By Johnny Walker
Bernd Boente, manager of the world heavyweight champion Klitschko brothers, today dismissed the notion of former WBA heavyweight king David Haye of the UK getting a shot at current WBC champion Vitali, after losing to Vitali’s younger brother Wladimir in a world title bout last year.
Boente contends that now retired Haye is afraid to fight Vitali, and is deliberately pricing himself out of the market in order to save face with the British public. He also says Haye may not be the drawing card he once was after his anemic showing in the Wladimir fight.
“The difference is all about the numbers,” Boente tells Mail Online (www.dailymail.co.uk).
“Haye is asking for so much money that it is impossible. He wants an impossible guarantee plus half the British television rights while we do all the work and take on all the costs.
“The financial risk for us of going anywhere near his demands would be far too great. We just don’t know what he could bring to the event,” Boente contends.
“What we do know for certain is that Sky will not put him on pay-per-view again so there would be limited fees from them for a normal broadcast.”
Vitali Klitschko, for his part, says he is ready to move on and consign David Haye to the past. Vitali squares off with Haye’s British counterpart Dereck “Del Boy” Chisora on February 14 in Munich, Germany. The elder Klitschko brother says Haye tried to mimic another, more famous heavyweight boxer, but forgot that actions in the ring must be as impressive as the words that preceded them.
‘He tried to be Muhammad Ali with his big words and promises. The difference is that Ali talked then did what he said. Haye just talked,” Vitali tells Mail Online.
“I expect a much more aggressive challenge from Chisora than Haye gave to my brother. In truth, it is such a huge headache to make a fight with Haye that it is no longer worth it.”
For his part, Boente says that unless Haye radically adjusts his demands, the fight will never happen. And he scoffs at the suggestion recently made by Haye’s trainer Adam Booth that the Klitschkos are just using Haye’s name to create publicity for themselves.
“Why would we seek publicity through a loser? We made a very good offer considering he is a loser with a little toe excuse,” chides Boente.
“We moved once but we won’t move again. It’s ridiculous. If they don’t come back with something realistic this fight will never happen.
“And I do not expect them to do so.”
