Who’s next for David Haye and George Groves?

By Ryan Brigdale: What next for Adam Booth and the Haymaker promotional bandwagon? A lot of people may suggest that Haye’s next conquest MUST be against either Klitschko, personally I feel that will not happen until at least August 2011. Why that long? I hear you all ask. Well the answer is as follows.

Vitali Klitschko is a non entity for a spring bout as he has been ordered by the WBC to fight the winner of Odlanier Solis and Ray Austin inside 90 days of their upcoming bout on December 17th in Miami.

What about Wladimir? He has no mandatory so would be available for a spring date but I fear that arguments over money may yet again scupper any agreement between both camps. It has been well documented that Wladimir will offer David an equal 50-50 split of the fight purse, the UK television revenue going to Haye, and German revenue going to Klitchsko with potential HBO money being split down the middle. A fair offer on paper, granted but not in Haye’s best interests, Kalle Sauerland still has full hold of David Haye for one more fight and 50% percent of any purse will not stretch three ways.

Haye can make as much money if not more by defending his title against Ruslan Chagaev, and Haye knows that. After that fight, Sauerland’s hold over Haye will be no more and 50% between two parties will seem a lot more lucrative.

Haye has always proclaimed that he will retire at the grand old age of 31. If he wants to create a legacy of ‘cleaning up the heavyweight division’ then he knows as well as me that it is not a possibility before next September.

Adam Booth is also justifying why his promotional credibility is increasingly being held in high regards, after Haye, George Groves is Adam Booth’s next prospect and is now mandatory contender for the British super-middleweight crown, and commonwealth champion. Groves will fight the winner of Paul Smith and Olympic gold medallist James Degale and that bout is also being eyed for next spring, almost defiantly on a Haye undercard if he fights Chagaev.

Groves is widely being acclaimed as ‘the next big thing’ and I for one can’t argue with that. After the Hammersmith hitter despatched of unbeaten Scot Kenny Anderson following a shaky start and being on the canvas in the 3rd. Now 11-0 Groves showed real champion quality with his guts, guile, and determination to classily end the bout with the referee’s intervention in the 6th round.

Adam Booth knows full well that there is a lot of hard work ahead polishing Groves’ technical and defensive abilities, but can be certain of one thing, Groves is sooner or later destined for Greatness.

Booth who is relatively new to big time promotions, has a lot on his side, he has strong ties with Golden boy promotions and with Groves still only being 22 years old he has a wealth of time on his hands to make his mark. With his inexperience of punching with the Frank Warren’s and Barrie Hearn’s of this world, with Golden Boy on his side he cannot go wrong with becoming a very rich person very quickly.

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