David Haye will soon climb back through the ropes to battle Tony Bellew, one of 2017’s biggest surprise spoilers. Despite an absence of titles in this weekend’s rematch, there’s still a great deal on the line. Haye absolutely must win to prove two things: that his comeback is no joke, that his injuries can be tamed, and that he was having a very, very bad night at the office last time round. Bellew needs to prove that his victory was no fluke, and that, as he keeps saying, he is simply the better fighter.
David Haye
Once upon a time, Haye was the undisputed Cruiserweight champion, and can even be considered one of the best Cruisers of all time. At Heavyweight, however, it’s hard to really say what the history books will write. He’s had plenty of experience, has even bagged a world title, and his explosive style, salesmanship, charisma and model looks have garnered mainstream attention in every outing. But what is he at Heavyweight? A talented world-level fighter? Or merely a showman who’s manufactured a thin, money-spinning record?
Opposition Level (Heavyweight)
- Monte Barrett (2008) – Haye got dropped in this Heavyweight debut, but the main story here is that he dominated and stopped an overmatched veteran.
- Nikolay Valuev (2009) – Haye picked up the WBA title by majority decision in a fight that was kind of a smokescreen in terms of high significance. Valuev was a 7’ 0” giant, yes. But, in reality, he was actually a bit of a novelty act with an average skill set compared to a polished fighter like Haye.
- John Ruiz (2010) – Former champ Ruiz was game and defiant, but was also an aging battler with little to deter a prime powerhouse like Haye from delivering a beating.
- Audley Harrison (2010) – One of the worst, overhyped mismatches of all time. Period. Haye destroyed a tepid Harrison, and the British public swore they’d never buy another PPV. Until the Klitschko fight.
Wladimir Klitschko (2011) – A fight with few good talking points and an infamous pinky toe. An overly defensive Haye waited all night to find big openings, but found little. Meanwhile, Klitschko dominated, and the British public swore that they’d never buy another Haye PPV. Ever. Until the Dereck Chisora fight.- Dereck Chisora (2012) – In fairness, this wasn’t actually too awful. It wasn’t as competitive as some would like to remember, but it was entertaining because of the big personalities at play. Haye was on another level, however, and put away his slugger foe inside five rounds.
- Mark de Mori (2016) – Following a three-and-half year layoff (much spent nursing a severe shoulder injury), Haye returned to the ring to hang, draw and quarter a sacrificial lamb named Mark de Mori. In around sixty seconds. This. Was. Bad.
- Arnold Gjergjaj (2016) – And this guy was…I don’t know. Better? Worse? The same? Whatever Gjergjaj was, he too was sold as a dangerous man, an obstacle that couldn’t be overlooked on Haye’s Heavyweight comeback trail. The unbeaten Gjergjaj was utterly hopeless, quickly pulverized, and even mainstream Heavyweight-chasers weren’t happy this time.
- Tony Bellew (2017) – Then things took an expected turn. Now, I know it’s hard to confidently trust in anything much heard from Haye interviews, but when he now says he underestimated Bellew, I believe him. Haye had his moments in their fight, but abandoned cerebral boxing for a swing-and-hope-something-big-lands approach. Bellew stopped Haye, but, due to Haye’s acchilies injury, were more questions created than answered that night?
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- Vaunted power. A given, I know. Haye, despite his Cruiserweight roots and reputation as one of today’s smaller Heavyweights, has bona fide Heavy power. If he were to land clean, I’ve no doubt that he could spark out any of today’s Top 10 Heavyweights including Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.
- Speed/Athleticism. I actually say this without complete conviction. Because, although Haye’s speed didn’t seem overly remarkable in his first encounter with Bellew, Haye does remain one of today’s fastest Heavyweights in my opinion. And that speed produces knockouts. He’s also a born athlete, physically gifted with quick reactions, making him slippery and elusive, certainly for a Heavyweight.
- Boxing IQ. You wouldn’t know it from last year’s Bellew fight, but Haye can be a real nightmare when he brings his A-game. Haye is a renowned power puncher, sure, but his polished ring craft, defensive skills and slick counterpunching abilities are top-notch. Of course, I say all this under the assumption that these attributes are still present ‘enough’ to be a threat.
Weaknesses
- Injuries. This is one that can’t really be stressed enough. All boxers no doubt fight with injuries to some extent, but Haye seems to have been plagued by them during his Heavyweight campaign. Some fans say that they are a ruse to cover up bad performances, but I don’t buy into that. From shoulder, bicep, Achilles – to even pinky toe – injuries, Haye is no stranger to serious wear and tear. Haye’s body seems to be turning old, and fast.
- Chin. It’s worth mentioning because we’ve seen Haye wobbled and on the deck on a few occasions. But let’s not overanalyze it. Haye doesn’t have the chin of a George Foreman – hardly anyone does – but he doesn’t have one of a David Price either. Also, since we’ve seen Haye get off the canvas to score knockouts, and survive rounds of punishment against Bellew before being stopped, calling ‘weak chin’ here is actually debatable.
What are your thoughts on David Haye at this stage of his career? Can he bounce back on to the Heavyweight scene by revenging his loss to Tony Bellew? How do you see the fight playing out? And will Haye use brute force or tactics to seize victory?
