By Rick Reeno
Not long after BoxingScene.com reported that David Haye (21-1, 20KOs) bailed out on a potential bout with undefeated heavyweight prospect Kevin "Kingpin" Johnson (27-0-1, 7KOs), we received several calls from sources in the United States and the UK, all indicating that top contender Eddie Chambers (31-1, 17KOs) is the current frontrunner to be announced as Haye's opponent for the November 15 bout at the O2 Arena in London.
There is a Tuesday press conference scheduled to announce Haye's next foe. There was talk going around that Haye would end up fighting untested prospect JD Chapman (29-0, 26KOs), but one source indicates that Chapman turned down the fight for monetary reasons. I say good for Chapman. The guy is only 25-years-old, he's untested and has plenty of time to work his way to the big stage.
Around two-weeks ago, BoxingScene was advised that members of Haye's team were fishing around for tapes of Chambers. I have to admit, Chambers is a very tricky opponent. He could present a very tough style for Haye to crack. And while he only has one loss, by decision to Alexander Povetkin, you saw the damage that Chambers caused on Povetkin's face. This could be a very tough fight when comparing the styles, especially if Chambers stays focused and keeps it a boxing match. Chambers has a keep-busy fight scheduled at the Blue Horizon on October 3, obviously that won't go forward if he lands the Haye date.