Haye to defend title against Harrison in heavyweight battle of Britain

Audley Harrison gets his heavyweight title shot

David Haye has today confirmed what we all expected, that he will give former European heavyweight champion and fellow Londoner Audley Harrison a crack at WBA world heavyweight title in what will be his second defence of the crown at the MEN Arena in Manchester on 13 November.
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Harrison the 2000 Olympic gold medallist earned his chance after knocking out Michael Sprott in the 12th round in April, after resurrecting his flagging career by previously winning the British based Prizefighter tournament last year.
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Fight fans are divided on the fight with many feeling Haye is taking the easy option by fighting Harrison, and feel he should be sharing the ring with one of the other world champions WBC champion Vitali Klitschko or his brother Wladimir, the WBO and IBF holder.
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WBA champion David Haye

Haye insists that they are the fights that he wants and has been trying to get, but with negotiations breaking down for a unification series with the brothers, Haye is now ready to give ‘A Force! his chance to fight for the world title, in what is considered to be a low risk high reward scenario for Haye.
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Poland’s Tomasz Adamek is considered to be the most credible challenger out there but with Adamek not being a big enough name outside of boxing Harrison was always a more financially viable option for a fight that regardless of the negatives here will sell out in this country.
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The contest will be the biggest world heavyweight title fight between two British boxers since Lennox Lewis defended his WBC crown in Cardiff stopping Frank Bruno in 1993.
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Haye, 29, who was the former undisputed cruiserweight champion before moving up in weight to win the WBA title, by out boxing giant Russian Nikolay Valuev to take a points victory and the belt in Germany on 7 November 2009.
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Haye then made the first defence of the title against John Ruiz at the MEN Arena in April, stopping the American in the 9th round.
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Harrison 38, and Haye who once were friends and amateur room mates, no longer speak to each other after Harrison accused Haye of snubbing him off one of his promotional shows in Liverpool a few years ago and has publicly slated Haye for it, and he is convinced he will win the scrap.
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“David Haye is a false prophet, one punch and that chin will shatter like glass.” said Harrison who is ranked just No 13 by the WBA.
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The fight will be a Box office event and will make both fighters a lot of money either way. Haye probably sees the fight as an easy nights work, although stranger things have happened in the boxing ring he will be a clear favorite to put an end to Harrisons dream forever.
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Wladimir Klitschko has scoffed at the fight and Hayes decision, sarcastically claiming that it is just ‘the heavyweight championship of London”.
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But after all said and done we will watch the fight because that is what we do, and if Vitali Klitschko beats Shannon Briggs in his next fight, Wladimir smashes Samuel Peter and Haye defeats Harrison like he is expected to do then 2011 looks like being the year that heavyweight boxing could have an undisputed showdown, but I think there will be a few more twists and turns before then.
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By Chris Maylett