Considering that Wladimir Klitschko says he had not heard of David Haye until three months ago, the Londoner is doing his utmost to ensure the best heavyweight in the world never forgets him.

Haye, who is moving up to heavyweight after winning WBC, WBA and WBO titles at cruiserweight, first confronted Klitschko while the Ukrainian was on a charity trip to London in April - now he has talked his way on to Klitschko's wanted list.

Haye's name was mentioned by Klitschko as a future opponent in the press conference after he retained his IBF, WBO and IBO versions of the world heavyweight title with an eleventh-round knockout of Tony Thompson in Hamburg on Saturday night. Klitschko dominated from distance and, although the American challenger landed the occasional shot, his main attribute seemed to be an unhealthy ability to soak up punishment. That resistance ended with 4 minutes of the bout remaining, when he was laid out by a short right hook.

It was a rough night for Klitschko, though, who was cut over the right eye by a clash of heads in the second round and swollen around his left eye. “It has been a while since I had a black eye, so today I really look like a boxer,” Klitschko said. “I did not expect the victory to come that hard.”

He now seems certain to face Alexander Povetkin, the 2004 Olympic super-heavyweight champion from Russia, in November, the same month that Haye intends to make his first serious statement as a heavyweight.

Never short on confidence, Haye believes that Klitschko's style is made for him. “If he fights me the same way he fought Thompson, he'll get knocked out in three rounds,” Haye said. “Klitschko does not have a defence - all he did was hold. I want to get in that ring as soon as possible.”

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