Klitschko and Haye head for Hamburg showdown
The WBA heavyweight champion finally agreed terms last month to meet IBF/WBO holder Klitschko.
Klitschko’s manager Bernd Boente yesterday confirmed the 57,000-capacity Imtech Arena in Hamburg, where Klitschko was once based and still enjoys massive support, beat competition from rival German locations and venues in Switzerland and Ukraine.
“It’s great to finally find out the date and venue,” said Londoner Haye, who won the WBC cruiserweight title on away turf in Paris and the WBA heavyweight crown against Nikolay Valuev in Nuremberg, Germany.
“I’ve been training for this fight since the end of 2010 and it’s nice to have a concrete date to work towards.
“I’m expecting a huge turnout for what is undoubtedly the biggest boxing event of the year.
“We’re going to have an army of Brits invading Germany on July 2 and I can’t wait to sample the atmosphere.
“Personally, I wasn’t bothered where the fight ended up. I’d fight Wladimir anywhere, so long as the location comes with a ring and a referee that can count to 10. By the time I’ve finished with Wladimir, he won’t know where he is anyway.”
Klitschko and his brother Vitali, the WBC champion, are huge draws in Germany despite being of Ukrainian nationality.
The Klitschkos’ manager Boente confirmed the negotiations and final decision had been carried out in partnership with his opposite number Adam Booth, Haye’s manager and trainer.
“The fight will be July 2 in Hamburg. It is confirmed 100%,” Boente said. “We had different options and held negotiations in other countries. Switzerland was in play, Ukraine and different options in Germany.
“But it was always the case that Adam Booth and myself discussed all these things and then made the decision together yesterday that we’d go to Hamburg.”
The venue is the home of Bundesliga football team Hamburg.
Klitschko, 35, has been undergoing protracted rehabilitation from an abdominal injury suffered in December but Boente insists the slightly later date was unconnected.
“The date had nothing to do with Wladimir’s injury,” he said. “The arena could not do the week before. We had only two dates from (broadcasters) Sky and RTL, the key players here, and it was either June 25 or July 2.
“So it was always dependent on the stadium. In Hamburg, only July 2 was possible because of various concerts. I think two weeks later Take That play the same arena.”
The unification fight is the biggest in a flagging heavyweight division for years, pitting the taller, orthodox Klitschko — who has a record of 55 wins (49KOs) and three defeats — against quick, power-punching 30-year-old Haye (25-1, 23KOs).
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