Warren slams Haye choices

Warren believes WBA champion Haye was as much to blame as Audley Harrison for deceiving the public in their all-British world title bout at Manchester's MEN Arena a fortnight ago.

Former Olympic champion Harrison was knocked out in the third round after throwing a solitary punch, prompting the British Boxing Board of Control to investigate a fight that turned into a farce on pay-per-view television.

Both Haye and Harrison could yet be called before the BBBC to explain themselves at a meeting of the governing body on December 8.

Haye could be quizzed about claims he broke strict gambling rules by betting on himself to win the fight in three rounds, a statement he later retracted.

Media reports suggest Harrison has yet to be paid the full amount of the estimated £3million fee he is due as boxing bosses examine the goings on.

Warren feels the ongoing fall-out from the fight has damaged the sport's image as much as Haye.

"The sport's reputation is a lot bigger than David Haye's....and that was not a good night for boxing," said Warren.

"Thankfully Manny Pacquiao redeemed us (when he overcame Antonio Margarito to claim the vacant WBC super welterweight title) at the end of the night by showing us what true fighters are and what true fighters do.

"For the credibility of the heavyweight division, we can have no more of these hand-picked opponents by Haye.

"David Haye's reputation is on the line here. We've got a guy here in Haye who started off saying he was going to fight the best, but he has fought Monte Barrett and Nikolay Valuev, who is probably the worst heavyweight champion of all time, though I can understand why he did that because Valuev held the title.

"His next one was John Ruiz, who was maybe the second-worst heavyweight champion of all time and one that lost to Roy Jones Jnr, who started off as a middleweight, and the next one was Audley Harrison who had never fought anyone in the top 20 in the world before he got in with Haye.

"It's not much of a legacy is it, but is maybe good for his bank balance. He now owes the British fans something a lot better, and it is time to deliver."

Warren collected the Nordoff Robbins Boxing Icon Award on Monday night to celebrate his contribution to the sport over the past 30 years.

Warren is busy promoting British hopeful Derek Chisora's title fight with WBO, IBO and IBF champion Wladimir Klitchsko in Germany on December 11.

Warren believes the time is right for Haye to confront Wladimir's brother WBC champion Vitali Klitschko, who has gone public to declare his interest in a lucrative fight with Haye within the next 12 months.

Haye was quick to criticise the Klitschko brothers for fighting Eddie Chambers and Chris Arreola in recent outings, but Warren feels 'The Hayemaker' should look at his own choice of opponents.

"Haye picks the fights. If I had promoted his fight with Audley, I would have got a lot of stick for it," commented Warren.

"Everything about that fight was down to David Haye. That fight damaged boxing, there is little doubt about that.

"I always thought that the Haye-Harrison fight was never a race. It was never a race. To be honest, I didn't realise how bad Audley would be.

"He never threw a punch, which is dreadful for the fans. The first two rounds were the worst heavyweight fight ever.

"Haye now owes the fans a fight. He got a big payday out of fighting for the want of a better word a 'stiff', because that is how Audley Harrison looks.

"It is payback time to the fans. The only fights that the fans want to see is Haye against the Klitschkos, one or the other.

"As a true fighter, that is where you want to be. Vitali has said he is available to fight.

"My advice to David would be to take the money, split it down the middle and give the public what they want to see. This nonsense about who is going to get what has to be sorted out.

"Vitali has rightly said, 'let us get the money split down the middle 50-50 and let us do it'. That is a fair offer, because the Klitschkos have been around a lot longer than David Haye."

Haye could find himself in line to fight Chisora if he can upset Wladmir Klitschko. Warren insists Chisora will give it his all.

"It is a tough fight for Chisora. He's only had 14 or 15 fights but if heart wins fights, he will become champion," said Warren. "One thing is for sure, he will give it a lot more than Audley Harrison."