It’s getting difficult to be a David Haye fan

David Haye fans are praying the Londoner will break his silence when he returns from America this week and announce his intentions to strike a deal for the long anticipated showdown with the Klitschkos.

Since defending his WBA heavyweight championship in his mandatory fight against John Ruiz in April, Haye has uncharacteristically remained subdued despite being called out twice by the Ukrainian brothers.

Speaking at the WBC boxing festival in Cardiff, heavyweight king Vitali Klitschko said:

“I am ready to fight David any place, any time in England, Cardiff or even on the moon. My brother and I offered him a proposal two months ago but we have had no answer. Why? It’s mean of David.

“We don’t want to talk with our mouths, let’s just talk with our fists. But all boxing fans have to know he is afraid to fight us and is afraid to lose the title. It shows his character.

“David has to come out and say he doesn’t want to fight the Klitschkos. He talks too much and is just a trash talker but there is a big difference between talking and doing.”

The credibility of the heavyweight division has long been dwindling and a response from Haye willing to meet either brother in the ring would make the boxing world sit up and take notice.

The Londoner plays the PR game as good as anyone in boxing. Prior to his WBA heavyweight title clash with Nikolai Valuev, Haye’s outrageous beheading of the Russian’s cardboard cut-out and taunting generated interest in their bout.

And not forgetting walking into the Klitschko’s backyard wearing a T-shirt depicting the brothers severed heads hoist high in his hands.

The lacklustre heavyweight division has long craved someone like Haye’s character and more importantly the boxing fans lapped it up.

29-year-old Haye made a worldwide profile for himself as the man who would clean up the division, by his own admission, and be a credible challenger to the reign of the Ukrainian brothers.

Having his manager Adam Booth announce there are four or five possible opponents and Audley Harrison being confirmed as one of them was the news boxing fans dreaded.

Although a clash with Harrison would generate interest domestically and earn both Londoners a nice pay packet, it won’t do much in helping sustaining Haye’s legacy as a heavyweight champion. The Sydney Olympic Games medalist was all but forced into retirement before a last round knockout over Michael Sprott saved his career and launched him into contention for a bout with Haye.

Former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins has also expressed interest in challenging Haye for his WBA title. A potential fight with Hopkins would see the 45-year-old skip the cruiserweight division altogether in a potentially mismatch against a younger, bigger, faster and stronger Haye at heavyweight.

The WBA champion should avoid such opponents and stop with the waiting game before it is too late. The Klitschko’s don’t need to fight Haye, it is the Londoner who needs to beat the brothers to have any chance of leaving a legacy of a great heavyweight champion behind him.

Vitali is now 39-years-old and his brother, Wladimir, both aren’t getting any younger and should either fight with Shannon Briggs, if confirmed, or Samuel Peters respectively end in defeat, the market value and credibility of Haye’s clash with either brother falls dramatically.

Haye vowed to clean up the heavyweight division after beating John Ruiz but securing a deal to fight anyone other than the Klitschko brothers demonstrates anything but.

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