Wladimir Klitschko vs. David Haye: 13 Things You Need to Know About the Fight

On Saturday, July 2nd, Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye will meet in Hamburg, Germany, for what is being hailed as the most important heavyweight boxing match since Lennox Lewis retired. After all the starts and stops in negotiations, all the hype and smack-talk in the press, the big event is finally less than a week away.

It marks a return of the heavyweight championship to an American audience. For years now, Klitschko and his brother Vitali, the world's other top heavyweight boxer, have been unable to reach agreements to have their fights televised anywhere in the United States. In Haye, Klitschko finally has an opponent HBO executives are willing to pay for.

This fight isn't going to be Frazier-Ali.

It's probably not even going to be Holyfield-Bowe.

But like Eddie Murphy once famously pointed out, if you give a starving man a plain saltine cracker, he's going think it tastes so good "it's gotta at least be a Ritz."

Klitschko-Haye should offer enough intriguing angles and in-ring excitement to satiate most boxing fans hungry for heavyweight action.  

These Two Really Don't Like Each Other

Haye has admitted to waging a deliberate campaign of publicly insulting and harassing the Klitschko brothers, in an attempt to make them want to smash his face inside the ring. He famously wore a shirt with a picture of himself holding the two brothers' severed heads aloft. Since the fight was signed, his trash talk has intensified.

Klitschko has compared Haye to a little, yappy dog and called him a "wannabe." He has been dismissive of the idea that Haye is even a legitimate contender at heavyweight.

I'll be honest, I only made it through about three minutes of Max Kellerman's reality television style "Face Off" between the two before I got bored. To me, the philosophically beautiful thing about a fight is that it replaces any need to blab back and forth for 20 minutes about who is really tougher.

But there is no denying that legitimate animosity makes any fight that much more savory. It's always more exciting if the two combatants actually want to knock each others' blocks off just on general principles—as well as for the sake of winning.

Klitschko and Haye have developed a sincere dislike for each other and that should translate into impassioned performances for both men come Saturday night.   

This Fight Should Be Good for Boxing

It's an oft-repeated truism that the health of the heavyweight division equals the health of the sport. In that case, boxing has been running a fever for years now.

Since Lennox Lewis retired, the Klitschko brothers have essentially had the heavyweight title on lockdown. But as dominant as they have been in the ring, they have failed to capture the imagination of the American media and fans.

For generations, American sports fans viewed the heavyweight belt as the most prestigious title in sport. Its holder was the toughest man in the world.

Today, most American sports fans are only even vaguely aware of the two giant Ukrainian 
brothers.

American boxing promoters in the States are desperately hoping that the Englishman Haye will be the one to change all that. Brash and full of swagger, he has the potential to appeal to the coveted 18-35 demographic that increasingly favors MMA over boxing.   

Of course that potential will only be hot air if Haye gets blown out in the ring come Saturday night. But even if that happens, the sport and the division should be on better footing come Sunday morning, with Klitschko's visibility considerably raised.  

They May Both Have Belts, but Wladi Is the Champ

Haye is the World Boxing Association world heavyweight champion, a title he won from Nicolay Valuev. Klitschko is the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization beltholder. (his brother Vitali has the World Boxing Council strap.)

These alphabet soup promotional trinkets tend to confuse some fans and muddy the waters, so let me offer this bit of clarity: Klitschko is the world champion. Haye is the challenger.

Haye wrestled the WBA title from Valuev in one of the ugliest and least action-packed heavyweight title fights of all time. Valuev had won the vacant WBA title by engaging in a hugging contest with John Ruiz. He then defended it once against the middle-aged Evander Holyfield in what was, without question, the most ugly and least action-packed heavyweight title fight ever.

So as you can see, the lineage of Haye's title is about as questionable as the lineage of Michael Jackson's children.   

Klitschko is recognized as the heavyweight champion by Ring Magazine. He has won ten straight title fights and has not lost in over seven years.

Haye's Resume at Heavyweight Really Is Pretty Skimpy

Haye has fought just four times at heavyweight, and it was against nobody who could be considered a top 10 talent at the time of the fight.

