Now big bad elder brother wants to cut poor Haye down to size

London: Poor old David Haye. If it was not bad enough having his ears boxed off by Wladimir Klitschko, it now appears the Ukrainian's bigger and badder older brother wants to finish the job rather more conclusively and concussively.

"It is personal," warned Vitali Klitschko, exuding such menace. You feared he wished to more than stamp on Haye's broken little toe.

Boxing's brothers in arms were in London, promoting a new documentary about their fascinating lives, and it was a sheer delight to hear these intelligent, worldly souls expounding on life beyond trash talking, what with Vitali's dream of transforming his country as a crusading politician and Wlad displaying an unlikely weakness for the wisdom of Richard Branson.

Yet even as they vowed again that the only authentic mega-fight in heavyweight boxing today will never happen — "Not even for a billion dollars" remains their response to whether they would ever fight their brother — it was evident they fancy there may be some unfinished business as they are still seething about Haye's pre-fight excesses with those T-shirts showing their bloody, decapitated heads.

Angry reaction

Hmm. Not the best idea, perhaps. Now Haye has got Vitali mad. "We had to explain to our parents, ‘don't worry about that, it's not real' and that he's a guy who's sick. I'm always very controlled but I was shocked, very angry. Now, it's more personal," he said, battered nose practically twitching.

He sounds more indignant than Wlad who, while still irritated, too, about Haye's little toe wailing following his points' defeat, thinks he has a remedy for public self-delusion.

"I've been reading your countryman Richard Branson's books and one of his good lines is ‘never explain, never complain'. David Haye should remember it."

Vitali defends his WBC title against Tomasz Adamek in Poland in September but if the public have any appetite for another Haye challenge following his risk-averse effort against Wlad, then next time it would have to be Vitali defending the family honour.

He turns 40 next week and laughs. "If someone had told me at 25 that I'd still be fighting, I would say 40 is almost grandfather!"

But he feels 25, looks in formidable shape but modestly suggests Wlad, five years younger, is more talented. But kid brother is surely being honest when he counters: "Vitali's the best. He's a born fighter; I had to become one." It will never be proven in the ring, thanks to their promise to mother Nadeshda never to fight each other.