At long last, after years of public back-and-forth, rumors, cancellations and more, Wladimir Klitschko vs. David Haye is finally set. The Klitschko vs. Haye bout will take place on July 2nd, and will be fought in Hamburg, Germany, in the 55,000 seat Hamburg Imtech Arena. The deal being finalized has been reported on multiple outlets, and while there is still over two months for something to get screwed up and for the fight to be canceled yet again, it looks like it’s all systems go… for now.
You can forgive us if we meet the news with skepticism. After all, the ongoing sage of the Klitschko vs. Haye negotiations has nearly made the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather fiasco seem manageable. We’ve been here before too, with a fight being scheduled, only to have Haye pull out.
So until these two actually set foot in the same ring, who knows what will happen. Klitschko is still supposedly recovering from an injury, Haye has been known to change his mind, and there are numerous other variables to deal with.
In the meantime though, the Klitschko vs. Haye bout being finalized means a lot for the sport. It’s the biggest and most highly anticipated heavyweight championship fight in a decade. It’s a bout that will get fans to watch, and will get HBO back involved with the heavyweight scene, and it’s also a bout that will mean a great deal to both fighters with respect to their current standing in the sport, as well as how their legacies will be written.
Originally, the fight could have taken place on either June 25th or July 2nd, and the location of the bout had not been determined. Hamburg and July 2nd became the best combination, and the deal was made.
This also confirms that Tomasz Adamek will be facing Vitali Klitschko later in the year. He had originally signed to face either of the two brothers, regardless of which one it was.
