Haye hopes to knock Klitschko unconscious

London: Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye will meet this Saturday looking to unify the heavyweight division in a fight that has become as much about trash talking as about fisticuffs.

Here the Englishman gives his opinion on the build-up and what he believes will be the key to stopping the 35-year-old world champion when the two meet at Hamburg's Imtech Arena.

Wladimir Klitschko wants you to shake hands, be a gentleman. Does that annoy you?

He's like a contestant on Miss World when they come in and talk about world peace. He doesn't seem to realise we're getting in the ring to punch someone in the face and to try to knock them unconscious. If that's how he wants to come across, up to him. I'm just focused on trying to knock him unconscious. If I look good, bad, terrible, horrendous before it, it doesn't affect me. Whatever I have said before becomes irrelevant, null and void, academic. That is all that matters to me.

What's the key, then, mentally, when you step in there?

You have to be at one with the violence if you want to be a successful boxer. Some of my favourite fighters, like Mike Tyson, were like that. It spilled into his personal life but in the ring he had the kind of tenacity that you need to become great and beat everyone in front of you.

Styles make fights. What is the key in this one?

He is used to being four or five inches taller than his opponents so he doesn't have to be aggressive. He pokes out his jab and then leans in on his opponent. I can't do that. The small guy always has to fight harder than the big guy. I have got into the mindset that I am going to have to fight.

Where are the issues for you in this fight?

Once he's in his groove, it's very hard to get him out of it. What he does is very effective. He's been consistent in the past with his jab-and-grab tactics. He has also had referees who allowed him to do that.

Have you watched tapes of him recently?

Adam [Booth, his trainer] does that. I'd rather not watch his fights.

Which fighters have you watched then?

Fast fighters. Sugar Ray Leonard, some prime Roy Jones, Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson. I try to vary it up. Definitely [Manny] Pacquiao, he is nice and fast, in and out with his movement.

Is your game plan of rattling him working?

We've well and truly got under his skin. Emmanuel Steward was freaking out at the press conference, which was nice to see. The whole team are rattled, all his little munchkin fellas are shaking. They're unsettled. We have got them exactly where we want them. Look at our team. We are cool. We have smiles on our faces. But they are worried. You have big brother Vitali there, not knowing what the hell is going on...not knowing whether he should get involved or not, trying to defend his little brother.

Your first stadium fight, in front of 50,000. Apprehensive?

Not at all. When you are in the ring you don't see the crowd. You can hear them but I don't see anything other than my opponent, the ropes, and occasionally the shadow of the referee. A fight is a fight.