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Haye wants a 'war' with Klitschkos

Source: Agencies | April 18, 2009, Saturday | Print Edition

WLADIMIR Klitschko promised to teach David Haye a lesson after the Briton showed up at a news conference on Thursday wearing a T-shirt depicting himself holding the dismembered, bloody heads of both Klitschko brothers.

Klitschko said he would educate Haye about proper behavior before knocking him out in the final round of their IBF and WBO heavyweight title fight that is expected to attract a crowd of 60,000 at Schalke's stadium on June 20 in Germany.

"That is terrible. It's unspeakable, it's impudent," Klitschko said in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. "I am going to give him a lesson in good behavior. First, I wanted to knock him out in the first round. But now I want to make it a long process and I want to enjoy it, and then I will knock him out in the 12th round.

"I hope he doesn't go down too early."

Klitschko is usually well-mannered and rarely makes knockout predictions. But Haye hit a nerve with the T-shirt stunt and also added some trash talk.

"There is no chance the fight will go to 12 rounds, unless he gets a chin transplant. It will be his last fight. When I beat him to bits, he will retire. Vitali will throw in the towel to save you, he will pick you off the floor," Haye said of Wladimir's older brother and WBC heavyweight champion.

Haye unified the cruiserweight titles before moving up a division and winning two fights by knockout for an overall 22-1 record (21 KOs). The Briton, who will train in north Cyprus, said it doesn't matter what he will weigh for the fight.

"He'll find I'm a real heavyweight," Haye said. "My weight is not important as long as I am fit, healthy and motivated - 205 pounds is enough to fight Wladimir. I've been losing weight all my career. Now, I'm coming in at my normal weight."

The 28-year-old Haye, who is five years younger than Klitschko, criticized the Ukrainian's previous opponents.

"I am in my prime. I want to fight him now because otherwise he'll be running if I keep knocking people out," Haye said. "He has been fighting over-the-hill people. He will realize I am the real deal. I've watched a lot of him and I'm not impressed - jab, jab, jab, grab. He's been fighting people so old and out of shape they fall over after a few rounds."

However, Klitschko said Haye will pay for his relative youth and inexperience.

Klitschko has a 52-3 record with 46 KOs. But he has been knocked out by Ross Puritty, Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster, raising questions about his chin.

"He has made himself very loud, but he is young and he still doesn't know how to keep his emotions in check," Klitschko said. "I am really looking forward to this fight. I have been waiting a long time."

Haye said the T-shirt design was his idea. Last year, he posed for a photo montage with the mock head of Wladimir.

"I wanted to get his attention, to show that I'm in business," Haye said. "And now I've declared war on the entire family, Vitali will have to avenge his brother, and then I'll beat him too."


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