By Terence Dooley
David Haye has added his voice to trainer Adam Booth’s by condemning Wladimir Klitschko for failing to agree to terms. Haye has repeatedly claimed that Wlad is playing hardball; Wlad insists that Haye’s team have not acted professionally; something needs to give if this fight is to become a reality in 2011.
“We have now ticked every box they have asked us to tick and I just hope Wladimir is as eager to fight as he tells everyone he is,” implored Haye when talking to the BBC. “We have removed every possible excuse and have shown we are serious about making this fight become a reality. I'll smoke him out if I have to. I only pray Wladimir is as serious as we are, because this fight needs to happen for the good of the sport.”
Bernd Boente, who represents both Klitschkos, insists that the fault lies with Team Haye; the Klitschkos fight under the RTL banner over in Germany, Booth has claimed that ARD, RTL’s rival, have tabled a bigger bid for the unification bout.
Boente told BoxingScene.com's Rick Reeno that Wlad is set to honour his contract with RTL, which requires both brothers to give the network one more fight each. Therefore the fight with Haye looks to be in limbo for the moment; bad news when you take into account Haye’s insistence that he will retire well before the clock strikes for 2012.
Ironically, both sides are provoking the ire of the hardcore boxing fans that have waited patiently for a Klitschko-Haye showdown. Throw in the continued farce between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, and it becomes plain as day why the sport is alienating its core base.
Then again, should David and Wlad finally agree a time and date, and the likelihood is that they will, the sport could be a mega-fight away from a storming, and long overdue, year to remember in 2011, especially if Manny and Floyd finally square off.
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