Haye champ for five minutes - WBA order 'interim' title bout

[bollox]

I see Don King and his "trickerations" as he called them, are alive and well

[Adamj1987]

I'm not surprised in anyway whatsoever, it's time the fighters boycotted these mobsters.

indeed there should be 1 title and only 1 title goverened by 1 sporting body like aiba is with the ams

[whicker]

I'm not surprised in anyway whatsoever, it's time the fighters boycotted these mobsters.

indeed there should be 1 title and only 1 title goverened by 1 sporting body like aiba is with the ams

In theory, yes.

In practice, it doesn't work.

[charlieb]

bad for haye if it is true as he isnt good enough to beat chagaev. haye could beat ruiz and then get a jackpot fight with either of the klitschko's before being KO'd off the scene...but if he has to fight chagaev then it's all over before he gets to the big boys.

I wouldn't write Haye off against Chagaev just yet... couple of years ago maybe.

With the health issues, not to mention being battered by Wlad, I don't think it's a sure thing.

He also didn't look a world beater in there with Skelton, Drummond either. In fact, he looked quite ordinary.

Maybe I'm looking for a silver lining, Chagaev was one of the guys, along with Povetkin and Toney, who I felt would pose Haye problems... at one time.

Booth will be able to read this best, decide whether to jump back into bed with the Klitschkos as soon as Ruiz is beaten (not a formality), or take a chance with Chagaev. To be honest, I think the Klitschkos would be more than accommodating as Haye loses all lustre to them if he's beaten by Chagaev.

[hitman_hatton1]

I'm not surprised in anyway whatsoever, it's time the fighters boycotted these mobsters.

indeed there should be 1 title and only 1 title goverened by 1 sporting body like aiba is with the ams

In theory, yes.

In practice, it doesn't work.

i do think the belts serve a purpose in the sport.

unfortunately the sanctioning bodies harm there own standing in the sport.

10 yrs ago the belts were still fairly well regarded.

an alternative has never been found to the sanctioning bodies.

so we'll have to put up with em.

[whicker]

an alternative has never been found to the sanctioning bodies.

Tournaments are in their infancy, but these might be a way forward.

[Shirow]

It's not a disaster. If Haye can negotiate a fight with one of the K brothers soon the WBA will re-write their rules to get some of those sweet, sweet sanctioning fees. If not Haye can actually fight some experienced HWs who he should beat at home with tv and actually become active while he awaits his shot.
Could he actually have two fights within 6 months?! Also he can get his remaining Hayemaker boxers some screen time.

[hitman_hatton1]

bad for haye if it is true as he isnt good enough to beat chagaev. haye could beat ruiz and then get a jackpot fight with either of the klitschko's before being KO'd off the scene...but if he has to fight chagaev then it's all over before he gets to the big boys.

haye would hit too hard for chagaev i reckon.

[Pickers]

From a WBA Director: “The Assembly General deferred discussions of amendments to the rules referring to Interim titles. This means the Meehan vs. Chagaev bout will not be sanctioned as an Interim championship.”

[dondada]

From a WBA Director: “The Assembly General deferred discussions of amendments to the rules referring to Interim titles. This means the Meehan vs. Chagaev bout will not be sanctioned as an Interim championship.”

Yes - it's in the follow up story I posted.

[Coco]

an alternative has never been found to the sanctioning bodies.

Tournaments are in their infancy, but these might be a way forward.

Tournaments have been going on for years but are never regular as promoters want to protect their investment

[Boxingmad]

Read a book called "Boxing Confidential" by Jim Brady and that will tell you how awful the WBA really are and how they're all as bad as each other really (the other sanctioning bodies). It also goes through how the Mafia controlled boxing in the 1930s etc. up to present leading lights of sneakiness & skullduggery such as Don King, Bob Arum and a chap called Harold Smith.

Very good read. Highly recommended.

[Autobarn]

Firstly I aggree this is a disgrace the WBA are a joke and have been since they stripped Lewis for wantenly beating a Don King fighter twice!

However lest we forget that the only reson Haye got his shot was cos Chagaev vacated the title to fight Klitschko so in some ways it seems just if he has to get by Chagaev to fight Klitschko.

A sliver lining to this is that Haye gets to have two more fights at the weight both of which will be good learning fights against opponents with strong jabs, both of which I firmly believe he can win, though Chagaev will be a tough one before he fights Klitschko. He will also earn a fair bit of cash for all of them in this country - two big nights at the o2.

I'm a massive Haye fan but he didn't deserve a title shot after one fight at HW I don't think it's a bad thing that he will have fought 4 top contenders before he goes for the (actual) world title.

exactly, if it keeps haye busy - and he bloody well needs it after a year out - then this is good. if he makes 2 defenses next year v ruiz and chagaev, learns how to be a good heavyweight champ, i won't complain.

i mean, no one is going to call a chagaev-meehan winner a heavyweight champ. not even the winner would consider themselves champ. it's only to determine the next challenger, and for the WBA to make some sanctioning fees out of it. looks like the fight might not happen anyway, now.

the biggest upside for me. it gets chag, it gets meehan, out of the rankings. it allows young guns ustinov and especially boytsov to move up the rankings. i can see the next WBA elim being something like hard hooking russian hercules boytsov v adamek, who is likely to beat up hasim rahman next and who is being lobbied for top 5 WBA ranking. boytsov v adamek, the exciting cruiserweight champ, is a great fight in its own right.

or is ustinov earns a crack, haye gets to further his reputation as a "giant killer".

[Autobarn]

bad for haye if it is true as he isnt good enough to beat chagaev. haye could beat ruiz and then get a jackpot fight with either of the klitschko's before being KO'd off the scene...but if he has to fight chagaev then it's all over before he gets to the big boys.

haye would thrash chagaev. haye is fitter, healthier, and with far more potential.

chagaev is an overweight plodder with skills, who elivered in ONE fight, from his whole career (valuev). meanwhile haye - with cruiser and heavy titles - is arguably just getting started, and will improve after that terrible layoff.