Wladimir – Haye “built his reputation on our [the Klitschkos] names”

By Boxing News - 11/18/2010 - Comments

Image: Wladimir - Haye "built his reputation on our [the Klitschkos] names"By William Mackay: IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (55-3, 49 KO’s) is sick of going around and around trying to get WBA heavyweight champion David Haye (25-1, 23 KO’s) into the ring so that he can finally prove who the better fighter is. Haye recently defeated Audley Harrison in a 3rd round TKO that has created about as much disgust as admiration for him due to Haye’s choice of opponent and how the fight ended. Wladimir thinks that Haye is looking for an excuse not to have to fight him or his older brother WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko next, and you have to agree with Wladimir in listening to some of the things that Haye has been saying. Haye now insists on fighting the Klitschkos in England, as if he with his one title is able to call the shots against the brothers who have three between them.

In an article at the telegraph.co.uk, Wladimir had this to say about Haye: “I’m tired of the nonsense and the lies from his side that the contract is not right. He promised to fight us once, then he promised Chelsea stadium. We were supposed to fight in June, but he couldn’t deliver anything. David Haye needs us. He built his reputation on our names.”

I think Wladimir hit it right on the head when he said that Haye has “built his reputation on our names.” Before Haye started calling out the Klitschkos by name dropping constantly two years ago, few people knew who Haye was in the United States and elsewhere outside of the UK. But after mentioning the Klitschkos’s names 24/7, Haye soon found himself in a title fight against WBA heavyweight champion Nikolay Valuev in 2008 after having fought only two fights at heavyweight beforehand. While some fans think Haye got the title shot against Valuev based on his wins cruiserweight titles he captured while fighting in that division, I think it’s more of a situation where Haye got well known by calling out the Klitschkos so often. The problem is after getting the attention that he so craved by calling the Klitschkos out, Haye failed to step up and actually fight them. Haye has had things easy with fights against Valuev, John Ruiz, Monte Barrett and now Harrison since moving up to the heavyweight division. Whenever it seems like his popularity is starting to die, he starts back with mentioning a fight against one or both of the Klitschko brothers. Of course, the fights never happen because Haye ends up either walking out and fighting someone else or not liking the contract and making excuses.

The Klitschko’s manager Bernd Boente, says Haye has “Preconditions so the fight never takes place. England is one option for the fight but the fight will take place where we can make the most money. It could be anywhere.”

Yes, I have doubts that Haye will ever fight either of the Klitschkos. He’s set things up so that unless they do exactly what he wants them do, he’ll have the excuse not to fight them.



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