David Haye: record, next fight and profile →
A big British showdown between David Haye (26-2, 24KOs) and Tyson Fury (21-0, 15KOs) is close to becoming a reality for a date in August, according to The Sun. As BoxingScene.com reported earlier, Fury withdrew from an ordered EBU title fight with champion Kurat Pulev, which the IBF also set down as a final eliminator. Haye was set to face Manuel Charr in June, but withdrew with a left hand injury.
Adam Booth admits a fight against fellow Brit Tyson Fury interests David Haye, though not before the former WBA champion has finally faced Manuel Charr. Haye was forced to postpone his June bout with German heavyweight Charr due to a hand injury that he said would need "at least four weeks" of rest. He has not stepped inside the ring since defeating Dereck Chisora last summer but had hoped to schedule two bouts in 2013 in his bid to climb the rankings and become a mandatory challenger to one of the Klitschko brothers. Booth still believes that plan could come to fruition, starting with a rescheduled date to face Charr, and reckons a domestic dust-up with Fury is a "natural fight" between two men looking to get themselves a world title shot.
Just a quick message to again express how sorry I am for postponing my return to the ring because of injury. It was a tough decision to make, as I didn't want to let anybody down, but was one made easier by the pain I experienced. In the end, I had no choice but to postpone the fight. The injury occurred on Sunday evening, when I was hitting the heavy bag as ferociously as I always do. After landing a punch, I instantly felt a shooting pain in my left wrist. The pain never stopped.
David Haye has been forced to pull out of his heavyweight bout with Manuel Charr next month after suffering a hand injury in training. Haye was set to fight for the first time since stopping fellow Briton Dereck Chisora inside five rounds in their controversial bout at Upton Park last July against former world title challenger Charr at the Manchester Arena on June 29. But after injuring his left hand on Sunday evening, the 32-year-old announced the contest has been postponed and it is not yet clear whether the bout will be re-arranged. "I'm absolutely gutted to have to pull out of this fight on June 29," said the former WBA heavyweight champion.
Manuel Charr has vowed to knock out Briton David Haye and set up a rematch with world champion Vitali Klitschko. Charr lost to Klitschko last September, although the fight was stopped due to a cut. The German insists he would have won the contest had he been allowed to continue but now faces a battle to get back into world-title contention. He hopes to do so by beating Haye when they meet in Manchester on June 29 Charr said: "Vitali doesn't want to fight David and he doesn't want to fight me again, either.
Johnathon Banks, heavyweight contender and trainer for unified champion Wladimir Klitschko, says two-division king David Haye (26-2, 24KOs) needs to earn his title shot like everyone else in the division. Haye fought and lost to Wladimir in 2011. He retired afterwards, but came back last year and knocked out Dereck Chisora. He once again appeared to be on the verge of retirement, and then signed a deal with promoter Eddie Hearn for at least four more fights.
David Haye will be banking on his speed when he returns to the ring against Manuel Charr in next month's heavyweight showdown in Manchester. The former WBA champion will have to be on his toes on June 29, as he is likely to be giving away around two stone in weight against Charr, whose sole defeat in 24 fights was against Vitali Klitschko due to a cut eyebrow. "There is definitely a great emphasis on speed during this training camp, as I know it will be important in the fight," said Haye.
David Haye claims his name is being used by Tyson Fury simply as a promotional tool. Fury, the 24-year-old British heavyweight whose professional record shows 21 victories and no defeats, has been publicly calling out former WBA champion Haye. But ahead of his June 29 clash with Manuel Charr at Manchester Arena, Haye has said that Fury's camp, when approached by his own, made it clear they were not interested in making a fight between the pair. It has led Haye to surmise that in talking up the prospect of a showdown with him, the only goal Fury really had in mind was to boost his own profile. Asked about the possibility of facing Fury, Haye said: "From listening to what he says publicly, it sounds like it will be happening.
David Haye is experiencing life as the hunted rather than the hunter ahead of his heavyweight comeback against Manuel Charr. The 32-year-old former WBA champion is stepping back into the ring on June 29 after a period in retirement, which was broken only by a domestic scrap with rival Dereck Chisora. Prior to that, Haye's last fight ended in a points defeat to Wladimir Klitschko in Hamburg - the loss a tough one for Haye to take after he had called out the Ukranian with a soundtrack of trash talk and threats. The boot is on the other foot now, though, with Charr - a Lebanon-born puncher with a 23-1 record - having pursued Haye for a showdown.
David Haye feels he will have to train as hard as he ever has done in preparation for his clash with Manuel Charr - but insists he is not concerned about ring rust, despite having been out of action for almost a year. The bout at Manchester Arena on June 29 will see former WBA heavyweight champion Haye fighting for the first time since his grudge match victory over fellow Briton Dereck Chisora in London in July 2012. Charr, 28, has been in action on three occasions since then, suffering a controversial defeat at the hands of WBC champion Vitali Klitschko before bouncing back with two victories to take his record to 23 wins with just one defeat. Haye (26-2), who had come out of retirement to fight Chisora, has no doubt he has his work cut out getting in shape for this contest, but has emphasised that he will be ready for Charr.