Rainy Hamburg not dampening fans' fever

Ian McNeilly in Hamburg: The historic northern German city of Hamburg tonight plays host to the biggest heavyweight fight in a decade and, unsurprisingly, there is an expectant atmosphere here as the clock ticks down to first bell time.

What most people aren't mentioning about the atmosphere, literally, is that there is a 60% chance of rain in the city all day today, including at 10pm when the fighters should be on their respective ways to the ring. The sky outside my hotel room window is leaden; a drizzle is falling.

Most fans will be covered at the Imtech Arena, the home of football club Hamburger SV (pictured), and the ring itself has a canopy too. However, many people and (perhaps more pointedly) much electrical equipment will be exposed to the elements. If the wind blows a bit - and it's due to - the weather just might cause some disruption.

One simply hopes that proceedings will carry on unaffected.

Last night, bars on the Reeperbahn were full to wursting with Brits all dissecting the fight as they see it, some even changing their minds halfway through giving their predictions. The contest really is that difficult to predict.

Yesterday's weigh in, in the stiflingly hot and bizarre setting of Karstadt Sports - imagine a promoter here staging such an occasion in JJB Sports? - was compelling if uncomfortable viewing.

I bumped into Team Haye senior member David Coldwell during an evening constitutional and the little man is bullish about Haye's chances.

"I know people always say this but he really is in the best shape of his life.

"When I got back from Mexico (he was away for three weeks for Ryan Rhodes' unsuccessful shot at Saul Alvarez), I couldn't believe how much more athletic he was.

"I arranged some quality sparring. But Robert Helenius (6'6" and unbeaten in 15) was just bashed up. David is so sharp."

Although several hundred Brits typically made fools of themselves last night with their drink-fuelled daftness - a sight the Reeperbahn is used to most weeks, no doubt - none had beer goggles so firmly fixed that they couldn't see the threat of Wladimir.

Not long to wait now. Rain, rain go away...