David Haye is officially back! No, seriously. I think it’s for real this time. There’s a video of him assaulting a punch bag, huge buzz on Twitter, plus Shane McGuigan has stepped in as trainer.
And now, Tyson Fury has even gone on record to say he’d fight the former two-weight champion in 2016. Well, provided it makes good business sense, that is.
“I don’t know what his motives are and I don’t really care,” Fury told Boxing News. “This is a business at the end of the day and if a fight with Haye makes business sense I’d consider it. He’s still a big fight in England if he beats someone to get back up there; we could do maybe 2 million buys on pay-per-view.”
That number is perhaps a little ambitious. But if Haye could sign with a top promoter like Matchroom Boxing, that number would be further within reach. Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn was the mastermind behind the epic blockbuster Froch vs Groves II, which managed to pull in 900,000 Sky Sports Box Office buys. Short of eyeing a stateside scrap on HBO PPV, it’s likely the best ticket in the UK.
There’s a lot of love for boxing in Britain, and especially for domestic scraps. The result of next weekend’s Klitschko vs Fury will also make a telling difference to the kind of figures a Fury vs Haye encounter could produce.
“If he gets back in the mix it adds more spice to the cake,” Fury went on. “I have no hard feelings towards Haye, I’m getting my shot anyway, so I hope he gets back up there and the people get behind him.”
Haye, a 6’ 3” former undisputed Cruiserweight King and WBA Heavyweight champ, would still be a big draw. If he resumes his Heavyweight campaign, there’ll be plenty of money there waiting. But there’s also a bunch of serious questions buzzing around the Londoner due to him being out of the ring since 2012 nursing a serious shoulder injury.
That injury was the reason Fury vs Haye was postponed twice in 2012, and eventually scrapped completely. Although Fury writes off Haye as a legitimate threat – which is a given – the 6’ 9” fighter gave Haye a shot against one of the division’s best ‘smaller men’, who he labelled “mediocre”. So yeah, an insult.
“Who is there to beat [except Wladmir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder]?” Fury asked. I don’t rate Alexander Povetkin in that bracket, [but] Haye’s speed and agility would be too much against him and we know he can be hurt and knocked down.”
Personally, I’d give Povetkin a shot in that fight, especially after Hayes’ extensive layoff. Povetkin, who stands at 6’ 2”, went the distance with Klitschko in 2013, and has performed well against boxers of Haye’s stature since (Manuel Charr, Carlos Takam, Mike Perez). Haye was a greater fighter than Povetkin in 2012 – but how about today?
What are your thoughts on a Tyson Fury vs David Haye showdown and that of Haye’s comeback in general? Let me know in the comments.
