Vitali Klitschko from the Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky Pedagogical Institute (Ukraine) and was accepted into the postgraduate study program at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. On 29 February 2000, he presented his doctoral thesis on "talent and sponsorship in sports" at the "Kyiv University of Physical Science and Sports" and his PhD in Sports Science was conferred. Klitschko has lived for years in Germany (in addition to residing in Kiev). According to Klitschko "Germany adopted me, I really love Germany, but I'm not German". Both Vitali and his brother are avid chess players. Vitali is a friend of former world chess champion Vladimir
Wladimir Klitschko I'm ready. What're you waiting for?" Haye's trainer, Adam Booth, indicated that Haye would be willing to accept the challenge. Both sides began negotiations for a potential fight and the bout was targeted for September. As the negotiations continued to move forward, the unification fight between Klitschko and Haye was expected to take place in Germany rather than England. The IBF set a deadline to end negotiations on 17 May. A few days before the deadline to make the unification bout, Haye said he was interested in fighting the older Klitschko, Vitali, rather than Wladimir. The fight did not materialize