• Heavyweight

Haye: I've given up on Klitschko fight

ESPN staff
June 17, 2012
Wladimir Klitschko beat David Haye on points during 2011 © PA Photos
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David Haye has accused Vitali Klitschko of choosing Manuel Charr as his next opponent so he can head into retirement on a victory.

Klitschko will battle Germany's Charr in September in a bout which is expected to be the Ukrainian's last before he hangs up his gloves and concentrates on politics full-time.

Haye, who has come out of retirement to meet Dereck Chisora on July 14, had hoped to take on Klitschko at some point in the future - but he concedes that now looks a distant prospect.

"The Klitschkos' manager Bernd Boente said to fight Chisora and then the winner fights Vitali," Haye told the Daily Star. "Now it seems like he is fighting someone I've never heard of called Jimmy Carr, or something.

"There's a reason for him choosing this opponent because they know Vitali will knock him out, look good and get a nice win before going into politics. This one will be a KO and it won't be like his last one with Chisora, which was a tough one for Vitali. Whether he's happy with that I don't know but he won't have had the big fight he wanted.

"Wladimir has said he doesn't want to fight me again, which is fair enough, so I don't think a rematch is realistic. That fight would only have happened if I had fought Vitali and won. I've not thought beyond this fight but if there's no Klitschko fight, it's going to be back for one fight only.

"My last fight was a loss and if I had to stay retired it's not ideal to go out on a loss - but I can put that right against Chisora."

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