By William Mackay: With the Klitschko management only offering up WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko to David Haye if he can fight and beat a couple of quality heavyweights first, Haye still doesn’t want any part of a taking on Vitali. Instead of taking on Vitali and getting another huge payday, Haye said this to the guardian.co.uk: “I don’t have a beef with his brother [Vitali Klitschko]. It’s Wladimir, Wladimir beat me.”

Does that seem like a guy that believes in himself enough to fight Vitali? Haye won’t take the fight with Vitali even though it’s a clear path to a rematch with Wladimir. Both Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer even told Haye that he needed to fight Vitali, not Wladimir. And what did Haye do? He fought Wladimir.

Obviously, Haye saw Wladimir as being the more vulnerable of the Klitschko brothers because he’s been stopped three times in his career to Ross Puritty, Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster. Vitali was beaten by injuries to Chris Byrd and Lennox Lewis. Vitali has never been stopped in the technical sense the way that Wladimir has.

Haye would be crazy to pass this opportunity up to fight Vitali, get another nice payday and then, if successful, take on Wladimir in a rematch next year. Haye isn’t interested in doing that, though. Based on that interview, Haye is basically giving Wladimir an ultimatum. Either he gives Haye a rematch that he doesn’t deserve or Haye will move on and retire in October when he turns 31. Where’s the courage from Haye? Why isn’t he manning up and taking on Vitali or a couple of top contenders so that he can earn a rematch with Wladimir?