Haye keeps title ... for now

Despite the promise that he is to move up to heavyweight, the possibility that he might yet defend the WBC and WBA cruiserweight titles he won by stopping Jean-Marc Mormeck at the weekend in Paris.

At the WBC Convention in Manila, Don Majeski, the US agent for Haye's promoter, Frank Maloney, said Haye intended to remain at cruiserweight and defend his new belt. As Haye was the mandatory WBC challenger, he has a year before he has to make a mandatory defence.

It sounds like classic delaying tactics, and why not? After all, Haye has not even been sent his championship belts yet (the ones that he was presented with in Paris were Mormeck's and had to be given back).

But it does keep open the prospect, if he can possibly make the weight again, of a massive unification fight with Enzo Maccarinelli. Haye was paid about £300,000 for his fight against Mormeck, would he fancy taking the risk of starving himself again if there was £1 million on the table to face Maccarinelli. I would hope not - no money is worth risking your health for and that was certainly Haye's view after the fight.

The other main news from Manila concerned Carl Froch being made No 1 contender to Joe Calzaghe's super-middleweight title. He will have to face Denis Inkin, the German-based Russian, in a final eliminator early next year and Mick Hennessy, Froch's promoter, must be confident he will be able to stage that bout in Britain.

Hennessy also promotes Junior Witter, who has until September for the mandatory defence of his WBC light-welterweight title. That will be against Jose Luis Castillo - the Mexican great knocked out by Ricky Hatton in June - or Timothy Bradley, an untested, unbeaten American, who have been matched in an eliminator. If either does not make it, Souleymane M'Baye, the French former WBA champion who lost his title to Gavin Rees in July.

Rees, by the way, is due to defend the WBA title against Andreas Kotelnik early next year. Kotelnik, a German-based Ukrainian, has boxed twice in Britain, losing a narrow decision to Witter for the European title in 2005, and drawing with M'Baye (whom he had previously drawn against) last summer in Liverpool.

Comments

[Adam C]

I would pick Enzo to beat Haye if they ever met. Enzo looks much stronger at the weight and Haye should not be tempted to stay at cruiser.