Haye v Klitschko: Boxing back on map, but beaten Haye has lost his way

In what Klitschko claimed was "a victory for boxing" after some of Haye's distasteful pre-fight trash talk, the Ukrainian enjoyed a resounding points victory on Saturday evening at a soaking Imtech Arena to add Haye's WBA title to his own IBF and WBO belts.

Haye immediately cited a broken toe for his uninspiring performance - showing the swollen digit to Klitschko and media in the post-fight press conference - but admits even taking that into account it is difficult to see where he goes now.

The Londoner had planned to retire in October after one more fight. Klitschko is not keen on a rematch, and Haye hardly demanded one. The other Klitschko brother, Vitali, has other plans and fights Tomasz Adamek in September.

Crucially, Haye has no bargaining power with the Klitschkos because he has no title and is coming off a second career defeat and there is nobody else of real interest for him to fight instead.

"Listen, will he want to give me a rematch when I'm 100 per cent fit? I don't know," Haye said. "If not, then I don't know. I really don't know. I'd love him to give me a rematch. He said he can knock me out, and I'd love him to give it a go.

"If he couldn't knock me out on one leg, pretty much, then how about when I'm fit? I think it would be interesting. I think I hurt him more than he hurt me but that's boxing. I'd love to knock him out but it wasn't happening in there for me, unfortunately."

In full

• Boxing back on map, but beaten Haye has lost his way

• Frank Warren slams Hayemaker's lack of grace

• Haye v Klitschko: round-by-round

As for his deadline of hanging up the gloves on 13 October - his 31st birthday - Haye hinted for the first time he could fight on. "I'm not making any decisions yet on retirement," he said.

As a fight which had revived interest in the flagging heavyweight division the event was hugely disappointing. The tactical battle and nuances were interesting but the travelling fans and huge mainstream television audience will have been left cold by the scrap.

"I'm gutted I wasn't able to do what I needed to do out there (because of the injury]," Haye said. "I feel we've put heavyweight boxing back on the map because this fight got so many people excited.

"Wladimir's had more than 50 fights and this is the first one to have reached out to everybody, and I think I played my part in that.

"Postponing was not an option. I pulled out of a fight with Wladimir two years ago and doing it again was not an option.No matter what happened in training, I couldn't pull out. I genuinely believed I could win the fight."

For Haye, though, it had been the opportunity to establish a real legacy in the heavyweight division as the man to end Klitschko's dominance.

But after talking the talk, he failed to walk the walk at a rain-sodden outdoor football stadium, unable or unwilling to produce the all-out savagery he had crudely promised.

Instead, he boxed on the backfoot, using his advantage in speed and reflexes to avoid most of Klitschko's one-dimensional shots. In return, he landed occasional winging right hands over the top and, after answering some questions about his own chin, he asked some of his own with an excellent 12th-round assault.

But his overall performance was sub-standard as he lost a wide decision with scores of 117-109, 118-108 and 116-110.

Klitschko, who acted the role of the gentleman perfectly in the build-up, remains angered by his opponent's pre-fight talk of decapitation and execution and suggested the difference on the night was simple. "He could probably have continued success against certain types of heavyweight," said the 35-year-old. "But at the highest level I think it's going to be very difficult to challenge the true heavyweights."

Klitschko, meanwhile, has set his sights on British contenders Dereck Chisora and Tyson Fury. He said he would knock Haye out in any rematch but doubted whether one would ever go ahead.

The Kiev native said: "You know what? If the guy wants a rematch and comes into the press conference shouting 'I want a rematch, that was nothing,' then okay. But I didn't see from David Haye a real desire to have a rematch. Instead, the rematch was actually pushed to him (by reporters] and he was like, 'okay, maybe, I don't know, whatever'.

"If there is a rematch I will definitely knock him out and right now I'm in the driver's seat and I'll have a think about what I'm going to do next."

British viewers disappointed by the underwhelming fare served up at the weekend may be dismayed or delighted to learn two other brash Britons are on Klitschko's radar. Undefeated 6ft 8ins Fury has trained alongside Klitschko under Emanuel Steward and challenges British champion Chisora in London on 23 July.

With viable contenders thin on the ground, Klitschko - who twice pulled out of voluntary defences against Chisora in the last eight months - is interested in the challenge the pair pose.

He added: "I tell you something. There is another fight between Dereck Chisora and Tyson Fury, two other British fighters. I think this could be interesting for me. As for David Haye's next move … I don't care about David Haye!"

Reflecting on the win and the preceding two years of tiresome goading and talk of decapitation and death, Klitschko found the win particularly poignant.

"It is definitely a victory for boxing because this man has to go," he said.

"It's not cool what he did with the T-shirts showing my brother and I decapitated. It put a certain shadow on the sport and just disgraced the sport."

Klitschko stopped short of goading his rival but certainly enjoyed his win.

He said in the post-fight press conference: "You have got under my skin, I'll be clear. You p***** me off but it was great motivation.

"It's a long journey to become champion but one step away to end up with nothing. I hate you but I love you, too because you gave me great motivation."