David Haye has vowed to expose his long-standing and bitter rival Wladimir Klitschko as “a fraud and an impostor” when the pair meet in Hamburg’s Imtech Arena on July 2.
By Gareth A Davies
6:00AM BST 10 May 2011
Haye is no stranger to making daring assertions, but his latest public attack on Klitschko was also one which bolsters Haye’s belief that he is destined to be unified world champion. Haye has chased Klitschko for two years.
He did not hold back on Monday. “I’ve seen his style, I’ve seen what he does in the ring, I’ve seen how he comes to the ring and I believe he’s a fraud. He’s an impostor. I believe the people he’s fought have made him look spectacular, even down to the fact that he wears big shoulder pads sewn into his gown on his way to the ring.”
"When he lost to [Lamon] Brewster, he said he was poisoned, for the [Corrie] Sanders defeat he complained there was a substance in his opponent’s Vaseline. He would not accept he was beaten.”
Then the two men faced off. A long staredown, over three minutes long, from which they both claimed an advantage.
Haye, 30, revealed the dark, visceral nature of the job in his mind. “I looked into his eyes, and the more I see of him the more I realise that he’s a fraud. When I was up close to him, my senses were heightened, my focus was sharper, I was more aware of everything. I could almost smell him. I don’t want to waste that feeling because the less time I spend around him now, the better. I want to save all these feelings for the night I execute the knockout.”
Klitschko, a world champion for a decade who has 49 knockouts and an 89 per cent KO rate over the course of his career, was animated and eloquent himself.
“Let me promise you one thing. David Haye is special — because he will be knockout number 50,” he said. “I respect him — his record is impressive. I will prepare accordingly. I saw something when we looked into each other’s eyes. The eyes are the doorway to the soul. And I saw in there. I saw emotion. I’m going to give him an education in the ring which will help him as a person.”
The biggest fight of the year is expected to draw more than 50,000 spectators — a record for a boxing event at an outdoor arena in Europe — and could gross near £50 million.
The contest is the greatest heavyweight event for a British audience since Lennox Lewis fought Mike Tyson eight years ago.
After two long years of wrangling, procrastination, collapsed television networks and endless negotiations between two stubborn camps, a fight has finally broken out. Haye’s voice had carried traces of nerves when he opened proceedings: “I wanted the fight to take place a long time ago but the boxing gods have decided that July 2 is the day that I become unified heavyweight champion.”
Then Haye warmed up. “I know what Wladimir is about, I know what he has always been about and that is why I’ve aimed for him since before I had my first heavyweight contest. Even when I was a cruiserweight I looked at him and knew I could beat him,” said Haye. The British braggart added that the Klitschkos had fought a series of “fat puddings looking for a paycheck”, insisting that was now about to come crashing down.
Then Haye talked again, this time with menace, about his own qualities. “For the first time he’s fighting someone who’s healthy, who is hungry, and who really believes in himself. Normally he tries to pick people who are injured, who’ve come off long lay-offs, this time he’s got a prime athlete at his peak, someone who’s come off a long string of spectacular victories, someone who’s used to travelling abroad and winning world titles. I can’t wait to step in there with him.”
By Gareth A Davies
6:00AM BST 10 May 2011
Haye is no stranger to making daring assertions, but his latest public attack on Klitschko was also one which bolsters Haye’s belief that he is destined to be unified world champion. Haye has chased Klitschko for two years.
He did not hold back on Monday. “I’ve seen his style, I’ve seen what he does in the ring, I’ve seen how he comes to the ring and I believe he’s a fraud. He’s an impostor. I believe the people he’s fought have made him look spectacular, even down to the fact that he wears big shoulder pads sewn into his gown on his way to the ring.”
"When he lost to [Lamon] Brewster, he said he was poisoned, for the [Corrie] Sanders defeat he complained there was a substance in his opponent’s Vaseline. He would not accept he was beaten.”
Then the two men faced off. A long staredown, over three minutes long, from which they both claimed an advantage.
Haye, 30, revealed the dark, visceral nature of the job in his mind. “I looked into his eyes, and the more I see of him the more I realise that he’s a fraud. When I was up close to him, my senses were heightened, my focus was sharper, I was more aware of everything. I could almost smell him. I don’t want to waste that feeling because the less time I spend around him now, the better. I want to save all these feelings for the night I execute the knockout.”
Klitschko, a world champion for a decade who has 49 knockouts and an 89 per cent KO rate over the course of his career, was animated and eloquent himself.
“Let me promise you one thing. David Haye is special — because he will be knockout number 50,” he said. “I respect him — his record is impressive. I will prepare accordingly. I saw something when we looked into each other’s eyes. The eyes are the doorway to the soul. And I saw in there. I saw emotion. I’m going to give him an education in the ring which will help him as a person.”
The biggest fight of the year is expected to draw more than 50,000 spectators — a record for a boxing event at an outdoor arena in Europe — and could gross near £50 million.
The contest is the greatest heavyweight event for a British audience since Lennox Lewis fought Mike Tyson eight years ago.
After two long years of wrangling, procrastination, collapsed television networks and endless negotiations between two stubborn camps, a fight has finally broken out. Haye’s voice had carried traces of nerves when he opened proceedings: “I wanted the fight to take place a long time ago but the boxing gods have decided that July 2 is the day that I become unified heavyweight champion.”
Then Haye warmed up. “I know what Wladimir is about, I know what he has always been about and that is why I’ve aimed for him since before I had my first heavyweight contest. Even when I was a cruiserweight I looked at him and knew I could beat him,” said Haye. The British braggart added that the Klitschkos had fought a series of “fat puddings looking for a paycheck”, insisting that was now about to come crashing down.
Then Haye talked again, this time with menace, about his own qualities. “For the first time he’s fighting someone who’s healthy, who is hungry, and who really believes in himself. Normally he tries to pick people who are injured, who’ve come off long lay-offs, this time he’s got a prime athlete at his peak, someone who’s come off a long string of spectacular victories, someone who’s used to travelling abroad and winning world titles. I can’t wait to step in there with him.”
