By James Slater – Wladimir Klitschko, the Ring magazine, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight champion, as well as being the consensus choice for THE heavyweight king, has mocked the upcoming fight his potential rival David Haye is taking in November against Audley Harrison. “Dr. Steel Hammer,” who tonight faces a potentially tough rematch with former WBC champ Sam Peter, spoke to Sky Sports yesterday, and he said the Haye-Harrison fight is no world title fight, merely “the championship of London.”
Of course, Klitschko isn’t the only person out there who is disappointed with Haye’s choice of next opponent, but the 34-year-old is more miffed than most seeing as he wanted to be facing “The Hayemaker” instead of the former Olympian known as “A-Force.” Maybe we will still get to see Klitschko-Haye some time next year – if neither guy loses in the meantime – but don’t hold your breath.
Klitschko has said a number of times how Haye began talking up a fight with he and his brother, only to then fail to match his words with action. And Klitschko is still angry as a result..
“I’ve been talking about David Haye a lot, but actually he started talking about the Klitschko brothers a lot,” Wladimir said. “After that he didn’t follow through with his promises. The fight he has now is for the London championship, it’s not the world championship.”
The all-London bout that is set for The M.E.N Arena on Manchester on Nov. 13th may have attracted a fair amount of attention in the U.K (thanks largely to the fact that Haye and Harrison have been making a ton of TV and radio appurtenances, hyping up the “grudge-match”) but to the rest of the world the fight is of little interest. In all honesty, it’s quite astonishing how Harrison, a fighter who has not one win over a top-30 ranked fighter, has been granted a WBA title shot.
What we all want to see, and what we have wanted to see for months now, is whether or not Haye’s blend of speed, power and athleticism can trouble the Klitschkos, and actually defeat them. Again, maybe we will find out some time in 2011, but it’s no gimme that we will.
On the subject of just who his next opponent will be, Wladimir was somewhat vague when speaking with Sky Sports.
“Right now I’m fighting Samuel Peter. In the [post-fight] press conference we will talk about my next opponent,” he said.
With Wladimir and big brother Vitali having pretty much gone right through all the obvious and available challengers out there with the exception of Haye and Tomasz Adamek, it will be interesting indeed to hear who Wladimir has planned for his next opponent. But, as he says himself, let’s get the Peter fight out of the way first. Could there be a big upset tonight in Germany?