• Boxing

Klitschko urges Haye to wear infamous t-shirt

ESPN staff
June 8, 2011
David Haye wears the t-shirt in question © Getty Images
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Wladimir Klitschko has surprisingly asked David Haye to dig out the t-shirt that showed him raising the decapitated heads of both Klitschko brothers.

Haye wore the infamous item at a press conference in April 2009, shortly before he was forced to pull out of a showdown with Klitschko due to injury.

Since that point, Klitschko has made no secret of his dislike for the garment, which is credited for sowing the seeds of animosity between the fighters, who will meet for the WBA, WBO and IBF titles on July 2 in Hamburg.

Haye has stressed that he is not intending to pull any stunts at the press conferences this time, leading Klitschko to accuse him of betraying himself.

"He said he has no regrets, but he didn't wear the t-shirt," Klitschko told Sky Sports News. "He's supposed to wear a t-shirt to represent himself, and I believe deep down David Haye has regrets about [the one he wore in 2009]. He doesn't feel comfortable with it, even if he says there are no regrets.

"He says he will do it one more time, [so he should] do it."

Meanwhile, Klitschko insists that the knockout defeats he suffered against Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster - in 2003 and 2004 respectively - were the best things that could have happened for his career. Haye has cited those losses as proof that Klitschko has a suspect chin.

"I became a complete fighter after I lost those fights, and a complete person," Klitschko said. "If I could change the defeats, I wouldn't. I hope Haye watched Sanders and Brewster fights thinking it's motivation for him, because for me those losses were excellent to have."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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