Boxing

Vladimir Klitschko wants Haye showdown

Minutes after successfully defending his WBO, IBO and IBF heavyweight titles, Vladimir Klitschko had already set his sights on Briton David Haye's WBA crown.

The 33-year-old Ukrainian retained his three titles when he knocked out American 'Fast Eddie' Chambers with a left hook in the 12th and final round on Saturday evening.

'I do not feel my age at all,' he told reporters. 'I just feel that I keep getting better and better. There is more where this came from.'

The Ukrainian, whose brother Vitaly holds the WBC title, was never really threatened by Chambers, let alone seriously hurt, and the question on everyone's mind now is when will a Haye-Klitschko fight go ahead?

With no possibility of a single fighter holding all belts at the moment, as the two brothers are not going to fight each other, the Haye fight would go a long way towards dispersing the notion the Klitschkos pick their opponents to suit their tastes and sizes.

It would also be by far the most lucrative bout for broadcasters.

Haye pulled out of a scheduled fight with Vladimir last year, citing an injury, although it was more a case of the two sides and their promoters failing to reach a deal.

A Haye-Vitaly Klitschko match also failed to materialise.

'I told Vitaly I would fight Haye and if he cares about having title belts in the house I told him I will give him Haye's afterwards,' Vladimir said a day before the Chambers' fight.

'I would prefer to fight him in a soccer arena but I would also face him in a car park if necessary.'

Vladimir is the more likely to fight the big-talking Briton with Vitaly set to fight European champion Albert Sosnowski from Poland in May.

Vitaly though also sounded confident a Klitschko-Haye fight was on the cards, even as early as this year.

'Maybe even this year,' he told reporters in Duesseldorf.

'We have good chances of setting this fight up.'

 
RTÉ.ie Sport: Vladimir Klitschko thinks a fight is possible this year
Vladimir Klitschko thinks a fight is possible this year
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