David Haye, Manuel Charr Meet Face To Face In Manchester

ByBoxing Press

Respect was the name of the game this afternoon as heavyweight contenders David ‘The Hayemaker’ Haye and Manuel ‘Diamond Boy’ Charr met at a Manchester press conference ahead of their bout on Saturday, June 29, live on Sky Sports.

Though known for their outspoken antics, Haye and Charr left the trash-talk at home, instead choosing to emphasise the importance of their summer encounter and expressing a desire to land a shot at the world heavyweight championship.

Speaking first, the 28-year-old Charr said: “I have heart, I am smart and I can fight. I respect David Haye, and I will give my best in this fight because I respect him. He is a great fighter and very intelligent. I thank him for giving me this chance. He is the best heavyweight in the world – not the Klitschkos – and I want to fight the best.

“I will beat him and then I will get a rematch with Vitali Klitschko. That is why I am here. This is not a fight, it is a war.”

Whether a fight or indeed a war, next month Londoner Haye, 32, will make his first ring appearance since knocking out Dereck Chisora in five explosive rounds last July. And with a world title shot again in his sights, David Haye believes a win over the world-ranked Manuel Charr will move him a step closer to a mandatory position.

“Charr’s been making a lot of noise. He’s been tweeting and e-mailing me and saying this is a fight he wants,” said Haye. “The Klitschkos don’t want to fight either of us at this moment in time, so I’m going to work my way into a mandatory position by beating Charr.

“When selecting an opponent – we looked at the world rankings and realised there were a lot of fighters out there who were either completely unknown or had padded records. Manuel is different, though. He has fought Vitali Klitschko already, but lost only on a cut. He hasn’t been properly beaten yet and is effectively unbeaten.

“I know his story, I know where he comes from and I know he won’t just fall over from the first shot I land on him. Charr’s not the most skilful fighter I’ve ever fought, but he’s definitely one of the strongest. And he’s coming to win. A lot of heavyweights are just in it for the payday, but he’s not like that. He just wants to get in the ring and fight – and that deserves respect.

“I’m going to have to train as hard as I’ve ever trained for this fight because anything but perfect preparation and I could have a hard night’s work. I guarantee this will be a toe-to-toe blast-out.”