ByDallan o’ Donnell: It is a fight 2 years in the making and will finally brought to a conclusion come July 2nd with WBA heavyweight champion David Haye (25-1, 23 KO’s) facing IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (55-3, 49 KO’s) at the Imtech Arena in Hamburg, Germany. The problem with this bout is there has been too much made of it; too much hype. Skill, speed, power, hatred; all topics I could cover within this article but is there a point? Everybody knows how this fight will pan out tactically. The question is whether or not you buy into the hype to see past the false preface this fight is given.

Big names in boxing saying this fight will reinvigorate the heavy-weight division. It won’t. I must admit I allowed myself to be caught up in hype but finally came down to reality and realized this fight would be a bore-fest. Klitschko is hardly exciting on the best of days and Haye will employ awful tactics in an attempt to win. It won’t be toe to toe action. The fight will amount to Haye throwing one to two punches per round and running for the rest.

Klitschko has skill but he lacks the ability to move his feet very well and he won’t cut the ring off very well. Klitschko has talked alot about this fight going 12 rounds and that he would knock Haye out in the 12th in a Hollywood style finish. He is partly right. This fight will go the distance but Klitschko won’t knock Haye out. The hype surrounding the fight is somewhat laughable. Klitschko daring Haye to wear That t-shirt, Haye not shaking Klitschko’s hand at the press conference and Klitschko claiming that after he wins he would make Haye shake The ‘champs’ hand.

It is very petulant, playground antics by both fighters. I also find it interesting and force myself to question why this fight is in Germany. Is it because Haye has bowed to Klitschko’s demands? It can’t be. It is also not because Hamburg has a bigger stadium, this fight could have sold out Wembley. It is simply because of the fact that in Germany the Klitschkos are loved that much that their fans sit through next to nothing fights just to see their hero. If the fight was in England fans would have turned on the bout, echoing boos would be heard around the arena.

The fans would be left drawing comparison to Haye- Harrison. That is the last thing this fight needs. Haye still plans to retire in October. So why not go after Klitschko from the word go. Just keep attacking. Klitschko would surely have no answer. That won’t happen of course but if Haye does win we can enjoy a year of hype and calls for Haye to fight Wladimir’s brother Vitali. The saga may not be over as quick as we think.