By Gareth A Davies
It is an obsession, and it has to be. David Haye, Bermondsey born, big of bone and hewn with muscle, has already made his mark as the world's No 1 cruiserweight (14st 4lb limit), but now marches into the division of giants, claiming he will slay Wladimir Klitschko, and unify the division as Lennox Lewis did five years ago.
Haye, his trainer Adam Booth, and Dave Coldwell, trainer, manager, mentor and promoter to eleven other fighters in the Hayemaker Promotions stable, held court at a newly-built gymnasium tucked up a dusty road, behind a noisy iron works just outside the northern Cypriot town of Kyrenia yesterday. Looking out on the Mediterranean, they talked of conquest.
Haye talked, too, with sensitivity, of his shock at the knife and gun crime which besets his native south London, and says that had he been a youngster today, he would have been guarded.
Haye was not a street kid, but was streetwise. "I was pretty lippy, too, having lots of fights, some of them organised with the toughest kids from other schools. But there weren't the gangs there are now, and it's not that long ago that I was in school around there," said the 28-year-old.
"If kids are caught carrying knives, or guns, it should be immediate minimum five-year prison sentences. Forget community service, tags, ASBOs, they're pathetic. Let's get youngsters into gyms. People talk about boxing being violent. Society is violent. See how much havoc youngsters would cause after a session on the bag, or sparring. Guarantee you - none.
"These little people need to learn what it is to lose, to be beaten. Until they get there, they won't learn how to control their emotions.
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"I knew kids like that. Mad kids. If they'd have had a gun or a knife they would have killed people. I'm happy to be involved," said the 6ft 3ins heavyweight, now weighing 16st 2lbs.
Haye's Cyprus sojourn, unwittingly, has a broad historical link with crusaders after the prize. Richard the Lionheart sacked Cyprus in 1191 before returning to the Crusades.
Haye, indeed, has his eyes on the prize - Klitschko - and sees himself as the Ukrainian's nemesis.
"Every day I want what Klitschko has - and I'm going to take it off him. Downtime? I don't want it, nor do I need it. I'll be 30 in two years, and the clock is ticking. I'm focused 24/7 on the prize - the world heavyweight crown, and then the unification of the crown.
"These current champions have made a mockery of what was once considered 'the richest prize in sport'. Thirty six months is not a long time, I can live a quiet life in Cyprus, (with his wife and baby son Cassius).
"We live well here, the climate is fantastic, the organic food is great here, life is healthy."
Haye's next four fights at heavyweight, starting in November, will be shown on Setanta Sports, his first fight in the heavyweight division since his world cruiserweight unification title win against Enzo Maccarinelli in March this year. The opponent is yet to be decided.
"Whoever it is, it will be a top 10 contender. Hasim Rahman and Oleg Maskaev (both former world champions) have been in the frame, but nothing is confirmed yet."
Haye admits he is pursuing "a high risk strategy" to the top - Lennox Lewis warned in the wake of Klitschko's victory over Tony Thompson in Hamburg last weekend that Haye should take at least 18 months in the heavyweight division before taking on the WBO and IBF champion from Ukraine, yet Haye counters that it is an approach he has taken throughout his professional career which started six years ago - and has led to a single loss, and 21 victories, 20 by knockout.
What Haye possesses, is real, raw power in both hands, albeit a vulnerability which can see him floored.
"I want my ride to be exciting for the fans. Lennox Lewis was the last great heavyweight - he dominated the division and fought all the contenders and destroyed them - I'm a long way off that yet.
"Klitschko is a weak No 1 for the division, and it needs setting to rights."
Haye relinquished the WBO cruiserweight title belt yesterday and has already been installed as No 5 by the WBC at heavyweight, on the strength of his one win at heavyweight against Thomasz Bonin, who had a 36-1 record. Haye demolished him in the first round.
Pretty soon Haye will be hard to ignore by all the heavyweight contenders. Most of all, Klitschko.
"I do feel I can beat anyone out there, but from a marketing point of view, I want to have two fights, and then build towards it. He's predictable, and I'm going to exploit that with speed and footwork. Believe me, I am going to be Klitschko's nemesis when we meet in the ring."