David Haye may postpone his retirement, according to both Ricky Hatton and Amir Khan.
Hatton and Khan expect fellow British star to face Klitschko
David Haye may postpone his retirement to secure a shot at redemption against Vitali Klitschko, according to both Ricky Hatton and Amir Khan.
Haye has always insisted he would quit when he turns 31 on Thursday and he has already reportedly informed the British Boxing Board of Control that he will not renew his fighter's licence.
However, Haye - who lost in his big unification clash with Wladimir Klitschko in July - is believed to be willing to postpone his retirement should a fight with his conqueror's brother Vitali be agreed.
Bernd Boente, the manager of the Klitschko brothers,
has insisted Haye and his team were still in talks over a prospective fight with WBC champion Vitali as early as February.And Hatton, who retired himself this year, has urged Haye to go out with a bang rather than hanging his gloves up on the back of a defeat.
The 'Hitman', who struggled to cope with inactivity after losing his last fight to Manny Pacquiao in 2009, said in
The Sun: "David Haye should fight on to secure his legacy.
"He will be the first to admit he is better than his last performance against Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko.
"And I have a feeling in my water he might yet give it one last go."
Whatever move Haye makes, his friend Khan, the WBA/IBF light-welterweight champion, believes he can hold his head high.
Khan said: "What people tend to forget is that you are only ever one fight away from being badly hurt, so why does David need to take that kind of a risk against the big punchers like the Klitschko brothers?
"When you put your heart and your mind into something like he has, then you have to go with it. He knows his body better than anyone else and knows why he wants to walk away before he is 31."
Khan, though, believes Haye may be persuaded to add another chapter to his fighting story.
"I'm sure there will be a few more twists and turns in this story of Haye v Klitschko," he added.
