Dubai: British boxer David Haye has told Gulf News he wants Dubai to host his much-anticipated return to the ring this autumn.
The former World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight champion has recovered from a career-threatening shoulder injury and is now planning a comeback bout with either the winner of next month’s fight between Dereck Chisora and Tyson Fury or Bernane Stiverne in September or October.
Haye, 33, has already chosen Dubai as the location for his Hayemaker Gym and the world’s biggest ever boxing lesson this Saturday, but he now wants to fight here, too.
“I want to have one of my big comeback fights in Dubai,” he said. “It’s no secret I want to become heavyweight champion of the world again and I want Dubai to be part of that.
“If the call was there for it and the venue was right, the weather is perfect in September and an open-air stadium would work quite nicely.
“All my fights are sell-outs, I’ve fought in front of 50,000 people, but Dubai hasn’t had that. People always ask me why there’s no big-time boxing in Dubai. But there’s a big market for it, people love boxing and high-end sport. It would also attract all the names from the movies and the music industry. Dubai could use a bit of that, as it’s the perfect city for that sort of event.”
Haye added that he was planning two to three fights a year before a world-title attempt in two years’ time, where he hopes to avenge his 2011 WBA title defeat to the Ukraine’s Wladimir Klitschko.
“To jump straight back into a world-title fight would be stupid. I need build up fights to get back into that position and challenge for titles.
“To get back into the ring with Wladimir would be a dream come true for me because I know I can beat that guy on my day when all guns are firing. It’s one thing saying it and another thing doing it, but I’m willing to walk the walk. There’s no doubt I have a few wrongs to right and I’m currently on my mission.”
