Filed under: Boxing
With all the pre-fight hype that going on this week, David Haye's claim that he is not happy with the proposed referee for Saturday night's massive clash with Wladimir Klitschko could be seen as just another mind game to rile the Ukrainian - but a change is something he should push for or he could end up doing all the shoving in the ring.There's no doubting that one of Klitschko's tactics will be to frustrate the much faster Haye and try by all means to stop the British fighter working his way within his reach as the pair face off for the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles.
Should Haye manage to get inside the much-talked-about jab of the Ukrainian, he will be looking to unload heavy shots to bring an early end to the bout and his opponent's emergency tactic may be to hold on to stop the attack.
Klitschko, who has proven more than adept at doing it in the past, knows that tactic will also agitate the Londoner who will find himself wasting a lot of energy getting his heavier opponent off him.
The proposed referee, American Genaro Rodriguez, is a favourite with the Ukrainian's team and has refereed four of the 35-year-old's previous fights as well as being in charge of two of his elder brother Vitali's contests.
And that is why, if Haye's trainer Adam Booth's claims that Rodriguez has failed to stop Klitschko from holding in the past are true, then they are right to argue over who will be the man in the middle in Hamburg.
Booth believes it is in their best interests to ensure that the referee on Saturday night is capable of spotting Klitschko's "illegal" tactics.
He told Sky Sports News: "He doesn't have to be a strong referee - he just has to be fair. He needs to know the rules and apply them. If Wladimir holds, tell him 'don't hold'. If he holds again then do something about it.
"Those type of fouls can corrupt the course of the fight. A bigger man with a three-stone advantage can use that -he can manipulate, illegally, the course of the fight.
"All we ask is for the rules of boxing to be applied. The referee that has been put forward refereed one of Wladimir's recent fights.
"In the first five rounds alone, Wladimir was allowed to get away with 32 fouls like those and that's what has concerned us."
Booth's words, if he was a football manager, would no doubt land him in hot water with the sport's authorities but it's a clever ploy by Haye's trainer to either get the referee changed or to kindly remind the proposed American to be on the lookout for Klitschko's holding.
However, the row could see Haye's WBA title not go on the line on Saturday night as that particular governing body must sanction the referee for them to allow their belt to be defended.
Booth's proposed referee, Luis Pabon, has been knocked back by the Klitschko camp as the Puerto Rican has taken charge of one of the British fighter's bouts in the past - a crazy decision considering Rodriguez's history with the brothers.
Haye seems less bothered by who will be the man in charge on Saturday night but he is hoping that he calls the fight in the right manner so that Klitschko cannot control the fight with his "jab and grab tactics".
"What Wladimir does is very effective. He's been consistent in the past with his jab and grab tactics. He's had referees who allowed him to do that. Hopefully, we'll get a firm referee," the 30-year-old told the written media in Hamburg.
Negotiations are still ongoing about how will referee Saturday's fights, but if Haye backs up his claim that the bout won't go past six rounds, then all he will want is an official who can count to ten.
"I take him out of his comfort zone pretty quick. He realises that's happening before he can get into his rhythm. He panics and I will knock him out. Before we get to the sixth," claimed the confident Haye.
The WBA champion will no doubt leave the wrangling over the referee to his camp as his date with destiny draws ever nearer but his team are right to battle hard to ensure their man gets a fair chance to execute his ambitious game plan without worry.
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