by William Mackay: 38-year-old former WBO heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs (49-5-1, 43 KO’s) made it known today that he’s interested in fighting World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight champion David Haye (24-1, 22 KO’s) in a press release that was sent out by Briggs’ team. Briggs tells Haye, “Don’t waste your time” with Wladimir Klitschko. Briggs obviously isn’t just thinking of Haye’s own welfare, though, as he wants Haye to fight him instead, as if we didn’t know. Briggs lost his WBO heavyweight title three years ago in a lopsided 12 round decision loss to Sultan Ibragimov in June 2007.

Oddly enough, Briggs disappeared from the boxing world for the next two years until popping up in 2009 in a comeback fight against Marcus McGee. Briggs recently beat Rafael Pedro in a 1st round knockout on April 13th. Briggs looked powerful in that fight in taking Pedro out with a single right hand. However, it might be asking a lot of Haye, the champion, to give Briggs a shot at his title based on that win over a B level fighter.

Although Haye would probably get a good payday and have a much better chance at holding onto his title for a little while longer if he faces Briggs rather than Wladimir, it’s doubtful that Haye would want to take the plunge against a big puncher like Briggs, even though he’s nearing 40. Briggs would be a constant threat to take Haye out if he were to connect with anything and the way that Haye ran against Nikolay Valuev, his best opponent at heavyweight, he would probably not be too interested in taking a risky fight against Briggs.

Because of Briggs’ advanced age and the fact that he’s not ranked in the top 15, it would make Haye look really bad if Briggs was to plant Haye on the canvas and take his belt. If Haye does decide to milk his WBA title for three or four fights, which is what I think he’ll do rather than fight Klitschko and lose, he won’t have to face any real big punchers like Briggs during those three or four fights.

This is why I doubt Haye would want to take a risky fight against Briggs and wind up possibly getting knocked cold. It’s a no win situation. If Haye wins, he’d have beaten another fighter nearing 40 and few would give him credit. Since moving up to heavyweight in 2008, the ages of Haye’s three opponents are as follows: Barrett, 38, Valuev, 36 and Ruiz 38. If you put the 38-year-old Briggs in there among those guys, it would make it look like Haye is robbing the graves for opponents.

Briggs says “We don’t have to deal with the Klitschkos hand-picking opponents and fighting only in Germany with their boring styles. Let’s you and me go to war and give the fans what they want from heavyweight boxing.” Briggs, I think you might have scared Haye off when you said “Go to war.” If Haye was interested in fighting you, that was probably the kiss of death for a fight.