Haye-Klitschko news conference tense
For more than an hour Tuesday, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and WBA heavyweight champion David Haye sat across from each other in a dining room at HBO's Manhattan offices and traded verbal jabs. If they are as sharp with their fists as they were with their mouths, their unification bout on July 2 in Hamburg, Germany should be a doozy.
Although both displayed a sense of humor, the tension was palpable to the select group of five reporters present. It may be traced to the announcement two years ago of a bout between the two that never came off. Haye arrived wearing a T-shirt depicting him standing atop the bloody torsos of Wladimir and his brother, WBC heavyweight champion Vitali, while holding their severed heads in each hand.
Before Haye arrived at HBO, Wladimir Klitschko spoke of the infamous T-shirt, saying, "There's a way to promote, but there's a line you can't cross." When Haye walked in later, Klitschko said, "Hello sleeping beauty. I hope you won't be late to the fight." Klitschko also expressed concern about Haye keeping their ring date, saying he won't believe it "until I see David Haye in the corner on July 2. Thank God, he's going first. I will see he's there, and I will come in."
Wladimir said he and Vitali actually flipped a coin to see which one would get first crack at Haye. Vitali lost, so, he's fighting Tomasz Adamek on Sept. 10 in Poland. The Klitschko bout only will be the fifth as a heavyweight for Haye, a former cruiserweight champion.
Haye said the eldest Klitschko, 39-year-old Vitali, is "tougher and has a bigger heart," but he's anxious to fight 35-year-old Wladimir because that's the fight the public wants to see. Having agreed to a 50-50 purse split, the bout should come off this time, barring injury.
"This fight will be a lot bigger than it was [two years ago]," Haye said. "We could both go our separate ways and make a lot of money, but deep down, we know there's unfinished business."
As their encounter neared its end, Klitschko couldn't resist asking Haye if he was "proud" of the T-shirt portraying him as the slayer of the Ukrainian brothers. "Very proud," Haye shot back. "It's one of the best things I've ever done . . . You are aware it's not real. Is that why you're so upset? You thought it was a real picture of your future."
"You killed us already," Klitschko said sarcastically. "Don't celebrate early."
