Vitali's Swipe at Lennox

Vitali Klitschko is desperate to take David Haye's world title off him, as he revealed that he thinks Lennox Lewis' mum stopped him getting a rematch with the former undisputed heavyweight champion.

Klitschko will defend his WBC heavyweight title against London-based Pole Albert Sosnowski on May 29, but a fight with Britain's WBA champion David Haye remains high on the agenda.

The 38-year-old lost his WBC title bout with Lewis in 2003 after a cut forced the Ukrainian to be stopped in the sixth round, although he was ahead on the judges' scorecards at the time.

Klitschko is still fighting on seven years later and is still smarting at the fact he never got a chance to fight Lewis again - and he believes he knows the reason why.

"Lennox promised me but his mum decided he wasn't going to fight," Klitschko said ahead of the Laureus World Sports Awards in Abu Dhabi.
Talks

"He invited me to London, without managers, he said he wanted to talk just together. I came to the room and his mum is there. We talked for two hours and his mum was looking at me and scanning me.

"After that I went away and he called me a couple of hours later and said 'Sorry, but no'. I felt it wasn't his decision, his mum decided. I tried to change his decision, but it's difficult.

"But I was appreciative to Lennox Lewis that I got the chance to prove my skills against the toughest fighter in the world. But he was lucky, because I was ahead but the doctor stopped the fight with the cut."

Should Klitschko beat Sosnowski he will turn his attentions to another British fighter - and is desperate to beat Haye and take his WBA crown.

Haye makes the first defence of his title against John Ruiz next month, and after a previously failing to fix a fight with a Klitschko, 'The Hayemaker' now has both brothers chasing him down.

Brothers

"I told my brother, 'I want to fight Haye', but he said no, he wants to fight him," Klitschko added. "For him it is personal, but for me I want the title.

"My brother already has three but I have to clear it with him. I hope he listens to his older brother. Always you need motivation and the motivation is to have all the titles in the family.

"Everyone wants to see a unification. Champion against champion. Haye has the choice, one of the brothers Klitschko. I'll tell him it's easier to beat me, because I'm older and I don't have as much energy as my brother.

"I keep my fingers crossed that Haye beats Ruiz. Not because I like him, but I want his title and to shut his mouth. Maybe we decide by coins who fights him.

"Let's hope my brother listens to me. He must always respect old people."