By Eric Thomas: Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, is pushing to get former WBA heavyweight champion David Haye (25-2, 23 KO’s) to come to the United States and fight a tune-up bout against the hard hitting Chris Arreola in preparation for a bout against WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko later on next year.

Schaefer thinks that Haye will match up better against the more methodical, slower Vitali compared to his faster, more athletic brother Wladimir Klitschko, who Haye looked horrible against in a loss earlier this month. Schaefer thinks that Haye has the talent to keep fighting and doesn’t want his humiliating loss to Wladimir being the fight that Haye retires on.

It’s unclear, though, whether Haye will listen to the advice from Schaefer because Haye doesn’t seem interested in fighting a tune-up bout against anyone, and likely wouldn’t be too excited about facing someone as big and powerful as Arreola just to try and get a rematch with Wladimir. Also, Haye wants a rematch with Wladimir and has been cool to the idea of fighting the bigger, perhaps even stronger Vitali. Schaefer says that Vitali is made to order for Haye, but it doesn’t look as if Haye believes that.

Haye appears to see something else when he sees Vitali. Haye knows himself well enough to know that Vitali, with his stronger chin than Wladimir, would be a more dangerous fight because he wouldn’t move around as much as Wladimir to avoid taking hits. Vitali would go right at Haye and force him to flee or fight.

Haye has been pushing for the Wladimir fight without any tune-ups, and has used a couple of strategies to try and lure Wladimir into taking the fight. On on hand, Haye is talking about how a Haye-Wladimir rematch will make more money than any other fights Wladimir can set up in the near future. And Haye is also reminding Wladimir that if he doesn’t soon agree to the rematch, Haye will go ahead and carry out his threat of retiring on his 31st birthday in October. Vitali doesn’t seem to factor in any of this, which makes Schaefer’s job a lot harder. How can you convince a fighter like Haye to accept a dangerous tune-up fight against the likes of Arreola when Haye had been fighting exclusively older heavyweights in the 38-year-old range shortly before his loss to Wladimir? I don’t see it happening.