Tweet
The wheels in motion on a potential encounter between David Haye and Audley Harrison are gathering pace as it becomes increasingly likely that the pair will meet on November 13 of this year.
Several reports from Britain's major sporting news outlets all appear to have the same understanding as ESPN.co.uk, namely that Haye and Harrison are set to create the biggest all-British heavyweight clash since Lennox Lewis fought Frank Bruno in 1993. It is believed the fight could gross £5 million.
The bout initially moved closer when Harrison vacated his European title, freeing him up to take on the heavyweight division's big guns. Then Haye's manager, Adam Booth, who originally poured scorn on Harrison's claims to be a genuine contender to Haye's WBA title, seemed to perform something of a climbdown over the issue.
"As a boxing fan, I hate the fight, because Audley has not boxed anyone in the top 20, but I know that maybe David didn't deserve a shot at [Nikolai] Valuev," Booth said in The Times. "Within Britain it will be a fight that people would love to see, but [Haye] will receive a lot of criticism worldwide. He will be called a coward for not facing the Klitschkos and his credibility will be shot to pieces.
"Audley has to believe he has more chance of beating David than he does Wladimir or Vitali. I don't think he lasts four rounds with any of them, but with David he has got to have that belief that he finds his b*****ks and David's chin at the same time."
Now Haye's promoters, Golden Boy promotions, are also talking positively about the showdown, which would likely take place at London's O2 Arena or Manchester's MEN Arena.
"The British media were telling me that the English fans were pretty excited about Audley Harrison and think that it could become one of the great showdowns between two British fighters," said Golden Boy promotions CEO Richard Schaefer.
"They're both very outspoken and very charismatic and so we will see. Ultimately, of course, it will be David and Adam Booth of Hayemaker Promotions dictating which way it's going to go."
Several reports from Britain's major sporting news outlets all appear to have the same understanding as ESPN.co.uk, namely that Haye and Harrison are set to create the biggest all-British heavyweight clash since Lennox Lewis fought Frank Bruno in 1993. It is believed the fight could gross £5 million.
The bout initially moved closer when Harrison vacated his European title, freeing him up to take on the heavyweight division's big guns. Then Haye's manager, Adam Booth, who originally poured scorn on Harrison's claims to be a genuine contender to Haye's WBA title, seemed to perform something of a climbdown over the issue.
"As a boxing fan, I hate the fight, because Audley has not boxed anyone in the top 20, but I know that maybe David didn't deserve a shot at [Nikolai] Valuev," Booth said in The Times. "Within Britain it will be a fight that people would love to see, but [Haye] will receive a lot of criticism worldwide. He will be called a coward for not facing the Klitschkos and his credibility will be shot to pieces.
"Audley has to believe he has more chance of beating David than he does Wladimir or Vitali. I don't think he lasts four rounds with any of them, but with David he has got to have that belief that he finds his b*****ks and David's chin at the same time."
Now Haye's promoters, Golden Boy promotions, are also talking positively about the showdown, which would likely take place at London's O2 Arena or Manchester's MEN Arena.
"The British media were telling me that the English fans were pretty excited about Audley Harrison and think that it could become one of the great showdowns between two British fighters," said Golden Boy promotions CEO Richard Schaefer.
"They're both very outspoken and very charismatic and so we will see. Ultimately, of course, it will be David and Adam Booth of Hayemaker Promotions dictating which way it's going to go."
Comment