By Edward Chaykovsky
Former two division world champion David Haye feels validated in his belief that Tyson Fury made a big mistake in agreeing to a rematch clause with Wladimir Klitschko.
Even before Fury's shocking upset of Klitschko last November, Haye felt the rematch clause was a big mistake.
Because Fury was the mandatory challenger, under the WBA and WBO, there no reason to agree to a rematch clause. Klitschko was ordered to fight him by both sanctioning bodies and the bout would have happened either way.
But Haye still took a swipe at Fury, branding him "silly" for offering Klitschko a rematch.
Fury was likely paid for his troubles in agreeing to the rematch clause. Following his unexpected win, he could have called the shots on rematch terms. The rematch clause placed Klitschko and his team in control. The financial terms of the rematch were already agreed up on the contract.
Haye states how the rematch clause has already cost Fury one of his four world titles. Fury, who still has the IBO, WBA and WBO, was stripped by the IBF for failing to agree to a mandatory defense against Czar Glazkov. Fury was unable to agree because he owes Klitschko and immediate rematch and there would have been legal consequences for not going forward.
Without the clause, he could have made a voluntary against Glazkov and then fight Klitschko. Now Glazkov faces Charles Martin for the vacant IBF belt on Saturday night in Brooklyn.
"I didn't see [why he would do] that at all," Haye told Soccaer AM. "Wladimir Klitschko had a real awful night when he fought him and they have got a rematch, so it will be interesting to see how the rematch goes.
"But he's a funny character; he's got all the belts. He's already had one of them stripped off him because he signed a silly contract that he shouldn't have done. But that's him, he's a bit of a silly guy."