David Haye has warned Wladimir Klitschko he is "coming to a gunfight unarmed" this summer, declaring his nemesis slow and one-dimensional.
The English WBA heavyweight champion will travel to Klitschko's adopted homeland of Germany in a July 2 unification clash with the Ukrainian's IBF and WBO titles also on the line.
Brash Londoner Haye has spent nearly three years goading Klitschko and his elder brother Vitali, the WBC champion, and will finally get into the ring with the former in Hamburg and then the latter, possibly, in the autumn.
Haye, who says he will retire in October upon turning 31, claims he is too fast, skilful, powerful and tough for the 35-year-old Wladimir, who has shown his vulnerability in the past, being stopped early in all three of his defeats, but is unbeaten since 2004.
Haye, however, unsurprisingly sees only one outcome.
"The way I see it, we're two animals," he said. "When you get two dogs in a fight, one of them has a few tricks and sits, rolls over, gives you his paw. That's him. I'm just a dog you can't control.
"You get two dogs in a fight and the toughest one wins. The one who is tougher mentally and physically. That's me.
"I'm a prime fighting machine and he is manufactured. Look at what he does. Jab, jab, grab. That's all he does.
"He's too slow, way too slow. He's coming to a gunfight unarmed and he's going to get destroyed, no doubt about it."
Haye even claims German fans want him to beat "imposter" Klitschko.
The unification fight is being held in Hamburg, where the Ukraine-born fighter has a house and has been based for much of his career.
Haye, though, said: "Even people in Germany are on my side.
"Wladimir is not German, he is Ukrainian. He is an imposter in their country and his German is worse than his English, apparently - and you know what his English is like!
"He tries to get his point across and he's not funny or entertaining. I've even met Ukrainians who think he's boring, so it's not a language issue.
"His point doesn't get lost in translation, he's just a boring human being inside and outside the ring and people are supporting me."
After more than two years of negotiations Haye (25-1,23KOs) claims he had to make various concessions to secure the unification fight, though Klitschko (55-3,49KOs) insists it was he who clinched the deal.
"I made this fight happen," said the 35-year-old.
"A 50 per cent financial split (with Haye) is the biggest cheque in the history of my opponents.
"Haye has been disrespectful to my family and I will take my revenge in the ring. It will be a long 12 rounds for him and in the 12th round I will knock him out."
Haye has criticised the standard of Klitschko's opponents but the Ukrainian vowed to make the Briton his 50th knockout victim.
"Here in London I want to present David Haye," he said. "There were 49 before but he called them bums. I would like to present number 50, David Haye."