Wladimir Klitschko vs. David Haye, billed as The Talk Ends Now, was a heavyweight unification fight between IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring champion Wladimir Klitschko, and WBA champion David Haye. The fight took place in Imtech Arena, Altona, Hamburg, Germany on July 2, 2011.BoxRec Boxing Records . Boxrec.com. Retrieved on 2011-06-17.Boxing – Klitschko-Haye in Hamburg. Fightnews.com (2011-04-20). Retrieved on 2011-06-17.Boxen | Klitschko | Haye. RTL.de. Retrieved on 2011-06-17. Klitschko defeated Haye by unanimous decision.
Background In 2008 after becoming unified cruiserweight champion,Dirs, Ben. (2008-03-09) Awesome Haye stops Maccarinelli. BBC News. Retrieved on 2011-06-17. David Haye moved up to heavyweight.BBC SPORT | Boxing | Haye looks to heavyweight debut. BBC News (2008-03-09). Retrieved on 2011-06-17. Klitschko welcomed the challenge of Haye.BBC SPORT | Boxing | Klitschko welcomes Haye challenge. BBC News (2008-03-27). Retrieved on 2011-06-17. Talks started immediately between Klitschko and Haye but came to nothing,Dirs, Ben. (2008-04-25) BBC SPORT | Boxing | Klitschko rules out Haye showdown. BBC News. Retrieved on 2011-06-17. even after Haye publicly confronted and challenged Klitschko at an event at the ExCeL London in April 2008.Christ, Scott (30 June 2011). "Klitschko vs Haye: The Historic First Meeting in 2008". SB Nation. Vox Media. Retrieved 12 October 2019. Haye reiterated a challenge to Klitschko to fight him in 2009.BBC SPORT | Boxing | Haye reignites Klitschko ambition. BBC News (2008-05-27). Retrieved on 2011-06-17. In his second fight, he wanted to fight JD Chapman who he claimed was a similar style to the Klitschkos.BBC SPORT | Boxing | Opponent no-show frustrates Haye. BBC News (2008-09-16). Retrieved on 2011-06-17. Haye also added that the heavyweight division was scared of him.BBC SPORT | Boxing | Heavyweights scared of me – Haye. BBC News (2008-09-02). Retrieved on 2011-06-17. In July 2008 Wladimir Klitschko said that Haye was a possible opponent for him to fight next.BBC SPORT | Boxing | Klitschko hints at Haye defence. BBC News (2008-07-13). Retrieved on 2011-06-17. Haye started to call out the Klitschkos after he knocked out Monte Barret in the 5th round in 2008.Dirs, Ben. (2008-11-16) BBC SPORT | Boxing | Haye targets Klitschko brothers. BBC News. Retrieved on 2011-06-17.
In late 2008 Haye and Vitali verbally agreed to terms to fight in the summer.Dirs, Ben. (2008-12-15) BBC SPORT | Boxing | Klitschko camp confirm Haye fight. BBC News. Retrieved on 2011-06-17. However Klitschko fought mandatory challenger, Juan Carlos Gomez.BBC SPORT | Boxing | Vitali Klitschko opts for Gomez. BBC News (2009-01-09). Retrieved on 2011-06-17. Haye then turned his sights to Wladimir.BBC SPORT | Boxing | Haye targets Wladimir Klitschko. BBC News (2009-01-08). Retrieved on 2011-06-17. In 2009 after protracted talks,BBC SPORT | Boxing | Haye offers Klitschko German bout. BBC News (2009-02-16). Retrieved on 2011-06-17. Wladimir agreed to fight Haye on 20 June in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.Davies, Gareth A. (2009-04-02) David Haye set for heavyweight rumble with Wladimir Klitschko on June 20. Telegraph. Retrieved on 2011-06-17. In the build-up to that fight Klitschko labeled Haye an 'embarrassment' after Haye appeared wearing a T-shirt with the Klitschkos' severed heads.Dirs, Ben. (2009-04-20) BBC