David Haye will face Nikolai Valuev, not Vitali Klitschko

I was hard pushed to choose between Haye-Chambers and Haye-Valuev….

I said in another thread (started by Brickhaus) that I was desperate to see Valuev KTFO by Haye, and I have also gone on record as saying that I don’t think Valuev would see the late-mid rounds against Haye. I stand by this, and am genunely glad that Haye will now have the chance to prove me right. Valuev is a fraud, second only to Sturm right now in world boxing, and the title being in a ‘real’ fighter’s hands is a better situation for everyone that wants to see a unified heavyweight division simply because Valuev would go to the dark side of the moon before he would step in with either Wlad or Vitali.

I do think Haye would beat the current incarnation of Vitali, but it does make better business sense to fight Valuev first. He will beat Valuev, and the title gives him more leverage in negotiations with the Klitschko brothers. Whether they decide not to bother is another matter.

atleast haye will get rid of valuev once and for all.

anyone see a john ruiz press release yet?

only positive thing in all this is that we will be rid of valuev as a champ …. haye looking like a real punk imo and he seems scared to face the klits after all his big talk ….

While I agree that Haye has made a lot of, er, "hay" out of little in the HW division, I think this move makes obvious sense and is a far better fight for him. He will dispatch Valuev and increase his negotiating worth. Time is on his side—so long as he doesn’t lose (and he won’t against big ugly).

As far as etiquette complaints amongst boxing managers… I just don’t care. If Haye continues to avoid the K brothers much after this, then I may change my mind. But for now, I actually like this. Haye needs more experience with bigger men, and Valuev will certainly give him that. With the division in the state it is, the Klitschkos need Haye nearly as much as he needs them. Vitali and Wladimir aren’t going anywhere.

I was always uncomfortable him fighting either of the Klitschkos so early in his heavyweight career and felt he needed to get established first. Clearing out dead wood like Valuev along the way will settle him in nicely.

Whilst it is unfortunate that the Wladimir fight didn’t happen as a spectacle, it was out Haye’s hands thanks to the collapse of Setanta.

As said above, who knows if any deal with Vitali was fair towards Haye. We’ll probably never know so no point whining. Let’s just let him get on and fight.

Unfortunate though the fight can’t be scheduled earlier.

He has to “earn” his title shot.

He was UNIFIED Cruiserweight Champion. No one complained when Manny started jumping around divisions – I can’t remember Manny “needing to earn” his title shot against Hatton – can you, how?

How about Roy Jones? Why didn’t he earn his title shot against Ruiz by fighting some bums first?

Cause it would have been pointless.

Like it or not Haye is a special fighter – 23 fights -78 rounds, unified cruiserweight champion.

If he was American you’d be salivating like dogs over him, instead people are trying to say Arreola, the tub of lard is worthy of a title shot. I don’t know where to start with that – he’s had more fights than Haye, is still beating up scrubs, hasn’t won a title, let alone unified a division!

As for Haye taking Valuev instead of Vit – good move. If this contract is anything like the old one (Contracted to fight the Klits THREE times) I’m not surprised – I’ve heard of a rematch clause but that takes the mic.

Haye isn’t “scared” of the Klits, he just knows if he wins this belt, he’ll have a bit more bargaining power in the future. It’s a very, smart move. And when he’s WBC champ – is he still going to have to “earn” his fight?

Dammit SC – I try and sound all professional and balls it up on the titles. That’s proof alone there are too many :P

This will sound a bit stupid now, but there’s a reason I want Haye to clean up the heavyweights, and it’s not because he’s British.

Young fighters look up to and emulate their heroes, a young, good looking, brash talking, Adonis of a heavyweight champion may well push more young talented fighters into boxing – at the moment the prototype is tall, big and lumbering, hopefully Haye can do a number on a few of these guys and the youngster in the division will see what hard work can bring, and try to emulate that success.

Then maybe we won’t get to watch two fat men hug all night :)

(Obv the Klits are excluded from this – they’re both in great shape)

“Team Ruiz has already contacted the WBA inform the WBA Championship Committee that WBA mandatory challenger, 2-time WBA heavyweight John "The Quietman" Ruiz (43-8-1, 29 KOs), will not stand by and allow the reported Valuev-Haye title fight in November.

Despite reports from both camps, Valuev-Haye has not been sanctioned as a WBA title fight, and cannot be without a special permit being requested, filed and passed. Ruiz is the mandatory challenger, Valuev’s deadline for his yearly mandatory defense is August 30, and Haye isn’t rated by the WBA."

Ruiz’ advisor and attorney, Anthony Cardinale, and prominent boxing lawyer, Judd Burstein, emailed all concerned parties the following:

"There has been a recent press release quoting David Haye as claiming that he has come to an agreement to fight Nicolai Valuev for the WBA title this coming November. I am writing to inform the WBA Championship Committee that John Ruiz, the WBA Heavyweight Official Challenger, will not stand by and allow such a bout to take place.

"First, Valuev must honor his mandatory obligation to John Ruiz.

"Valuev won the title on August 30th, 2008 and had an interim title fight against Evander Holyfield last December, when the WBA ranked Holyfield out of nowhere to accommodate Valuev and his promoter. Following that Holyfield bout, Valuev was scheduled to fight (Ruslan) Chagaev last April to clear up the heavyweight title situation. On behalf of Mr. Valuev, Mr. (Pat) English claimed that the Chagaev fight was the equivalent of a mandatory bout, requiring Mr. Ruiz to wait a year for a chance. Chagaev was, however, medically declared unfit. Since, he then fought, in violation of specific WBA rules, for the IBF and WBO championships, and lost. Therefore, he no longer may be considered the WBA champion.

"Accordingly, with a year since his last championship victory about to pass, Valuev must fight his next bout as his mandatory against Mr. Ruiz. John Ruiz will not sit by and permit another delay so that Valuev can have another interim fight, especially against another opponent who is not even rated by the WBA. If the WBA Regulations are to have any meaning, there can be no other result. Put simply, John Ruiz has not agreed to permit any bout for the WBA Heavyweight Championship unless he is one of the participants, and he will take any and all legal action necessary to protect his interests."

I wouldn’t expect anything less.