Whaaa? Haye refuses to put the WBA belt on the line?

[Boxing Scene]

The WBA have stated the belt is on the line. I think Haye is doing mind games like Steward is going to train him etc...

He likes to piss Wlad off. I think he gets a buzz from it. Wlad seems to just follow it, such as Haye said he will put him in hospital, and Wlad asked him again, and Haye said yes.

The belt WAS supposed to be on the line until this happened. If it doesn't get resolved there's a chance it WON'T be on the line. This has been in the news for the past 3 or 4 days.

[Freddie Jackson]

belt or no belt haye bum will be BRUTAL KO in 3 days by Volodomyr

[Dirk Diggler UK]

Its a smart tactic by Haye's camp in all honesty, they've made such a big deal about it now that the ref may end up favouring them instead of Wlad to compensate.

[S.G.]

I don't really understand this referee rubbish.

He's doing an Alex Ferguson. Trying to psych the referee out.

[PD21]

The WBA were the organisation who tried to ruin the last unification. When Lewis beat Holyfield they went back on their word and wouldnt allow Lewis to make his first defence against Grant so they stripped him to allow Ruiz to get a shot. Didnt make much sense to anyone at the time but all their decisions are made form a business perspective and have no regard for whats right in principal.

They arent the first organisation to do it. WBC and Suliaman are probably the worst. The IBF have a bad rep and the WBO are the ones who gave Barrera his belt back after the 1st Morales fight because they thought he deserved to win the fight.

This is very unfair on Wvlad if its true but coming from Hayes camp I expect it is more hot air.

[hweightblogger]

The belt WAS supposed to be on the line until this happened. If it doesn't get resolved there's a chance it WON'T be on the line. This has been in the news for the past 3 or 4 days.

For me as a boxing fan it's completely unacceptable that a boxer withdraws his belt just days before the fight.

[DET. IRONSIDE]

He's doing an Alex Ferguson. Trying to psych the referee out.

Thats all it is man. They are SERIOUSLY rattling the bars before the rumble. Check the BBC article, the WBA are NOT withdrawing the belt. A champ gets a new belt for each defense of the title. Whoever wins on Saturday will go home with a WBA belt:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/13968068.stm

David Haye's trainer has repeated his call for referee Genaro Rodriguez to be replaced for Saturday's heavyweight showdown with Wladimir Klitschko.

Adam Booth is concerned at the way Rodriguez officiated a previous fight of IBF and WBO champion Klitschko.

"In the first five rounds Wladimir was allowed to get away with 32 offences without being spoken to once, and that concerns me," said Booth.

He wants WBA referee Luis Pabon to officiate. Haye holds the WBA belt.

Klitschko's American adviser Shelly Finkel says he has it in writing from the WBA that it is happy for Rodriguez to officiate.

"All we are asking is for the rules of boxing to be applied by the referee," said Booth.

Rodriguez has refereed four of IBF and WBO champion Klitschko's fights, three of them wins and one of them a defeat at the hands of Corrie Sanders in 2003.

However, Haye said he did not want to get involved in any controversy that may deflect his attention from the fight itself.

"I'm not letting that bother me whatsoever," said the 30-year-old Englishman. "I just do what I do in the ring"

[jrosales13]

All this really is, and everyone who knows boxing knows this, is a way for the WBA to keep Haye as the champion if he loses to Wlad. They don't want Wlad in there, they've done everything possible to keep him out, for example see the Chagaev fight where Wlad was supposed to win the belt and he got screwed out of it.

This is nothing more than continued thievery from the WBA.

I'll be honest with you I could care less if Haye remains the WBA champ afterwards (if he loses) as long as he fights people like Arreola, Adamek, etc. Make the big fights.

You're a ****** and terrible poster.

[PrinceNaz88]

He's doing an Alex Ferguson. Trying to psych the referee out.

Exactly, the fight will go ahead no problem.

It's just mind games..

[rich6666]

Isn't haye already getting 50% of the purse? What the hell does being lineal champion get you these days? Man alive!

Boxing is a business and Haye brings more money to the table. Wlad only brings to the table his RTL contract of 3/5million,Nothing else. Within the contract RTL have sole distributing rights within Eastern Europe and mainland Europe.

Sky PPV will generate around 1million ppv at £15.