SPORT | Boxing | Haye 'an embarrassment to boxing'. BBC News. Retrieved on 2011-06-17. He also vowed to knock Haye out in the 12th round.BBC SPORT | Boxing | Klitschko predicts Haye knockout. BBC News (2009-04-16). Retrieved on 2011-06-17. Haye pulled out of the fight with a back injury, and hoped to postpone the fight until July 11.David Haye's world title challenge in limbo as Wladimir Klitschko finds new opponent | Sport | The Observer. Guardian. Retrieved on 2011-06-17. This did not happen and Haye was replaced by Ruslan Chagaev who Klitschko stopped in 9th round.Wladimir Klitschko replaces injured David Haye with Ruslan Chagaev for June 20 fight – ESPN. Sports.espn.go.com (2009-06-06). Retrieved on 2010-10-11. Since then both Vitali and Wladimir had wanted to fight Haye, with Vitali wanting to have a fight with Haye in 2010 which never happened.BBC SPORT | Boxing | Haye & Klitschko target showdown. BBC News (2009-11-08). Retrieved on 2011-06-17. Instead, Haye won the WBA title after defeating Nikolay Valuev.Dirs, Ben. (2009-11-07) BBC SPORT | Boxing | Haye shocks Valuev to take title. BBC News. Retrieved on 2011-06-17.
Build-up On 16 April 2009, Haye wore a T-shirt depicting him holding the heads of the Klitschko brothers while standing atop their decapitated bodies. At the same time, he declared a war on both the Klitschko brothers, hoping to first defeat Wladimir, then Vitali.Wilson, Steve. (2009-04-16) David Haye declares war on Vladimir and Vitali Klitschko. Telegraph. Retrieved on 2011-09-18. Two press conferences were held in announcement of the fight. The first one took place in Hamburg, the second in London. There was also an HBO Face Off held in New York City.Wladimir Klitschko won't be his usual cautious self against me – he'll go to war, insists David Haye. The Daily Record (2011-04-28). Retrieved on 2011-09-18. At both press conferences David Haye refused to shake Klitschko's hand. Klitschko said it was a sign of lack of respect from Haye's side. Haye said that he did not want to shake Klitschko's hand, because "he doesn't want to do what Wladimir tells him to do." He said that Klitschko is a control freak who has to know and control what his opponents do. Haye promised that he would win by knockout, that the trash talk was over and that it was down to business, which was also one of the reasons why he didn't bring his infamous T-shirt. Klitschko asked about the T-shirt and wanted to see it. Haye again referred to Klitschko as a "control freak."Wladimir Klitschko David Haye press conference LONDON. YouTube (2011-05-10). Retrieved on 2011-09-18.Wladimir Klitschko David Haye press conference HAMBURG. YouTube (2011-05-09). Retrieved on 2011-09-18. Haye said that he intended to shake Klitschko's gloves when they are in the ring together, but only because it was the rules. At an interview on Sky, Haye also refused to come into the studio with Klitschko because he said he'd had enough of him, he'd seen too much of him – first in New York, then Hamburg and now in London.Ringside: Haye/Klitschko Special 1/3. YouTube (2011-05-12). Retrieved on 2011-09-18. At the HBO Face Off, Haye said that you could feel the tension and "almost cut it with a knife". He also thought that Klitschko would punch him during the interview. Yet again Haye refused to shake Klitschko's hand.HBO Face Off – Wladimir Klitschko vs David Haye. YouTube. Retrieved on 2011-09-18.
