• Steve Bunce

Klitschkos ready to cash in on Haye

David Haye could run the gauntlet of both Klitschkos before retiring © PA Photos

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It's odd that the Klitschko brothers have arrived in London and suddenly started talking up fights against David Haye, because a week ago they were describing him as a second-tier heavyweight who will never be able to compete with the best.

Now all of a sudden they've had a change of heart and are discussing a rematch with Wladimir or a bout against Vitali. I find that amazing. It just shows you that in boxing nothing talks quite as strongly as the pound note, dollar or Euro.

They've looked at their options, and they've seen the type of money that the Haye-Wladimir fight generated - a fortune - and they've thought: 'Hold on a minute, we could bash up all these Eastern European or American heavyweights, but we wouldn't do half the business we could against Haye.'

The brothers are fantastic human beings and fantastic ambassadors, but they're mercenary negotiatiors, and that shouldn't be forgotten. Yes they love their dear old mum, yes they speak several languages - but when it comes to discussing cash, they can be savages.

All the big fights out there involve a Klitschko, and Haye is the most marketable of all the other heavyweights, so it makes sense. I still find it bizarre and crazy, but this is boxing - and in boxing you don't get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.

This U-turn from the Klitschkos just shows what a bad financial state the heavyweight division is in. Although we've had periods when the fighters have been worse, the big problem is the Klitschkos have already worked their way through the half-decent challengers. Eddie Chambers isn't bad, Samuel Peter isn't bad, but none can hype a fight like Haye, and there are no other strong contenders coming through the ranks.

A potential stumbling block for the Klitschkos is Haye's plan to walk away from the sport before he turns 31 on October 13. If he'd have won against Wladimir, we might never have seen him again - but now his pride is really damaged, so I can see him fighting on.

What I don't want to happen is for Haye to retire and then come back in two years. If he is going to have two fights, he must have them now while he's still active.

There's been suggestions Adam Booth is leaning on Haye, telling him to hang up his gloves before October, but I don't think that's the case. I don't think they've spoken at any length about it.

Frank Warren has worked his magic again, landing James DeGale a European title shot © PA Photos

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They will be looking at Haye's next options, ways for him to bow out of the sport. Beyond Klitschko, what fight is out there for Haye? If he fights one of the heavyweights he's been calling a bum for years, how the hell is he going to sell that to anybody? Only the most loyal members of his fan club or his family are going to applaud him at ringside.

For me, there's two options: You go down the hard road, which leads to Klitschko (or maybe Alexander Povetkin), or you quit now.

Warren proves his wisdom
I wasn't surprised James DeGale got a shot at the European title - in fact, I was shocked to hear anyone was surprised.

Why has Frank Warren been the biggest promoter in Britain for 30 years? Because he goes out there and makes shrewd deals. He brings back guys who are finished, gets guys title fights at exactly the right times.

The moment DeGale lost his British strap to George Groves, before the decision was even announced, Frank would have been sitting at ringside thinking: "What can I do now?" And he'd have decided to pursue a world or European belt.

Whilst Adam Booth, Groves' trainer, was 100% occupied by Haye fighting Klitschko, Warren was 100% focused on bringing back his gold medal golden boy.

On one level yes, of course, it's wrong. The best British super-middleweight should be fighting for the European belt. But on the grand list of fights that are wrong, this wouldn't make the top thousand, let's not forget that.

Plus this is a great little scrap - a genuinely 50/50 contest that represents a big risk for DeGale because he simply has to win. He's landed himself in this position by talking a fierce game against Groves, only to leave the ring beaten, with too much left in the tank.

He stepped up and fell short - so now he must step up again. That's how the business works. If you want to keep getting paid the money Warren is paying, which is quite astonishing, you have to take some risks.

Don't worry about Groves, there's still plenty of fights out there for George. It's not like DeGale is facing the Polish version of Ricky Hatton - there won't be 30,000 Poles coming in to cram the arena. He's not the second coming of Sugar Ray Leonard.

He's Piotr Wilczewski, a good fighter, so DeGale will need to produce a top-class performance.

Kevin Mitchell suffered his first professional defeat in his most recent fight, against Michael Katsidis © PA Photos

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Mitchell's malaise
Anthony Crolla is the British lightweight champion but, unofficially, Kevin Mitchell and John Murray are fighting to determine the best Brit in the division.

Mitchell has been out of the ring since last May, when he was stopped at Upton Park by Michael Katsidis, and I fear the absence is going to work against him. Although in his head he might reckon he's back to his best, he's had a long - and tough - period out.

It's not like Floyd Mayweather Jnr having a 14-month break while heading to the gym every day and keeping in great shape - Mitchell's on record saying he's spent over £100k on booze. But Murray is no saint either: a couple of years ago his trainer, Joe Gallagher, used his column in the Manchester paper to appeal to Murray's friends not to take him out on the lash. He's got his act together now, but a while ago he was a little bit tricky.

If Mitchell loses to Murray, and I think he will, there's no shame in that - but, for Mitchell, this is make-or-break in terms of making decent money. If he loses it takes a zero or two off the end of his pay-packet when he negotiates his next outing.

Burns' night
Speaking in brutal terms, Nicky Cook doesn't deserve a shot at Ricky Burns' world title. But in modern boxing, is Cook-Burns a disgrace? No. It will be a great fight. That said, there will come a point when Burns will have to fight someone who's been active and has a genuine world ranking.

Hail the Hitman
Ricky Hatton has finally made the decision to retire, which I think he realised was the best option after gaining consciousness back in May 2009, having been floored by Manny Pacquiao.

He can hold his head up high because, as he eloquently put it, he may not be the best ever British fighter, but he was the most popular ever. And that is beyond dispute - forget the guys you thought were popular, none of them in any era in the last 150 years can come close to Ricky Hatton.

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