David Haye Protests Referee Choice for Wladimir Klitschko Fight

David Haye is upset with the choice of referee for his July 2 fight with Wladimir Klitschko, according to a report in The Sun:

The WBA champion has protested over Chicago referee Genaro Rodriguez handling the unification showdown in Hamburg.

Haye's team is worried because Rodriguez has officiated in FOUR of WBO and IBF champion Klitschko's fights.

Emphasis is theirs.

Boy, this is about the last thing anyone wanted to hear on June 23 in regard to this fight. There will be the lingering suspicion that the fight will fall apart until the opening bell has rung and punches are thrown, and I'm sure this has raised the paranoia level up to uncomfortable levels for many.

Rodriguez's referee record is available at BoxRec, so feel free to look it over. The protesting really doesn't come across as warranted, to be quite honest. Rodriguez refereed Klitschko's fights with Eddie Chambers (2010), Derrick Jefferson (2001), Francois Botha (2002) and Corrie Sanders (2003). Four fights over a total of nine years. Perhaps Haye would prefer Guido Cavalleri, who has refereed three Haye fights in the past, or Luis Pabon, who has refereed two of Haye's four heavyweight fights since moving up from cruiserweight.

Hopefully this doesn't turn into some big deal, because it just isn't a big deal. If nothing else, fine, change the referee, forget about it.

These two need mediators to decide what kind of pants they're allowed to wear to the weigh-in.