Haye Wants to Clean Up Against Maccarinelli
Boxing: David Haye said it was the prospect of knowing he had taken on the best and not money that made him fight Enzo Maccarinelli
David Haye has said money was not the sole motivation for him delaying his move up to the heavyweight division and choosing to face the Welshman Enzo Maccarinelli in a world cruiser weight championship title unification match at the O2 Arena in London on March 8.
Although the 27-year-old WBC and WBA champion Haye is known to be receiving the best payday of his career, albeit less than the £1.2m he originally demanded, he said it mattered more to him to be recognized as the best man in the division before beginning his quest to become world heavyweight champion.
"Yes, I am a professional fighter and I want to earn as much as I can," said Haye at a face-to-face press conference he attended with Maccarinelli yesterday. "But I also want to be able to look back at my boxing career in 50 years' time and know that I came through fights like this, and beat the best people out there. A lot of my big fans have been saying 'don't take this fight', but I told my manager Adam Booth to go out there and try to make sure that I got the fight."
The battle of the big punchers, or "Bombs Away" as it is being described by the promoter Frank Warren, will be the first world title fight to be held at the 02 Arena, and will take place in the early hours of Sunday morning to accommodate the US television network Show time who will take the fight live with Setanta Sports showing the contest in the UK. "I think it will be the best all-British fight since Nigel Benn was in the ring against Chris Eubank," said Warren.
Maccarinelli, 27, will be training in Enzo Calzaghe's gym in South Wales, while Haye begins warm weather preparations at his gym in northern Cyprus where he was based prior to his fight against Mormeck in November. And Maccarinelli says training alongside Joe Calzaghe will give him an edge as Calzaghe prepares for an anticipated Las Vegas light heavyweight contest against Bernard Hopkins on April 12. "I want to be known as 'the man' in the division," said the WBO champion Maccarinelli.
Although the 27-year-old WBC and WBA champion Haye is known to be receiving the best payday of his career, albeit less than the £1.2m he originally demanded, he said it mattered more to him to be recognized as the best man in the division before beginning his quest to become world heavyweight champion.
"Yes, I am a professional fighter and I want to earn as much as I can," said Haye at a face-to-face press conference he attended with Maccarinelli yesterday. "But I also want to be able to look back at my boxing career in 50 years' time and know that I came through fights like this, and beat the best people out there. A lot of my big fans have been saying 'don't take this fight', but I told my manager Adam Booth to go out there and try to make sure that I got the fight."
The battle of the big punchers, or "Bombs Away" as it is being described by the promoter Frank Warren, will be the first world title fight to be held at the 02 Arena, and will take place in the early hours of Sunday morning to accommodate the US television network Show time who will take the fight live with Setanta Sports showing the contest in the UK. "I think it will be the best all-British fight since Nigel Benn was in the ring against Chris Eubank," said Warren.
Maccarinelli, 27, will be training in Enzo Calzaghe's gym in South Wales, while Haye begins warm weather preparations at his gym in northern Cyprus where he was based prior to his fight against Mormeck in November. And Maccarinelli says training alongside Joe Calzaghe will give him an edge as Calzaghe prepares for an anticipated Las Vegas light heavyweight contest against Bernard Hopkins on April 12. "I want to be known as 'the man' in the division," said the WBO champion Maccarinelli.
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