On the aftermath of the Wladimir Klitschko video calilng out WBC World Heavyweight champion David Haye last week, Shannon Briggs tells Haye “Forget the Klitschkos and fight me instead”.

Both Ukranian brothers have both stated their intension to try and face Haye for his WBC title. With Vitali set to retire at the end of this year, it would be more likely that the older of the two Klitschko brothers would get first choice to face the British favourite.

David Haye is still being targeted by the American press for not having fought more big heavyweights. Briggs, a former WBO heavyweight champion, has an impressive 56 fight record having only lost five times.

The most explosive of his defeats was against British boxing legend Lennox Lewis back in 1998, when Lewis had knocked Briggs down three times before stopping the American veteran in the fifth round.

At 38, this could be Briggs’ last chance of trying to secure a world title shot. The American believes that Haye should face a more known American fighter to secure US TV rights rather than face the Ukranian champions who have recently not been able to secure a deal to be aired on US television.

“David, I’ve been in this game a long time.” said Briggs,

“Before you waste a lot of your precious time on them, please just realise you don’t have to be at the mercy of the Klitschkos.

“I’ve already gone down that road and been tortured by the games they play. You give them every advantage they want and they just keep backing out.

“Don’t waste your time. You are a proven and legitimate heavyweight champion now. You beat Nikolay Valuev for your title and defended it against John Ruiz.

“Let’s you and me have a real, action-packed heavyweight title fight. I’d love to go Europe and fight you.”

“The heavyweight division is for punching power and all-out wars. People want to see Lennox Lewis and George Foreman-type power. They don’t want to see the Klitschkos punch and clinch, run around and dance.

“They hurt the division with their safety-first styles. Neither one of them put it on the line. The fans want to see knockouts.

“We don’t have to deal with the Klitschkos handpicking 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. I look forward to hearing from you.”

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