David Haye has claimed that Wladimir Klitschko had "killed worldwide interest in the heavyweight division" due to his style of boxing.
By Gareth A Davies, Boxing Correspondent 11:24AM BST 11 May 2011
Haye, the World Boxing Association heavyweight champion, said: "He has killed fans interest in the heavyweight division; he has a boring style of fighting and a boring personality.
"This was once one of the great prizes in sport, Klitschko has killed that. I hold him responsible for the huge fall off in interest in the heavyweight division. He has bored us for years. I even hate his voice, which is like Borat."
Haye was speaking in London on the second day of a media tour to announce his world heavyweight unification fight with the giant Ukrainian, which will take place at the Imtech Arena in Hamburg on July 2.
Klitschko, who clearly enjoyed the verbal and intellectual tussle, claimed that British rival Haye was an egotist, mocking the fighter for his magazine 'Hayemaker' insisting that the entire magazine was about nothing but himself.
He said: "It should be renamed with a G not an H, it's all me, me, me. You've been doing a good job if you want to be an actor in Hollywood, David Haye, this is a business and it's actually about fighting. There is a beautiful history in boxing and it started here in England. In boxing gentlemen behave themselves like gentlemen and there is a respect."
Klitschko then extended his hand to Haye, who refused to shake it.
Haye retorted: "You are a control freak; I don't do what you want me to do. You can't control me like you have your other opponents who were just coming for a pay day. I'll touch your hands before the fight as the rules state."
Haye scoffed at his rival's notion. "We are animals in there when we fight, we are like dogs when we fight, I will not do what other opponents have done and lay down to his commands," he said. "With me he has come to a gun fight unarmed. I'm physically, mentally and spiritually in exactly the right place I wanted to be to prepare for this contest.
"I always wanted to fight in a huge stadium; people thought I looked subdued in our first public face to face in Hamburg. No stunts, no razzamatazz. I thought about a lot of things for this fight but really all I want is to train hard and to beat him crushingly. I want to destroy him. I want it to be his last night in the ring. If I break my hand in this fight I may not box again, it may be my last fight."
Bernd Boente, Klitschko's manager, also revealed on Tuesday that in spite of the contest taking place less than 20 minutes drive from the home of the holder of the IBF and WBO belts, they would have been happy to hold the contest at Chelsea Football Club, but the refusal of the British Boxing Board of Control to sanction Klitschko's German doctor at ringside had prevented the fight from going ahead there.
Boente said: "We wanted to go to Chelsea. Wladimir is friendly with Roman Abramovich and had been at a match at Stamford Bridge where he saw the atmosphere was amazing. He was sold on the idea."
In Hamburg, Klitschko will have a German doctor and Haye an English doctor at ringside. "This is perfectly normal," explained Boente.
By Gareth A Davies, Boxing Correspondent 11:24AM BST 11 May 2011
Haye, the World Boxing Association heavyweight champion, said: "He has killed fans interest in the heavyweight division; he has a boring style of fighting and a boring personality.
"This was once one of the great prizes in sport, Klitschko has killed that. I hold him responsible for the huge fall off in interest in the heavyweight division. He has bored us for years. I even hate his voice, which is like Borat."
Haye was speaking in London on the second day of a media tour to announce his world heavyweight unification fight with the giant Ukrainian, which will take place at the Imtech Arena in Hamburg on July 2.
Klitschko, who clearly enjoyed the verbal and intellectual tussle, claimed that British rival Haye was an egotist, mocking the fighter for his magazine 'Hayemaker' insisting that the entire magazine was about nothing but himself.
He said: "It should be renamed with a G not an H, it's all me, me, me. You've been doing a good job if you want to be an actor in Hollywood, David Haye, this is a business and it's actually about fighting. There is a beautiful history in boxing and it started here in England. In boxing gentlemen behave themselves like gentlemen and there is a respect."
Klitschko then extended his hand to Haye, who refused to shake it.
Haye retorted: "You are a control freak; I don't do what you want me to do. You can't control me like you have your other opponents who were just coming for a pay day. I'll touch your hands before the fight as the rules state."
Haye scoffed at his rival's notion. "We are animals in there when we fight, we are like dogs when we fight, I will not do what other opponents have done and lay down to his commands," he said. "With me he has come to a gun fight unarmed. I'm physically, mentally and spiritually in exactly the right place I wanted to be to prepare for this contest.
"I always wanted to fight in a huge stadium; people thought I looked subdued in our first public face to face in Hamburg. No stunts, no razzamatazz. I thought about a lot of things for this fight but really all I want is to train hard and to beat him crushingly. I want to destroy him. I want it to be his last night in the ring. If I break my hand in this fight I may not box again, it may be my last fight."
Bernd Boente, Klitschko's manager, also revealed on Tuesday that in spite of the contest taking place less than 20 minutes drive from the home of the holder of the IBF and WBO belts, they would have been happy to hold the contest at Chelsea Football Club, but the refusal of the British Boxing Board of Control to sanction Klitschko's German doctor at ringside had prevented the fight from going ahead there.
Boente said: "We wanted to go to Chelsea. Wladimir is friendly with Roman Abramovich and had been at a match at Stamford Bridge where he saw the atmosphere was amazing. He was sold on the idea."
In Hamburg, Klitschko will have a German doctor and Haye an English doctor at ringside. "This is perfectly normal," explained Boente.
