Ukrainian brothers vie for chance to fight Haye

KIEV - British World Boxing Association champion David Haye is the prize at stake for world heavyweight title holders Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko after the Ukrainian brothers said they might toss a coin for the right to fight him.

World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Vitali and his brother Vladimir, who holds the World Boxing Organization, International Boxing Organization and International Boxing Federation heavyweight titles, have both set their sights on Haye’s WBA crown if he successfully defends it against John Ruiz on April 3.

“The main obstacle for this match for me is Vladimir ... we can’t make up our minds as to who will be boxing with Haye,” Vitali told reporters on Tuesday ahead of his fight with European champion Albert Sosnowski on May 29. “We’ll probably have to toss a coin.”

Haye, who shocked Russian giant Nikolai Valuev with a points victory in November to clinch the WBA belt, faces a tough test in the American before he can think of the Klitschkos. Twice a former champion, Ruiz’s speed and similar size is likely to test the 29-year-old Briton’s capabilities.

“For this match to take place, Haye has first to prove his world champion title against Ruiz,” 38-year-old Vitali added. “Haye is world champion for the WBA version, but he is not an absolute world champion.”

Reuters