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2009 I WILL BE KING - Haye's Diary
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15 January 2009

David Haye writes exclusively for the ‘News’

Haye on 2009

2009 WILL be the year I become heavyweight champion of the world. It's been a dream of mine since I was a young kid, and I've always told people that I'd eventually one day become world heavyweight champ. 2009 looks like it will be the year my dream becomes a reality.

I won the undisputed world cruiserweight title in 2007 and then unified the belts last year in 2008. While some boxers stick to one weight-class and look to dominate over a long period of time, I've always fancied my chances at moving up in weight and winning the heavyweight championship of the world. I am, after all, a natural heavyweight and competed as a heavyweight in the amateur game.

In my two fights as a pro heavyweight (against Tomasz Bonin and last time out against Monte Barrett) I have scored a combined eight knockdowns in six rounds. I have no doubt my power will transfer up into the heavyweight division and help bring back those world heavyweight titles to Britain.

In order to fulfil my dream, I must discover which of the two Klitschko brothers (Vitali and Wladimir) I'm going to dethrone first. Vitali, the older of the two, holds the WBC heavyweight title and was ringside at my November fight with Barrett. Originally he appeared to be the keener of the two.

Wladimir, the IBF and WBO champion, is the one I've been goading for the last 12 months in the hope that he'll defend his belts against me. He's considered the number one heavyweight in the world right now and that's why I'm so determined to knock him out and take his titles.

I know that to become undisputed world heavyweight champion I will eventually need to beat not one but both Klitschkos. They both currently have the division on lockdown and I feel boxing needs someone like me to come along and mix it up a bit. Boxing fans shouldn't have to settle for the Klitschkos' version of heavyweight boxing - boring fights, decisions, lots of jabs, no excitement. The heavyweight division needs someone to inject some excitement into it again. That's where I come in.

Haye on Vitali

VITALI WAS ringside at The O2 in November for my fight against Barrett. He was there representing both Klitschkos and would have no doubt reported back to Wladimir on how impressive I looked that night. He also received a close-up of what I can do against a respected heavyweight contender in Barrett, a guy Wladimir knocked out in seven rounds and I finished in five.

It was, therefore, no massive surprise when Vitali declared himself interested in doing the fight with me and basically put himself ahead of Wladimir in the pecking order. Like any good older brother, Vitali decided to protect his younger brother against the playground bully. He saw the way I chewed up and spat out Barrett and decided it would be a bad move to put Wladimir through the same kind of experience.

Although I wanted Wladimir to begin with, Vitali made his presence known and seemed the keener of the two to get it on. I didn't mind which Klitschko I bashed up - I just wanted one of them. I knew the other would arrive in due course.

So before Christmas it seemed like the fight with Vitali was good to go. We had his word that it was a done deal and both parties were happy to do the fight in June in London at a football stadium.

Just as everyone started getting excited about the potential fight, the WBC ordered Klitschko to first defend his title against Juan Carlos Gomez. That threw a spanner in the works. We wanted to get together in a fight which would have been much more meaningful and exciting for the division, but the WBC and Gomez had other ideas. Vitali was forced to defend against his mandatory challenger (Gomez) and was, therefore, withdrawn from our scheduled bout in June.

Haye on Wladimir

ENTER YOUNGER brother Wladimir. Probably the number one heavyweight in the world right now, Wladimir is the guy I've wanted since I first decided to compete as a heavyweight.

With Vitali out of the picture for the time being, Wladimir is now the Klitschko I am gunning for. He has the clearer schedule of the two brothers and I'm hopeful he will be looking to restore some family pride by fighting me. After all, it was his head that I was holding up in that Men's Health magazine picture - not Vitali's. Vitali tried to play the protective older brother role, but it was Wladimir I always wanted in the first place.

Besides, it makes more sense for me to knock out the younger brother first and then the revenge factor comes into play with the bigger, older, uglier brother in late-2009.

My June date in London with a Klitschko still stands. It's now just about finding out which Klitschko will step up to the plate and taste my 'Hayemakers'.

Haye on Hayemaker Boxing

AS WELL as exciting times ahead with my own boxing career, we've also got some great Hayemaker Boxing shows lined up for 2009, including one at York Hall, Bethnal Green, one at the Ulster Hall in Belfast and then the first ever pro boxing show at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.

The show at the York Hall on February 1st will feature some of the best young prospects in the London area and will be headlined by former two-time Senior ABA champion George Groves. George is a Hammersmith lad with bags of ability. He beat James Degale in the amateurs, and I have no doubt Groves would beat Degale in the pros, too. He's still only 20 years of age and has a lot of developing to do. He'll be having his second pro fight on February 1st, and nearly all the tickets have gone already.

Our March 7th Belfast show is headlined by the brilliant British featherweight title battle between Paul Appleby and Martin Lindsay. This will undoubtedly be one of the fights of the year. Both fighters are 13-0, young, hungry and determined to hold that British title. If there's one all-British fight to go and see in 2009 it's probably this one. You couldn't get a more evenly-matched British title fight.

Finally, there's also a lot of excitement surrounding our landmark show at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on March 28th. It will be headlined with the British title clasha to be added, our Liverpool event could be one of the best domestic shows of 2009.

All that will then lead up to The Big One in June in London, hopefully against one of the Klitschkos. Watch this space.

Read previous diary entries here.