Haye foiled in bid for Klitschko clash as brothers line up other options

After former world champion Shannon Briggs claimed on Thursday he will take on WBC king Vitali, the Klitschkos revealed yesterday that IBF/WBO holder Wladimir will meet former victim Samuel Peter in a rematch.

Last year, Haye's negotiations over a fight with Vitali fell through and a back injury forced him out of a challenge to Wladimir. Instead, he managed to wrest the WBA title from Nikolay Valuev before setting his sights on a blockbuster showdown with one of the brothers in 2010.

Talks have again proved fruitless, however, with the Englishman and his manager-trainer Adam Booth unable to reach an agreement with the notoriously shrewd Klitschko camp, with one major sticking point believed to be television rights in the siblings' adopted homeland of Germany.

The developments this week leave Haye searching for a viable opponent for the second defence of his WBA title. In April he defeated American John Ruiz in an eye-catching mandatory clash but there are few lucrative options aside from the Klitschkos.

It is understood Haye's fellow Londoner Audley Harrison has not been discounted following his European title win earlier this year, while Polish former cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek would represent a credible - though less financially lucrative - alternative.

Wladimir will face Peter in Frankfurt, Germany on 11 September after a clash with Alexander Povetkin fell through. Nigerian Peter, formerly the WBC champion and currently ranked at two by the IBF, knocked Klitschko down three times before losing a unanimous decision in their 2005 fight.

"Peter was one of the toughest fights of my career, he is an extremely hard puncher and has improved a lot in his last fights," said the 34-year-old 'Dr Steelhammer'.

"I know what to expect on 11 September and I will be well prepared."