Klitschkos will see that I'm the main man, boasts Haye

David Haye has promised the boxing public he will fight the Klitschko brothers in unification blockbusters before retiring next year following Saturday night's farcical blow-out of Audley Harrison.

The WBA heavyweight champion had a bittersweet evening in Manchester, easily destroying over-matched fellow Londoner Harrison in a fight which did nothing more than enhance his bank balance.

The three-round victory over the hapless Harrison infuriated the MEN Arena crowd and many Sky Box Office customers – who surely did not expect any other outcome – while doing nothing to boost his worldwide standing.

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The contest with Harrison happened simply because defining fights with WBC champion Vitali Klitschko and IBF/WBO holder Wladimir have still failed to come to fruition.

But Haye believes all parties want the fights to happen and, with him planning to retire in 2011, is certain they will finally take place next year.

"We'll sit down and try to make it happen. We were talking to them before the fight, but things didn't go the way we wanted them to go," said Haye after a ludicrously easy night's work in Manchester.

"Fingers crossed, they will realise after this fight, once they see the (box office) numbers, they will realise I am the main man, there's no one else for them to fight.

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"I won't have to bow to their demands. I don't need to. They've never been in that situation. Other than Lennox Lewis (against Vitali), they have never been in the ring with anyone who generates more than they do."

Asked about facing Wladimir – generally perceived to be the fight likeliest to happen first – Haye said: ""It has to happen in 2011. I retire in 2011, so the fight has to happen. I know I can beat him, while he, I'm sure, believes he can beat me.

"He's going to fight (Briton) Dereck Chisora on December 11, he'll have an easy night there, but he can't beat me, he's not quick enough to beat me.

"We're going to make it happen next year. Once I've knocked him out, everything said before will be academic and I'll be undisputed champion.

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"Remember, I said I was going to be undisputed cruiserweight champion and everyone said 'no you're not' and I did it. So have a little bit of faith.

"I said I was going to whoop them and I will do that. Next year it has to happen. There are no other fights in the heavyweight division that people could even be remotely excited about other than me and them."

Haye added: "I'm retiring next year, so they have got to pull their socks up. They have got a deadline and a deadline is a deadline.

"I retire before I'm 31 and no way am I going to wait around. It puts an extra bit of pressure on them."

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Haye maintained throughout the build-up to the Harrison fight that his fellow Londoner was not deserving of a title shot and that the fight was made simply due to the public's interest in a former Olympic champion who is now simply a figure of fun.

So it proved, Haye starting extremely tentatively before stepping it up to knock Harrison down before finishing it off to leave the 2000 Olympian with few remaining options and surely staring at retirement.

Harrison barely threw a shot and looked like a frightened rabbit from the first bell, freezing in the third when Haye began leaping into shots. One furious barrage put him down and when he got up, the violence continued. With Harrison not defending himself, let alone throwing anything back, referee Luis Pabon halted the action at one minute 53 seconds of the third round.

The crowd booed the listless first two rounds before the exciting third. When the fight was over, their ire was directed at Harrison, with merciless chants ridiculing the challenger.

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"I knew the jeers would turn to cheers in a matter of moments," said Haye.

"I knew I was going to take him out, and two rounds of boos was a small price to pay."

Harrison rejected the suggestion he brought nothing to the fight whatsoever.

"I wouldn't accept that at all. It was a bit cat-and-mouse early on but anybody who watched me and David spar many rounds in the past, that's how it is with us because he's a counter-puncher and so am I."

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