David Haye and the rest of Britain’s heavyweight boxers have been warned to forget about dethroning triple world champion Wladimir Klitschko — because they are not good enough.
Michael Sprott, the former British and Commonwealth title holder, who recently spent three weeks sparring with the Ukrainian, said: ‘Wladimir is up there with the greats of boxing, like Lennox Lewis.
‘For a heavyweight, he is a very technical fighter. Haye has been the exciting one out there and might provide a challenge. But I can’t see anyone beating Wladimir or his elder brother, that’s why they have been champions for so long.’The younger Klitschko holds title belts from the IBF, WBO and IBO — and has been targeted for toppling off that pinnacle by the rest of the division.
Audley Harrison has spoken hopefully of getting a shot at Wladimir or big brother Vitali, the WBC world champion but it is Haye who has riled them most — particularly with his personal attacks on the two men.Haye was hoping his WBA title defence against John Ruiz last night would lay the foundations for a challenge and enable him finally to set up a contest with one of the brothers.
Terms have previously been a problem, while Haye pulled out of a fight with Wladimir last summer because of a back problem. A bout with Vitali was talked about, but it never got further than that.
There is no love lost between the rivals after several more rounds of trash-talking since Haye turned up at a Press conference wearing a T-shirt depicting him holding the decapitated heads of the brothers last year.
Haye’s most recent criticism of 34-year-old Wladimir is that he has no killer instinct. But Sprott was impressed: ‘He is not reckless and only throws a punch if he has to or thinks he is definitely going to catch you.
‘I know David said he is jab, jab, jab, and he has got a powerful, fast jab — but as soon as he lands that left, the right follows and it is all over quickly.’
Harrison, 38, who Sprott fights at Alexandra Palace on Friday for the vacant European title, is a less credible potential opponent.
Former Olympic champion Harrison needs to beat the man who knocked him out in three rounds in February 2007 before beginning to contemplate a world title shot and has promised to retire if he fails to do that. ‘Audley is definitely not the man to beat Wladimir,’ said Sprott, 35.
‘He will have to retire after I have beaten him and it is a long way back at his age.
‘It was a great experience training with Wladimir. It is good to see how a champion prepares from inside his camp — and he is a great champion.
I was with him for a few weeks, was sparring every day but I didn’t take too many hits as I have a good guard. You need that against him because he is a big puncher and is good on his feet.’
● Carl Froch has ended his feud with Amir Khan. The pair fell out last year after exchanging verbal blows as they prepared for separate fights. It split the exclusive club of British world title-holders and, with both men about to return to the ring, the possibility of more trash-talk loomed.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
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