By Terence Dooley

David Haye appeared on Sky Sports News today to mull over his decision defeat to Wlad Klitschko at Hamburg’s Imtech Arena on Saturday night.  Wlad easily out-pointed the Londoner to add Haye’s WBA belt to the IBF, WBO and IBO titles. 

The ‘Hayemaker’ had promised the travelling British fans a KO win only to find that the task, and Wlad, was too tall to deal with.  Haye, 30, had talked a good fight going into the unification bout yet he was unable to get going from the off, blaming a broken toe for his inability to get in and out of range effectively.

Haye, though, took it on the chin when speaking to Sky.  “You know what I’m like before a fight.  I talk the talk and normally walk the walk but didn’t do that on Saturday night,” he admitted.

“I felt great, training went great and I genuinely believed I would have found a way to win.  I just couldn’t find the opening and Wlad was just too good for me.  I always needed a knockout in my mind.  It is a tough ask to win on points abroad.  I’ve done it before but knew I had to knock him out in this fight to win.”

Wlad moves to 56-3 (49), the Ukrainian now rules the heavyweight roost alongside older brother Vitali, the WBC titlist.  Haye drops to 25-2 (23) and was quick to praise Wlad for his effectiveness.

“He is very clever, very astute with his jab.  He hit me with some shots but none of them wobbled my legs or hurt me.  It was a mega event and I’m just gutted about he result.  I felt great, I thought I could do it but it wasn’t meant to be,” mused the former titleholder.

Adding: “He is ranked number one now.  I would love an opportunity to do it again.  In an ideal world he’d give me an immediate rematch and might do when he sees the paycheck from this fight.  If it makes dollars it makes sense in boxing.  Maybe that trash talk I did will come back to bite me and he won’t want to deal with me now.”

Haye had a final message for Wlad.  Stating, “I am still here if he wants the opportunity to try to knock me out.  If he wants me to be his fiftieth knockout after all the stuff that was said then I’m ready to give him the opportunity to try for it.  I would go back to Germany.  I talked big and didn’t produce the goods.  My best on Saturday night wasn’t good enough.”

Indeed, Haye tentatively revealed that he would consider postponing his retirement plans if Wlad or Vitali offered him fight beyond his stated October 13th retirement date. 

“I will retire in three months.  The fight happened because it made money so if Wlad knows he can generate money by fighting me then fingers crossed it happens again.  (If they offered a date after October 13th) I’d have to consider it (postponing retirement) – beggars can’t be choosers.  I’d love the opportunity to challenge Wlad again,” concluded the former cruiserweight champion.

Please send news and views to neckodeemus@hotmail.co.uk