• Boxing

Klitschko fears 'collapse' of his reputation

Wladimir Klitschko has turned his career around since losing to Lamon Brewster in 2004 © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• Features: Haye's vicious streak will floor Wlad
  
• News: Haye admits tiredness before Hamburg flight
  
• News: Lewis urges Haye to run
  
• News: My legacy rests entirely on Klitschko fight - Haye
  
• News: Calzaghe 'convinced' Haye will KO Klitschko
  
• Profile: David Haye | Wladimir Klitschko

Wladimir Klitschko knows that his run of 13 consecutive heavyweight wins will count for nothing if he is defeated by David Haye in Hamburg on July 2.

After suffering knockout defeats to Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster in 2003 and 2004, Klitschko has repaired his shattered reputation with a string of commanding triumphs under the tutelage of master trainer Manny Steward.

But the WBO and IBF king, a warm bookmakers' favourite for next week's unification clash, knows his reputation will take a hammering if he shows any fragility against Haye.

"You work your ass off to get to the top. It takes a lot of time. The way up is very long. The way down is one step," Klitschko told the Observer. "All the years of work, and the respect collapses in one second. It's like that in life, not just in boxing."

Klitschko believes he has already landed a crucial early blow by winning the mental battle with Haye, who has refused to shake his opponent's hand and unleashed a torrent of vicious insults. "David Haye was talking all the time about me, playing mental games," Klitschko said.

"I'm not playing games. He got really upset in Germany [at a media launch]. I was just telling him what to do for the press and he didn't like it. 'Dude, I'm just helping you,' I said.

"But I have to tell you about mentality. You can train your psychology. If you train biceps they look strong. If you don't they look sloppy. You lose or you win the fight - and anything in life - in your mind. I can look at how the person walks, how he speaks, his expressions. It's a wisdom.

"Eyes are the mirror of the soul. So you can read a lot. Does the person have problems, is he worried? You put all these pieces together and you can make judgments on how the person is going to react."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.