Date set for Haye v Klitschko showdown

April 20, 2011   ·   0 Comments

Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye have agreed a date for their heavyweight unification bout which will be held in Hamburg, Germany, on July 2nd. The British fighter will put his WBA belt on the line against the Ukrainian’s IBF/WBO and IBO crowns in a long-awaited unification fight at the 57,000-capacity Imtech Arena.

The German city is the adopted home of the 35-year-old Klitschko and his elder brother Vitali, who Haye also hopes to fight before his planned retirement in October.

‘It’s great to finally find out the date and venue,’ said Haye, who won the WBC cruiserweight title on away turf in Paris and the WBA heavyweight crown against Nikolay Valuev in Nuremberg, Germany.

‘I’ve been training for this fight since the end of 2010 and it’s nice to now have a concrete date to work towards.

‘Hamburg is an accessible city for a lot of British fans, so I’m expecting a huge turn-out for what is undoubtedly the biggest boxing event of the year.

‘We’re going to have an army of Brits invading Germany on July 2 and I can’t wait to sample the atmosphere.

‘I think every city in mainland Europe and beyond wanted to stage this fight, and that shows just what an appealing event it is.

‘Personally, I wasn’t bothered where the fight ended up. I’d fight Wladimir anywhere, so long as the location comes with a ring and a referee that can count to 10. By the time I’ve finished with Wladimir, he won’t know where he is anyway.’

“Wladimir has a history of being knocked out by fast punchers, and I punch faster than every other heavyweight in the world,” Haye boasted.

“I’ve got no doubt Wladimir will freeze like an iceberg when I hit him on the chin in Hamburg. He won’t know how to react, will panic, attempt to run for cover and then realize big brother Vitali is in the corner mopping up tears with a white towel.”

HBO will screen the fight in the US, with RTL screening coverage in Germany.  Sky Box Office are set to show the bout in the UK.

Tags: David Haye, Imtech Arena, Sky Box Office, Wladimir Klitschko