Warrens weekly column De Gale v Groves getting closer

THE New Year is just a week old - and there's already great news for British boxing.

Dereck Chisora will take on Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF and WBO heavyweight world titles on April 30 in Germany.

Del Boy was supposed to tackle Klitschko in December but the fight was called off when the Ukrainian was injured a couple of days beforehand.

We weren't sure if Chisora would get a second chance. But this week Klitschko's promoters came to us and put an offer on the table.

It's no secret they had been negotiating with David Haye.

Apparently they lost patience with Hayemaker and found Chisora much easier to deal with - that is because he desperately wants the fight.

I didn't study much Shakespeare at school, but do know the saying 'There is many a slip twixt cup and lip'.

Wladimir needs to keep his eye on the ball because Chisora is determined to cause an upset.

One of the stumbling blocks to Haye-Klitschko was the fact Sky didn't want to do two PPVs in April, with Amir Khan lined up to fight on the 16th.

But surely Haye's promoters Golden Boy - who also look after Khan - could have found an acceptable solution, or is there a conflict of interest?

Sometimes people criticise me for being too cautious as a promoter.

Yet I've never had a problem putting fighters in risky contests.

As well as making Klitschko-Chisora, I'm trying to secure George Groves' signature for a fight against James DeGale.

There are still a few things to agree with Groves' representative, Adam Booth, but I'm more optimistic of making the fight than an Aussie opener with sun block on.

The fight will go to purse bids next week if we don't thrash things out - so it will go ahead one way or another.

Make no mistake, DeGale is absolutely desperate for it to happen.

Elsewhere, it looks like Khan will fight Lamont Petersen on that April 16 date.

I would have hoped for a bigger name for the WBA light-welterweight champion.

Khan will be hoping the fight will sell well on the basis that it's his first in the UK since December 2009.

But Petersen has already been exposed by Timothy Bradley.

I wish Khan had accepted my huge financial offer to face Special K Kell Brook.

That was a fight that would have really meant something to British fans.



Warren is a joker of the highest order, imagine he was still in charge of Khan he would probably be fighting Rees on his return home.

Adam Booth doesn't want Groves to fight DeGale. Won't want him exposed just yet. Won't happen for till, at last, the end of the year imo.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by koppas

Adam Booth doesn't want Groves to fight DeGale. Won't want him exposed just yet. Won't happen for till, at last, the end of the year imo.

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We will soon see if there is a no show at the purse bids.