This is not to agree with Klitschko's assertion that Haye is an unworthy challenger. Haye was the dominant champion at cruiserweight. There is a long history of champions moving up to heavyweight and getting matched up with the champion in short order. This is especially true at times, like now, when there is a noted lack of competition in the weight class.

And he has at least spent enough time at heavyweight to demonstrate that he can punch with the big boys. Aside from his awkward match up with the over seven-foot-tall Valuev, Haye has knocked out everybody he has seen at heavyweight.

This includes John Ruiz, a particularly impressive notch in Haye's six-shooter. Ruiz is considered the most boring heavyweight champion in recent memory, but he is a skilled defensive fighter and was a tough man to knock out. His only other knockout loss came against David Tua.

If you can get your knockout power spoken about in the same conversation as Tua's, you are a legitimate threat in the heavyweight division.  

The Chin Is a Question Mark for Both Men

The one question mark against Klitschko has always been his chin. He has lost only three times in 58 professional fights, but all three of those losses were knockouts. He got ko'd by Lamon Brewster in 2004, Corey Sanders in 2003 and Ross Puritty back in 1998.

Similarly, Haye's only professional loss was a knockout to Carl Thompson at cruiserweight.

So it's a pretty good bet that this one is not going to go the full 12 rounds. This is especially true when you consider that both fighters have very high knockout percentages. Klitschko has won 49 of his 55 professional victories by way of knockout. Haye has ko'd 23 of 25. 

Don't blink.

Haye Must Be the Disruptor

Klitschko has been dismissive of the challenge posed by Haye, insisting "the caravan" that is the Klitschko brothers' career "will roll on," with Haye little more than an uneventful speed bump along the way. He would like nothing more than to treat this fight as just one more day at the office for a highly skilled professional.

If Haye is to win, he's going to have to push Klitschko out of his comfort zone from the opening bell. No less an expert than Freddy Roach made this point in his recent interview with the London Daily Telegraph, telling the newspaper Haye can win "if he can undermine Klitschko's confidence early in the contest."

Roach further noted that "Once he (Klitschko) gets in a rhythm...he's difficult to beat."

Keeping this in mind, pay close attention to the first few rounds. If Klitschko looks comfortable and is using his left jab with confidence, it's probably going to be a tough night for Haye.

Even Haye's campaign of trash talk should be viewed in light of this slide. The Klitschko brothers are notorious for being cooly efficient boxing machines, but for this fight Wladimir is clearly going in angry.

Whether or not that anger will drive him to engage in the sort of brawl which favors the less skilled, but quicker and more explosive Haye remains to be seen.  

The Fighter Who Controls Range Will Control the Fight

In a fight between two opponents with big height and reach differences, the battle over controlling range becomes critical. The two fighters will have radically different agendas for where they want the fight to take place.

If the taller man can keep the shorter man at the end of his reach, he can score almost at will and avoid taking punishment. But if the shorter man can slip inside, he can smother the taller man's punches and rock him to either the head or the body from close range.

Against Valuev, Haye spent a lot of time moving out of the giant Russian's range and then circling in quick from an angle. If he relies too much on a similar strategy against Klitschko, it will cause him problems. Klitschko has the footwork and finesse to chase him down and trap him in a corner, where he can stay back at a comfortable range and pummel him.

Haye is going to have to use disruptive tactics, like feints and head movement, to force Klitschko to make a mistake and give the Brit a chance to move inside and punish him.

Both Fighters Are Going to Want to Hold the Center of the Ring

Analyzing the fight for Sky Sports Three's Ringside, former featherweight champion Barry McGuigan insisted that Haye must shut down the ring and hold the center in order to win the fight. McGuigan noted if Klitschko is holding the center position, Haye will be no more than a couple of steps from the ropes at any moment, putting him in constant danger of getting trapped by the bigger man.

Klitschko's own game plan will also be best served by holding the center of the ring. If he manages to do so effectively, he should be able to sit back behind his lethal jab like a schoolyard bully playing king of the mountain.

Haye's First Concern Must Be Klitschko's Jab

For Haye to have any chance of doing the things I mentioned in the last two slides (controlling range and holding the center of the ring,) he must deal with Klitschko's jab.

