By Sean McDaniel: Former two division world champion David Haye (26-2, 24 KO’s) says he only wants to fight WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (45-2, 41 KO’s). Haye, 32, has been waiting around patiently hoping to get a title fight agaisnt the 41-year-old Vitali but he’s had little luck in luring the aging Ukrainian into fighting him.
Haye told the Express.co.uk “This is the only fight [Vitali] that interests me at heavyweight and the WBC world title is the one belt I’m desparate to win before I retire for good.”
Haye already had a stab at trying to win the IBF/WBO titles off of Vitali’s brother Wladimir Klitschko, but he failed in a big way, losing by a lopsided 12 round unanimous decision to him last year in July. There’s not much interest in Wladimir’s side in facing Haye for a second time and Haye realizes this.
This is why’s focusing all his attention on a big money fight against Vitali. There are no other huge names at heavyweight that can bring in the same kind of money that a fight against Vitali would, especially with Vitali’s ability to sell out large football stadiums when he fights.
Haye last fought in July, beating Dereck Chisora by a 5th round TKO in an impressive performance from Haye. Chisora was knocked down twice in the 5th round before the fight was ultimately stopped. What made the performance so impressive for Haye was the fact that Chisora had given Vitali all kinds of trouble in their fight in February of this year. Chisora lost the fight by a 12 round decision, but he had Vitali looking exhausted and stressed out from pressure he had put on him.
Had Chisora acted a little better he might have been able to get a rematch with Vitali, but by slapping him in the face at the weigh-in, spitting in Wladimir’s face and then taking part in a post fight brawl with Haye, Chisora lost whatever chance he had in getting Vitali back in the ring.
Vitali still hasn’t said what he wants to do – retire or continue fighting. He just finished destroying #7 WBC Manuel Charr by a 4th round TKO earlier this month on September 8th. This will either be Vitali’s last fight before he retires and goes into retirement or Vitali could stick around to fight one last time against Haye.
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