World heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has promised to give Britain’s David Haye some “reality rehab” when the pair clash in their unification bout on Saturday.
Klitschko, the IBF and WBO title holder, takes on Britain’s Haye, the WBA champion, at Hamburg’s Imtech Arena.
This is the first heavyweight unification bout since Klitschko took the WBO title from Russia’s Sultan Ibragimov in Madison Square Garden in February 2008, and Haye has wasted not a single opportunity to trash-talk the Ukrainian.
Haye’s crudest provocation was to appear at a press conference in 2009 wearing a T-shirt with an image of him in a boxing ring brandishing the severed heads of both Klitschko and his older brother Vitali, the WBC champion.
Haye had been scheduled to meet Klitschko two years ago in Gelsenkirchen but withdrew from the fight with a back injury.
Now the talking is over and Klitschko, also known as Dr Steelhammer because of his doctorate, has promised to give Haye a reality check.
“I believe David Haye is actually not as bad as people think, he was 30 minutes late today: we have all been waiting for you, princess,” he told Haye at Monday’s pre-fight press conference.
“He acts cocky and carries himself very confidently in a very cool fashion, he has attitude.
“Since you became champion, you have attitude and it’s not so good for your life, inside or outside of the ring.
“I think you will learn a good lesson in the ring. I respect you as a fighter, not a person.
“I am a doctor, I will be a therapist for you and I am going to give you some reality rehab.
“I will knock your butt out and back into real life.
“It will be good for your life; you will learn some manners and you will be on time in future, after a count of 10 in the ring.”
‘This isn’t going to be a pillow fight’
Vitali Klitschko made Haye promise he will turn up for the post-fight press conference — implying the Brit would be too ashamed to attend after defeat — but Haye replied he will be there.
“This isn’t going to be a pillow fight, this is going to be war,” said Haye, who said he would show something new in the ring.
“Make sure you are there, I don’t want to hear any excuses.
“Here we are, this is it, I am ready to do what I have promised to do.
“I am delighted he [Klitschko] has been watching all my fights on tapes, because he is going to see something completely different.
“I can’t wait to see this big Ukrainian robot malfunction.
“I am day-dreaming about the fight, dreaming about it and we have drawn up the perfect game plan to beat Wladimir.
“He doesn’t come out of the groove, he can’t flow, he can’t adapt and that will be his downfall.”
Haye has a record of 25 wins with 23 knock-outs from 26 fights, most at the lighter cruiserweight, and just one defeat from 2004 when he was put on the canvas by Manchester veteran Carl Thompson. — Sapa-AFP