Haye blames Klitschko defeat on broken toe

David Haye has been accused of being a “cry baby” after blaming his heavy defeat by Wladimir Klitschko on a toe injury.

The British heavyweight was unanimously declared the loser on Saturday with scores of 117-109, 118-108 and 116-110, after failing to take the fight to the bigger Ukrainian man.

After two years of anticipation, the showdown failed to live up the hype, with Klitschko controlling the distance with the jab and refusing to open himself up to a lacklustre Haye.

Haye told reporters in the post-match press conference: “He has got a very good defence, he moves back a lot, but I feel the majority of the reason – and it makes me sick when boxers make excuses – is I broke a toe three weeks ago.

“There was no way I was going to pull out of this fight. But I was unable to push off my foot to shoot off my right hand and that’s why I feel it didn’t allow me to throw big, powerful punches.”

When challenged about the injury, Haye stood on a table and displayed a swollen little toe on his right foot, to which Klitschko said: “It’s a bee sting!”

I would give David some advice – don’t say anything right now, like you have a broken toe and couldn’t compete. You’ll be called a sore loser. Wladimir Klitschko

The Ukrainian, who by winning the WBA title and adding it to his IBF and WBO belts and ensures he and his brother Vitali hold all four major belts, added: “I would give David some advice – don’t say anything right now, like you have a broken toe and couldn’t compete.

“You’ll be called a sore loser. It won’t look good.”

He shouldn’t be in the fight if he had a broken toe. Why be a cry baby after the event? Frank Warren

Promoter Frank Warren said: “He shouldn’t be in the fight if he had a broken toe. Why be a cry baby after the event? It’s ridiculous.

“When your title’s on the line you’ve got to give your all and he just didn’t do that.

“To talk about toes and whatever afterwards is just cry-baby stuff and I thought it was quite embarrassing. You’d think he’d be a bit more gracious in defeat.”

Haye, 30, had gone into the fight as the clear betting underdog, conceding three inches in height and two stone in weight against a 35-year-old who had reigned since his last knockout defeat seven years ago.

About 10,000 British fans travelled to a soaking wet Imtech Arena football stadium in Hamburg for the bout.

Haye left his chin exposed in the hope of drawing Klitschko forward but the taller men relied on his jab to keep Haye at bay, and the Londoner failed to close the distance effectively or put combinations together.

Haye kept slipping and referee Genaro Rodriguez docked Klitschko a point for pushing Haye down in the seventh.

But when he went down again easily in the 11th, the referee gave him a count, effectively docking him a point.

Haye may have edged the final round but there were few complaints about the judges’ decision.