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Vitali sets up Haye showdown by pulverising Adamek

Vitali Klitschko produced a faultless performance © PA Photos

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Vitali Klitschko put himself on a collision course with David Haye by successfully defending the WBC heavyweight title against Tomasz Adamek in Poland.

Haye revealed on Saturday that he would be willing to delay his retirement - scheduled for October - for six months if Klitschko wanted to fight him, and the Ukrainian responded by producing a faultless performance, stopping Adamek in the tenth.

If a fight can be agreed with Haye - and Klitschko has hinted over the past few weeks that he is keen on the idea - then it could well prove the final act in both men's careers; Klitschko's coach said earlier this week that his charge is contemplating hanging up his gloves in order to concentrate on full-time politics.

Adamek entered with a laudable record, having picked up world titles at both light-heavyweight and cruiserweight - but, as Haye found against Wladimir, he did not have the size or punching power to hurt a 40-year-old Vitali, who is the second-oldest man to own a heavyweight title.

Klitschko asserted himself from the opening bell, lurching forward behind his piercing jab and rocking Adamek with a straight right after two minutes of the contest - and he repeated the trick in the second, forcing the Pole to lean back against ropes to keep himself off the canvas.

In the third Adamek continued to look out of his depth, failing to get anywhere near close enough to Klitschko, and finding himself punished when he tried to work around the jab. It was such an impressive start that bookmakers made Klitschko the 1/500 favourite following nine minutes of one-sided action.

Adamek had fleeting moments in the fourth and fifth, connecting to the body with a couple of flurries, but there was never any danger of Klitschko, who was busier and landing more, losing either of the rounds.

The writing was on the wall for Adamek when, after once again failing to get himself out of the firing line, he took a count in the sixth.

All the action from that point forward was little more than both men going through the motions: Klitschko, typically risk-averse, making sure his concentration never dropped, while Adamek looked to salvage some pride by making it through to the final bell.

By the end of the ninth, a bloodied, panting Adamek looked like he'd been through hell and back, whereas Klitschko's breathing was as steady as it was on his walk to the ring. He forced the inevitable victory in the next round and, on the evidence of this performance, has every reason to expect the same result against Haye.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.