DUESSELDORF — Vitali Klitschko says his next fight will be against David Haye.
The WBC heavyweight champion said in Düsseldorf on Saturday he would defend his title against the English fighter but he did not say when or where.
“I can announce that my next fight will be with David Haye,” Klitschko told 50 000 spectators at the Esprit Arena immediately after his brother Wladimir had knocked out Jean-Marc Mormeck to retain his WBO, WBA, IBF and IBO titles.
Haye, who retired in October last year, had been wanting to fight Klitschko after losing his WBA belt to Wladimir last July.
He was also involved in a post-fight brawl with Dereck Chisora after the former Commonwealth champion had lost to Vitali on February 19.
Haye, who is still wanted by German police for questioning, said on Twitter: “Vitali has finally agreed to fight me … He told me I will be his next fight. Let’s get ready to rumble.”
Fights between the Klitschko brothers and Haye have been called off twice.
If the fight does take place, it could be 40-year-old Vitali’s last. He announcing before beating Chisora that he would fight “a couples of times more” before retiring.
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Haye, who turned heavyweight in 2008 after a cruiserweight career that started in 2002, could face problems fighting in Germany, where the Ukrainian brothers are based/ He left the country after the brawl with Chisora, who was briefly detained and questioned by police.
The 31-year-old Haye, who has won 25 fights and lost two, said he fled Germany because of death threats he received from Chisora. —Reuters
