• David Haye v Dereck Chisora

Vann not the man for Haye

ESPN staff
July 3, 2012
David Haye and Dereck Chisora have been kept apart in press conferences © Getty Images
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David Haye has delivered a snub to Mickey Vann, with his camp ruling out any prospect of the veteran referee taking charge of his clash with Dereck Chisora.

Haye and Chisora will settle their scores in the ring on July 14, with Chisora's manager Frank Warren lining up Vann for the referee's job. But that prospect has been sidelined by Haye, with his coach Adam Booth insisting Vann is not strong enough to take charge of a fight he expects to "get physical and ugly".

Booth said: "There's no way I am allowing Mickey Vann to be the referee. Frank Warren knows full well I will kick and scream like a petulant child on this matter.

"The fact that the Luxembourg Boxing Federation would nominate a 68-year-old featherweight to be in charge of a bout between two aggressive heavyweights, with a known grudge, in a fight that is certain to get physical and ugly, beggars belief.

"If this was only Fools and Horses, Del Boy would be calling me a plonker if I did not advise David of the long history between Vann and Warren.

"Make no mistake this fight is going to be wild. And we need to be 100 per cent confident of the third man in the ring."

Warren said: "I have every faith in Mickey but the other camp has to agree."

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