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Page last updated at 10:19 GMT, Monday, 5 April 2010 11:19 UK

David Haye wants four more fights before retiring

Haye targets Klitschko fight this year

By Nabil Hassan

Britain's WBA heavyweight champion David Haye hopes to fight four more times before retiring in 2011.

But Haye, who stopped American John Ruiz in nine rounds in Manchester on Saturday, admitted he might only have time for three.

"I want to retire before I'm 31," 29-year-old Haye told BBC Sport.

"Four fights would be ambitious and I'd need to get cracking so the sooner we can get these fights (with Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko) sorted the better."

Haye hopes to fight either of the Klitschko brothers next as he bids to unify the heavyweight division, with Vitali holding the WBC belt and his brother Wladimir, the WBO, IBF and IBO titles.

And after selling out Manchester's MEN Arena for his first title defence, Haye says he would "love" to fight either of the Ukrainians at London's Wembley Stadium in front of 80,000 people.

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That fight could reportedly be worth £10m to each fighter, although the Londoner says his legacy is the only incentive he has in boxing.

"Money doesn't really enter my head in terms of boxing," Haye told BBC Sport.

"All I focus on is being the best boxer I can be. Money is not the reason I want to fight the Klitschko brothers, I want to prove I am the best. By beating them money will follow but for me it's all about the legacy and the glory."

Haye, who has only lost once in 25 fights, added that he hoped to be known as the best British boxer of his generation and as "the man that fought the best possible guys in a short space of time and who always gave value for money."

Victory over both of the Klitschko brothers would elevate Haye's name alongside the greats of British boxing history but he believes he will never surpass the achievements of former undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.

"I think Lennox Lewis, for what he did in boxing in dominating the division for so many years, should be known as the best," admitted Haye.

Haye said a fight with either of the Klitschko brothers was far from close to being agreed but believed either would be a "genuine grudge match" because they both despise him.

"They're the guys that hold other title belts, so in an ideal world I'd like to snatch their belts off them and add them to my mantle," he told BBC Sport.

"I want those big fights, I want the fights that the fans want to see.

606: DEBATE

"We're going to start sitting around the table. They've both got fights coming up, so once they've got their obligations out of the way, we'll sit down and thrash it out.

"Whenever we do get in the ring, it's going to be an amazing fight."

Despite Haye's preference for Wembley, if a fight with one of the Klitschko brothers is agreed, it could instead take place in the United States because of his link-up with Oscar de la Hoya's Golden Boy promotions.

After his demolition of Ruiz, it would be a fight that would sell well on the other side of the Atlantic.

Meanwhile, a re-match with Russian Nikolay Valuev, who he defeated in November 2009 to win the heavyweight title, could also be on the agenda for Haye.

Business partner and trainer Adam Booth has vowed to sit down with Sauerland Promotions, who represent Valuev, and Golden Boy in the coming weeks.



see also
Haye dismisses Hopkins challenge
05 Apr 10 |  Boxing
Haye intent on unifying division
04 Apr 10 |  Boxing
Haye stops Ruiz to retain title
03 Apr 10 |  Boxing
Haye v Ruiz as it happened
03 Apr 10 |  Boxing
Haye v Ruiz photos
03 Apr 10 |  Boxing
The making of Haye
09 Nov 09 |  Boxing
Haye & Klitschko target showdown
08 Nov 09 |  Boxing


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