Klitschko uses his jab as a relentless, punishing weapon, as well as a tactical device for controlling range and setting up his power shots from the right. Sometimes he will turn it over when almost fully extended, making it a long range hook. He throws the lead left often and effectively, holding his right hand back and in position until it can be thrown with little risk of a counter.

If Haye tries to back away from Klitschko's jab, he will end up spending too much of the fight running and will risk getting stuck in a corner by the technically skilled Ukrainian. He has to stay in range and either catch or slip the jab, looking for his opening to move inside.

But staying in range and catching the jab is risky, too. As long as Haye is in range of the jab, he's also in range of Klitschko's dangerous right. He's going to need to finesse the jab while also trying to feint, in an attempt to pressure Klitschko into throwing the big right before he's ready.

He will also need to try to slip Klitschko's jab altogether, as it is important for him to look to move inside and counter while Klitschko is attempting to establish the jab.

Haye Is Going to Have to Make His Big Punches Really Count

Haye is a big bopper-style fighter, not a busy one. He has dynamite in both hands and he goes into the fight looking to explode. He rarely throws multiple-punch flurries. Against Klitschko, every punch he throws needs to have the potential to do serious harm.

This presents a challenge. Before he will ever even be in position to throw a punch, Haye will first have to slip and/or bob and weave his way past Klitschko's punches. He's going to have to come inside quickly and set his feet perfectly to deliver the kind of transfer of weight that power punching requires.

Haye has proved repeatedly in his career that he has true one-punch power. But he had trouble figuring out how to deliver that power against the gigantic Valuev. Klitschko is quite a bit smaller than Valuev. But he's quite a bit more talented, too.

Klitschko Must Be Wary of Haye's Speed from the Left Side

"Fast" Eddie Chambers might disagree, but Haye is probably the quickest opponent that Klitschko has ever faced.

Ultimately, it's Haye's speed that makes this match up so intriguing to fight fans. Klitschko's size and superior boxing skill should make for a relatively easy night. But Haye's speed means that from the first round on, a sudden lightening strike could come at any time.

In his 2003 knockout loss to Cory Sanders, Klitschko showed real vulnerability to a quick left counter to his own overhand right. Haye is going to be looking to draw that right hand all night long, so he can counter off of it.

If Klitschko can manage to flawlessly execute his game plan, he should be able to break down Haye and put him away sometime in the later part of the fight. But if Haye can disrupt him and draw a poorly advised right hand, he can counter it with a thudding left hook of his own. 

If that happens, the fight might be over in a hurry, regardless of the round.  

Klitschko Will Have a Homefield Advantage in Hamburg, Germany

Although natives of the Ukraine, the Klitschko brothers have lived, trained and fought in Germany for years. They are wildly popular in their adopted country—household names familiar to German people from all walks of life. They play golf with other celebrity athletes like Boris Becker.

Haye, the Brit, has embraced the roll of villain in Germany. Tens of thousands of German fans are going to be screaming for Klitschko to clean his clock next Saturday.

I don't expect the hostile crowd to bother Haye very much. Quite the contrary, he seems like the sort of guy who would feed off of it.

But there is a long history in boxing of enthusiastic hometown crowds seeming to somehow influence the judges' scorecards.  

Is Vitali Next? If So, It Won't Get Any Easier for Haye

Klitschko's brother, Vitali, is the WBC heavyweight champion. Long ago, the Klitschko brothers promised their mother that they would never fight each other. In a sense, they have been sharing a reign as the heavyweight champion of the world.

Opinions vary as to which one is actually better. Older brother Vitali looked to have Lennox Lewis in a lot of trouble when they fought back in 2003, before he lost on a cut.

There is every reason to believe that Vitali would actually be the tougher opponent for Haye. While Wladamir looks to be the better pure boxer, Vitali does not have the same issues around his chin. He's also even bigger than Wladimir.

Moreover, he has much more of a "gunslinger" approach to the sport. He does not shy away from brawling and would be much harder than his brother to disrupt or make uncomfortable.

If Haye can manage to beat Wladimir, the outcry for a bout with older brother Vitali will be deafening.