By James Slater: Though Ring magazine, IBF, IBO, WBO heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko hasn’t entirely ruled out the possibility of his older brother Vitali stepping in to defend against David Haye in the summer, he has told Radio Five Live that he fully expects it will be he who meets the WBA titlist on either June 25th or July 2nd.
As fans know, Wladimir twice had to pull out of a fight with another British heavyweight in Derek Chisora. The abdominal injury “Dr. Steel Hammer” suffered in training late last year has taken some time to heal, but the 34-year-old says he expects to begin training for Haye soon.
“I’m still recovering after my injury and in a couple of weeks I will be fit and ready for the preparations,” Klitschko said. “I man very happy that David Haye finally signed the contract, it will be the third time we’ve tried to fight each other. He says we have no skills and have fought basically no-one – I think he chose me as the younger brother because he does not think I’m so tough. But he will get knocked out.
“If I can’t perform then my brother will step into the ring because he’s been in this division a very long time.”
I wonder if, for as long as Wladimir is unsure if it will be he or Vitali who faces Haye, Haye will have any problems formulating his game-plan. True, both Klitschkos fight in a similar way, but Wladimir is more athletic and he also is looked at as more vulnerable in the chin department. Haye, if he fights Wladimir, may opt to come out blazing, looking to score the shock KO. Such tactics, though, would be foolishly adopted against the rock-chinned, arguably mentally stronger Vitali.
For that fight, Haye will surely be looking to box and move, to pile up points and not be in any way reckless. It’s a small point, but can Haye get a game-plan formulated in his mind, one he is happy with, until he knows just which brother he will be in the ring with?
Either way, and wherever and whenever Haye fights a Klitschko, the boxing world will be watching. The hype for this event has been, and will continue to be, massive. Haye has reportedly started his own training at Angelo Dundee’s legendary 5th Street Gym in Miami. We all know he would prefer to get it on with Wladimir (who “made more noise”), but which giant will “The Hayemaker” actually get in the summer?