Former cruiserweight and heavyweight champion, David Haye over the weekend stopped Dereck Chisora in the fifth round of their bout to settle a grudge showdown in front of thirty thousand spectators at Upton Park. He floored Chisora twice with left hooks. Referee Luis Pabon stopped the fight after the second knockdown, giving Haye his 24 knockout victory in 27 bouts, of which he lost two. Chisora suffered his fourth defeat in his 19th fight, and his fourth setback in his last five bouts.
Haye won the WBA and WBO International heavyweight titles. After settling a festering feud that began with a public punch-up earlier this year, the pair hugged and made up after the end of their explosive encounter. Haye hopes the impressive display will increase calls for him to face WBC champion Vitali Klitschko. “I’ve sent out a very scary message. I’ll be surprised if Vitali Klitschko wants to fight me after that. He will no doubt try to fight some chump and then retire to be a politician,” said Haye.
Klitschko, 40, is due to face Syrian Manuel Charr on September 10 and could then retire to concentrate on a full-time political career. Haye hopes Klitschko will be tempted by one more lucrative pay-day as the Ukrainian’s younger brother Wladimir has said he is not interested in a rematch with the Briton. Whatever the significance of his latest victory, it would have been immensely satisfying for Haye after the infamous news conference brawl in Munich and public condemnation of the pair for their behaviour. Neither boxer held a British boxing licence but the Luxembourg Boxing Federation licensed them for what was the biggest all-British heavyweight fight since Lennox Lewis beat Frank Bruno 19 years ago.
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