• Boxing

I'll only fight Wlad if he cancels Chisora - Haye

ESPN staff
January 13, 2011
David Haye's message to Wladimir Klitschko is very simple © Getty Images
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David Haye has revealed that the only way he can fight Wladimir Klitschko is if the Ukrainian cancels his bout against Dereck Chisora on April 30.

Although Klitschko insists that a unification battle between himself and Haye can take place on July 2, the Brit is adamant that any hopes of a bout have, as things stand, crumbled.

With the Klitschko bout off the table, Haye says that he will have no choice but to fight Ruslan Chagaev, the mandatory challenger, if he wants to avoid having the WBA belt stripped from him by the organising body.

Haye's plight is complicated by the fact he intends to retire from the sport in October of this year, allowing himself no time to concentrate on a Klitschko bout post-Chagaev.

"It's off, it's not on at all," Haye told BBC Sport. "We haven't signed anything. I can't physically wait until July 2 because I have to fight my mandatory challenger. We agreed all the terms [with Klitschko], then the last thing he said was that he said he had to fight Dereck Chisora. Once he said that, the fight's off.

"He is trying to save face. It is impossible to happen on that day. We all agreed July 2 would be the date, and once he's agreed we then get WBA to put my mandatory challenger on hold because I've got a unification fight. Now he's chosen to fight someone else, I can't do that. I've got to fight my mandatory - or I'll lose my belt.

"If he cancels Chisora, I will fight him on July 2. We've agreed the stadium, TV networks, we've agreed all the things he's asked us to, and how's he's chosen someone else, so the fight is impossible for July 2."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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