Haye provokes Klitschko with T-shirt stunt

By NESHA STARCEVIC, AP Sports Writer
GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP)—David Haye may have taken pre-fight publicity stunts to a new level, and heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko intends to make him pay for it.
Haye showed up at a news conference Thursday leading up to their fight wearing a graphic T-shirt depicting himself standing in the center of a ring over the bodies of Klitschko and his brother Vitali, holding their dismembered heads in the air.
“There is no chance the fight will go to 12 rounds, unless he gets a chin transplant,” Hayes said. “It will be his last fight.”
Klitschko defends his IBF and WBO belts against the former cruiserweight champion on June 20 at Shalke’s stadium, where a crowd of 60,000 is expected.
“That is terrible. It’s unspeakable, it’s impudent,” Klitschko said of the T-shirt. “I am going to give him a lesson in good behavior. First, I wanted to knock him out in the first round. But now I want to make it a long process and I want to enjoy it, and then I will knock him out in the 12th round.
“I hope he doesn’t go down too early.”
Klitschko is usually well-mannered and rarely makes knockout predictions, but Haye hit a nerve—and he didn’t stop there.
“When I beat him to bits, he will retire,” Haye said. “Vitali will throw in the towel to save you, he will pick you off the floor.”
The British challenger unified the cruiserweight division before moving up to heavyweight, where he knocked out Monte Barrett last November.
Haye (22-1, 21 KOs) weighed 215 pounds for that fight and will be giving up close to 30 pounds when he finally steps into the ring against the 6-foot-6 champion.
“He’ll find I’m a real heavyweight,” Haye said. “My weight is not important as long as I am fit, healthy and motivated—205 pounds is enough to fight Wladimir. I’ve been losing weight all my career. Now, I’m coming in at my normal weight.”
The 28-year-old Haye, who is five years younger than Klitschko, criticized the Ukrainian’s previous opponents—even though he’s beaten all the biggest names in a weak division.
Klitschko (52-3, 46 KOs) hasn’t lost since a stunning knockout to Lamon Brewster in April 2004, a defeat he avenged two years ago. Only twice during Klitschko’s run of 10 straight wins has a fight gone the distance.
“I am in my prime. I want to fight him now because otherwise he’ll be running if I keep knocking people out,” Haye said. “He has been fighting over-the-hill people. He will realize I am the real deal. I’ve watched a lot of him and I’m not impressed—jab, jab, jab, grab. He’s been fighting people so old and out of shape they fall over after a few rounds.”
Klitschko promised that Haye will pay for his relative youth and inexperience.
“He has made himself very loud, but he is young and he still doesn’t know how to keep his emotions in check,” Klitschko said. “I am really looking forward to this fight. I have been waiting a long time.”
The outspoken Haye, who has a boastful reputation and is known for getting under the skin of his opponents, said it was his idea to design the black T-shirt. Last year, he posed for a photo montage with a mock head of Wladimir.
“I wanted to get his attention, to show that I’m in business,” Haye said. “And now I’ve declared war on the entire family, Vitali will have to avenge his brother, and then I’ll beat him too.”