A pre-fight news conference was held on June 27 in Hamburg. No new things were said. Haye got up and said that Klitschko was like a robot, and would malfunction on fight night. He said he was happy the fight was happening, because he was just a much better fighter. He also said that he would show a totally new game plan and would not fight like he had done in his other fights. Haye proclaimed that you could play his new iPhone game David Haye's knockout,App Store – David Haye's Knockout. Itunes.apple.com (2011-07-09). Retrieved on 2011-09-18. where you could see what would happen on July 2.Wladimir Klitschko V David Haye Hamburg Final Press Conference. YouTube. Retrieved on 2011-09-18. Haye's trainer Adam Booth got up to the microphone and only said: "Enjoy", and gave the word to Klitschko's trainer Emanuel Steward. Steward said it was a big fight and he was very happy. He said that he would rate it as the 2nd biggest, only behind Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson.Emanuel Steward – Haye vs Klitschko Final Press Conference. YouTube (2011-06-27). Retrieved on 2011-09-18. Klitschko said that he did not like Haye's attitude and that he would give him a lesson. He said he respected him as a fighter but not as a person. He promised to knock Haye out and that it would be good for Haye as a person.Watch Klitschko vs Haye Knockout Fight!. YouTube (2011-06-28). Retrieved on 2011-09-18. Vitali Klitschko wanted Haye to promise to be at the post press conference in front of everybody. Haye promised and said that Vitali should promise the same and not go with Wladimir to the ambulance after Haye had knocked him out.Vitali Klitschko at Wlad – Haye Presser. YouTube (2011-06-28). Retrieved on 2011-09-18. There was a scuffle and some punches between the two teams at the staredown, where Klitschko's manager Bernard Bönte wanted to end the staredown early (the previous occasion, it had lasted almost three minutes).Wladimir Klitschko Vs. David Haye Final Stare Down 2011. YouTube. Retrieved on 2011-09-18.Wladimir Klitschko – David Haye Staredown (Hamburg, 09.05.2011). YouTube (2011-05-09). Retrieved on 2011-09-18.
On 29 June, a public training session was held at a Mercedes Benz showroom in Hamburg, Germany. The two fighters showed off some skills and punches, while Adam Booth made a short parody on Klitschko.Adam Booth parodies Wladimir Klitschko at David Haye Open Workout. YouTube (2011-06-29). Retrieved on 2011-09-18.
The Haye camp protested the choice of Gino Rodriguez as referee for the fight, because Rodriguez had refereed some of Klitschko's other fights (including his loss to Corrie Sanders). The WBA Sanctioning Bodies then voted for the referee, resulting in favour of Rodriguez.
The weigh in took place on 1 July 2011 at Karstadt Sporthaus, Hamburg.Official Weigh-in: Wladimir Klitschko vs. David Haye. Facebook. Retrieved on 2011-09-18. Wladimir Klitschko weighed in at 243 lbs (110 kg). David Haye weighed in at 213 lbs (96 kg) Haye giving away 30lbs. Sky Sports (2011-07-04). Retrieved on 2011-09-18.
When being asked about the outcome, Mike Tyson believed Haye had "no chance" of beating Klitschko, while Lennox Lewis was more supportive of Haye, believing that he "has the speed, agility, endurance and strength to do it".
iPhone game David Haye released a controversial iPhone game, developed by Grubby Hands.Making games with grubby hands. GrubbyHands.com. Retrieved on 2011-09-18. The game allows players to decapitate an anonymous Russian heavyweight. A huge controversy was caused by this stunt, especially when David wore a T-shirt showing a decapitated Klitschko at a press conference to promote it.
Result Wladimir spent most of the fight boxing behind the jab and avoiding exchanges, while Haye attempted to get through with his counterattacks. In the middle rounds, Wladimir's coach Emmanuel Steward urged Wladimir to be more active but not take risks. Klitschko struggled to hit Haye with clean shots but was nonetheless in control for the majority of the fight as Haye was rarely able to close distance; his first moments of success came in the third round, but Haye was unable to replicate that until the twelfth when he staggered Klitschko with an overhand right. Klitschko was deducted a point in the seventh for pushing Haye down, while Haye received a count in the eleventh, presumably because the referee got sick of Haye constantly falling down. The fight went the full twelve rounds, with Klitschko winning by unanimous decision (118–108, 117–109, 116–110), successfully defending the IBF, IBO, WBO and The Ring heavyweight titles, as well as winning the WBA (Super) heavyweight title.
Aftermath