by James Slater – Not surprisingly – considering how he was talking about David Haye even before he’d taken care of Eddie Chambers on Saturday night – Wladimir Klitschko was keen to bring up the WBA champ’s name when being interviewed post-fight on Saturday night in Germany. Minutes after he’d scored a frightening and most impressive last-round, one-punch KO over Philadelphia’s Chambers, the Ring magazine, IBF and WBO heavyweight king spoke about the one man he cannot wait to get his hands on; the trash-talking puncher from London.
Though “Dr. Steel Hammer” has another mandatory challenger he must accommodate soon, in unbeaten Russian hope Alexander Povetkin, and though “The Hayemaker” must also take care of his own mandatory defence against John Ruiz next, Wladimir is hoping this year to at last get it on with the fighter who has hurled so many insults at he and his big brother Vitali. And as to what will happen when Klitschko does get in there with Haye, well, let’s put it this way; the world champion doesn’t see it being too pleasant a night for the reigning WBA champ..
“[David] Haye’s face will be really messed up and look like a pizza when I have finished with him,” Klitschko is quoted as saying by ESPN. “Like I knocked out [Eddie] Chambers I will knock out Haye. He will be the 49th knockout on my record.
“I am upset with many things concerning David Haye. I have just had enough and want to fight him.”
So too, do the fans want to see this fight. Originally set for last June, until Haye injured his back in training and had to pull out of the bout (one of the things that annoyed Wladimir), the exciting grudge-match of a clash that looks sure to be entertaining while it lasts had to be put on the backburner. Now we are tantalisingly close to seeing the fight being made for a second time. Sure, most fans seem to think Haye will lose if and when he steps in there with the giant from Ukraine, but they also agree that the action will be lively until the KO they see as inevitable arrives; the KO being in Klitschko’s favour of course.
And though Wladimir is genuinely annoyed at Haye, as opposed to merely acting that way so as to hype up the fight, and though he has promised a KO win; it’s a safe bet how Klitschko will fail to deviate from his safety first, cautious approach when fight time comes. If Klitschko was as cautious as he was against the comparatively light-punching Chambers, it’s a gimme how Wladimir will take his time in the Haye fight. Who knows, maybe Klitschko’s plan will be to take Haye into the later rounds and only then go for the KO.
Wladimir did say, quite a while ago now, how he intends to “punish” Haye for all 11-rounds and then get the KO in the 12th-round. But allowing a danger man like Haye to stick around for that many rounds could backfire tremendously on the best heavyweight in the world.
For his part, Haye believes it will be he who will score the KO if and when he faces Wladimir, and if he comes though okay against Ruiz on April 3rd, we might, just might, get the chance to see who is right once and for all!