By Terence Dooley

The Ring are reporting that a fight between WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko and former undisputed cruiserweight champion David Haye is nearly finalized.  Golden Boy executive Richard Schaefer has told The Ring online that a deal is almost done, with the fighters set to meet in Germany on September 12.

“I always say that a done deal is a signed deal but we’re just waiting for the paperwork.  They have reached an agreement,” claimed Schaefer.  “We’ve thought from a style standpoint, from a winning point of view, Wladimir was a better match-up, but David always pushed more toward Vitali.  He got his way,” he continued.

Haye was set to challenge Wlad Klitschko last month, only to pull out of the contest due to a back injury, David will now have to face the tougher, rougher brother in order to stake his heavyweight claim.

Vitali is 37-2 (36 early), and is famed for pushing Lennox Lewis hard in Lewis’ final contest.  Haye, 22-1 (22 KO’s), tore apart the cruiserweight division during his breakneck rise to the top; he has consistently claimed that his speed and power will be too much at the higher weight.  Against Vitali, the consensus best in the division, he will get a chance to test this hypothesis.

HBO will televise in the US; Sky Sports PPV will televise in the UK.

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