David Haye Snubs Vitali Klitschko; Will Now Fight Nikolay Valuev

David Haye, the former cruiserweight boxing champion who turned heavyweight, will not be fighting Vitali Klitschko on September 12 for the WBC heavyweight title. Klitschko had reserved the 55,000-seat Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt, Germany, but will now have to find a new opponent. Haye and his management team have decided to turn their attention to 7-foot-2 giant Nikolay Valuev, who holds the WBA heavyweight belt. The fight against Valuev is signed, and will happen on November 7 in Germany.

Haye released a statement that read: "I am thrilled to announce that my dream of becoming world heavyweight champion will be realized on November 7, when I challenge the tallest and heaviest champion of all time, Nikolai Valuev. There were reports in the German press that I had signed to fight Vitali Klitschko in September, but those reports were never true."

This was not the first time that Haye had snubbed a Klitschko brother. Haye was scheduled to face younger brother Wladimir Klitschko on June 20, with all contracts signed, but only three weeks before the fight, Haye pulled out of the fight, claiming a back injury. But most believe the pullout was because of the bankruptcy of Setanta, the British sports network that had to pay Haye's entire purse for the fight. Haye believed he would not of been paid. Wladimir fought undefeated Ruslan Chagaev instead, who was ranked higher in the rankings, on the June 20 date, in the 60-000 seat stadium, and forced Chagaev's corner to stop the fight after nine rounds of Wladimir pummeling him. In the later rounds, Wladimir was inflicting more and more damage on Chagaev and it was only a matter of time before Klitschko would of knocked him out. With the win, Klitschko improved his record to 53-3, and added the RING Magazine belt, to his collection of heavyweight belts.

Haye (22-1, 21 KO's) became an undisputed cruiserweight champion after getting up off the canvas, and knocking out Jean-Marc Mormeck. After beating top contender, Enzo Maccarinelli in two rounds, Haye said that there was no competition left in the cruiserweight division, and moved up to heavyweight. Haye immediately called out the Klitschko brothers, who were at the top of the divisions, but has yet to fight either one of them. Haye has not fought in more than eight months, last fighting fringe heavyweight contender Monte Barrett in November 2008, who he knocked down five times, en route to a fifth round stoppage.

Haye made another statement that said: "There have been long and exhausting discussions about the clash, but unfortunately I could never put my name to the fight contract the Klitschkos offered. The level of disrespect they have shown me throughout has left me feeling insulted." That statement seems amazing as Haye always insulted the Klitschko brothers every chance he got, and even had shirts that depicted the severed heads of the brothers. Klitschko's management team has said that Haye and his team were very amateurish and have no idea what they are doing.

Nikolay Valuev, Haye's opponent, has never been knocked down or knocked out, in his 16-year professional career, and has only lost one time in 50 fights. But in Valuev's last fight, he barely beat a 46-year old, Evander Holyfield, by majority decision. Many people thought Holyfield won the fight. The Holyfield versus Valuev match was one of the worst and most boring matches in heavyweight title history. Valuev, who is known more as a freakshow than a boxer, has not faced the best opposition out there and is very slow and mechanical. He is considered a paper champion, in the boxing community, who has ducked both Klitschko brothers, refusing to face them, in the past.

Haye made a closing statement: "Once I have snatched Valuev's title, I will be happy to battle out heavyweight supremacy with the Klitschkos, but only on equal and fair terms. I only hope the Klitschkos still want to fight me after I have slayed 'The Beast.'" Lets hope that Haye doesn't get injured again, and the fight can actually happen. If it is to finally happen, it would bring attention and excitement to a depleted heavyweight division.