After this weekend saw boxing matches that included Haye v Harrison and Pacquiao v Margarito, the focus once more turned to two fights that are arguably the biggest in the game: Pacquiao v Mayweather and Haye v Klitschko.
Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jnr have long been battling to claim the mantle of “best pound for pound fighter”, though they, to date, have kept this battle to being a war of words as attempts to set up this huge bout have stalled, primarily due to contract terms over blood testing.
Pacquiao took on Mexican Margarito on Saturday, and won in fine style, in what his manager insinuated before the bout could be his last fight. But boxing fans want to see Pacquiao-Mayweather.
Haye v Klitschko (either Wladimir or Vitali, both of whom hold belts) is the heavyweight fight the fans want to see.
Vitali Klitschko is 39, and the current WBC World Heavyweight Champion. He has announced his intention to retire at the end of 2010.
Wladimir Klitschko is 34, and looks the more likely opponent for Haye. Wladimir is the current unified IBF, IBO, WBO World Heavyweight champion.
David Haye is the British WBAWorld Champion who defended his title against Sydney Gold medal winner Audley Harrison, 39, with a third round Saturday night knockout, prompting fans to call once more for the bigger fight.
As a result, Haye v Klitschko is being hyped as the biggest fight in boxing. Speaking after Haye v Harrison, boxing promoter Frank Warren claimed that Haye v Klitschko was now bigger than Pacquiao v Mayweather, but which fight do boxing fans want to see happen the most?
Leave your selection in our poll below – and be sure to provide your rationale in the comments box at the foot of this article.
[poll id=”7″]
I want to see Nonito Doñaire vs Jorge Arce and Sergio Martinez vs Andre Ward
Gotta be Mayweather v Pac Man, 2 best fifghters at the mo. Plus both are closer to the end of their careers then the beginning – sooner the better, although not convinced it will ever happen.
Alas, I think you are right: this fight does not look like getting off the ground; however, neither does a Haye v Klitschko bout appear to be on the cards at present. This is something that boxing, as a sport, should look to address, as fans of boxing (of which I class myself as one of many!) will tire of seeing the best fighters skirting each other.
I have conversations about this with fight fans around the world, and a lot of them are moving their allegiance to other sports, like Mixed Marshal Arts, for precisely this reason: boxing isn’t delivering the entertaining product it used to.
Even the excellence of Mayweather’s defence could not withstand the ferocity of the Pac mans onslaught. Floyd would be forced to fight, and might even surprise himself.
If Haye fights one of the Russians, he’d better hope it is Wladimir, as the only hope he has is by knockout. If he went six rounds with either Klitch without getting them out of there, he would finally feel the force of a legitimate heavy weight, and buckle.
Paqciao vs Mayweather – Legitimate contest
Haye vs Klitschko – Interesting spectacle
Looks like the Klitschko team are trying to set up Haye v Vitaly at present – in the Spring of 2011.
haye & klitcko putting alongside pacman is a joke!!! haye & klitsko are the most overhyped boxers, never worth a penny in pay per view!!
I think we are all missing the Fight we have all been denied for years, the fight that would draw more interest than any other fight, but ultimatly the fight that will never happen.
Klitschko VS Klitschko
Hmmm the biggest fight let me see, well on one hand you’ve got two mugs as world champions that only exsist because of the piss poor quality of fighters in a divsion that has been dormant for years. And on the other you’ve got two of the best fighters to ever set foot in the ring. It’s a shame that floyd hasn’t got the heart to match his ability and that his cawardness, vanity and ego will deny us all of the biggest fight of all times as he knows better than any amature critic like myself that he cannot garantee he will beat paqciao.