the chance without considering it for too long.”
Then Klitschko could resist the challenge of Haye no longer. "I know another man, the one who is going to fight his London buddy, refused to fight me because he’s a liar and coward. He’s made himself out to look like a clown.”
There are a few people who think that Chisora might yet fall into that category and not because the self-styled “Del Boy” walks to the ring to the theme tune from Only Fools and Horses. He may be unbeaten but, with only 14 professional fights, has possibly the lightest record of any British heavyweight fighter to get a shot at the world title since Richard Dunne, who was knocked out in five rounds by Muhammad Ali in 1976.
At least Chisora was talking a good fight. "The opportunity knocked on my door and I took it. I didn't hesitate to sign the contract," he said. "It's not about the money - it's about taking those titles away from him. I'm hungrier than any other fighter who he has boxed. I've trained hard, I've got the best team around me and I want it more than him, to be honest with you.
"It's not going to be a boxing match. It's going to be a fight. I'm going to take him out of his comfort zone, rough him up. I'm going to do everything in my powers to win those titles."
Whether he has enough power is open to question.
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