David Haye explains why he

[consortium11]

Which is why I'm rooting for Audley, for the first time ever.
It's very unlikely he's going to win, but Haye is taking the Calzaghe route for greatness. A Record of average/poor fighters.

I respect fighters who step up and challenge themselves properly, like Pacman facing Margarito, Cotto. Records with real names when they were greats.

Haye went to France to beat the man at 200lbs, pulling himself off the canvas to do so before then unifying the division pretty much beyond doubt when he beat Enzo. Then, rather than stick around at cruiserweight beating European level opposition for big paydays he decides to move up.

You can criticise the way he's handled his heavyweight career (although I think people don't necessarily give him the credit he deserves for his wins) but to say Haye hasn't stepped up and challenged himself is flat out false.

That said...

I'm in no way in favour of this fight. Despite what they say about this being a "huge fight in the UK", the UK gave up on Harrison a long time ago. No-one cares... not at all. No-one cared that he won Prizefighter, no-one cared that he beat Sprott. Not in the fanbase they're going after... the casual man on the street. At least Haye has the decency to say that Harrison doesn't deserve it on his boxing merits rather than try to build him up as some world level opponent.

I'm a fan of Haye (however much he frustrates me) and Harrison... well, I don't hate ol' Fraudley as much as many people do. He's a frustrating fighter who keeps showing flashes of what he could be... but then not doing it. His 3 round demolition of Williams in 2006 showed promises of how good he could be, as did his first round against Sprott... but then there was the third round against Sprott and it was back to the Harrison we know.

As much as this fight annoys me I won't pull for Harrison. The only fight that excites rather than interests me at HW is Haye against one of the Klits and Harrison winning pretty much derails that, at least short term. In addition if Harrison wins I can't help but feel there's going to be a rematch... and Jesus I don't want that. I think Haye gets rid of him fairly early and then hopefully moves onto a fight that means something... even if not against either Wlad or Vitali against someone with something resembling a decent resume.

That said, the press conference was entertaining. Harrison sounds a bit slurred already which isn't a good sign but he's a good foil for Haye's verbal jabs. I chuckled at Haye's sarcastic "what, your concussive jab?" and the argument about who could sprint faster. For all his sins Haye can hype a fight well and that in itself will probably be more entertaining then the actual "battle" ahead.

 

[Athenry04]

Haye went to France to beat the man at 200lbs, pulling himself off the canvas to do so before then unifying the division pretty much beyond doubt when he beat Enzo. Then, rather than stick around at cruiserweight beating European level opposition for big paydays he decides to move up.

You can criticise the way he's handled his heavyweight career (although I think people don't necessarily give him the credit he deserves for his wins) but to say Haye hasn't stepped up and challenged himself is flat out false.

That said...

I'm in no way in favour of this fight. Despite what they say about this being a "huge fight in the UK", the UK gave up on Harrison a long time ago. No-one cares... not at all. No-one cared that he won Prizefighter, no-one cared that he beat Sprott. Not in the fanbase they're going after... the casual man on the street. At least Haye has the decency to say that Harrison doesn't deserve it on his boxing merits rather than try to build him up as some world level opponent.

I'm a fan of Haye (however much he frustrates me) and Harrison... well, I don't hate ol' Fraudley as much as many people do. He's a frustrating fighter who keeps showing flashes of what he could be... but then not doing it. His 3 round demolition of Williams in 2006 showed promises of how good he could be, as did his first round against Sprott... but then there was the third round against Sprott and it was back to the Harrison we know.

As much as this fight annoys me I won't pull for Harrison. The only fight that excites rather than interests me at HW is Haye against one of the Klits and Harrison winning pretty much derails that, at least short term. In addition if Harrison wins I can't help but feel there's going to be a rematch... and Jesus I don't want that. I think Haye gets rid of him fairly early and then hopefully moves onto a fight that means something... even if not against either Wlad or Vitali against someone with something resembling a decent resume.

That said, the press conference was entertaining. Harrison sounds a bit slurred already which isn't a good sign but he's a good foil for Haye's verbal jabs. I chuckled at Haye's sarcastic "what, your concussive jab?" and the argument about who could sprint faster. For all his sins Haye can hype a fight well and that in itself will probably be more entertaining then the actual "battle" ahead.

As usual you post a lot of sense, a Harrison win does derail the most attractive HW clashes, but Haye had better step up after this shitfest of a fight.

 

[consortium11]

As usual you post a lot of sense, a Harrison win does derail the most attractive HW clashes, but Haye had better step up after this shitfest of a fight.

It's most frustrating because

1) There are people out there he could fight instead and

2) He should be able to beat them so it's not like he's pulling a Peter McNeely (still the best managed fighter of all time) and just making time until a payday while avoiding the big fights.

I mean, Chaegev's got the medical issues that cancelled the Valuev rematch but no-one ever really got to the bottom of it. That's a good fight, one he could/should win and, if he wins well, it allows him to continue his "Klits are boring" act considering how terrible the Wlad/Cahegev match was. Sultan Ibragimov has been retired (I think) but he may be able to draw him out with the money... and even a rusty Sultan isn't a terrible fight. Tony Thompson's put together some decent wins since he was beaten by Wlad... that's another winnable fight.

There are fights out there... fights that would be more of a challenge (where Haye would still be the favourite) and mean more. I'm sure I've left out some... and that's ignoring the obvious Adamek/Arreola/Johnson type bouts.

But no...

We get Harrison...

 

[philh83]

I have lost all respect for Haye, he talked so much crap about the Klitchkos, and then pulled out of the fight with a back injury and is now making up excuses about money.

Excuses about money is the easiest way to dodge a fight, if Haye was confident about knocking out the klichkos, money wouldnt be an issue, he would take their titles and then coin in.

But he is full of excuses, and instead is fighting audley harrison, which is just sad.

 

[consortium11]

You know what just occurred to me... and is pretty worrying.

Considering the, well, languid pace Haye has between bouts, isn't he due another mandatory after the Harrison bout?

The top 3 ranked fighters by the WBA are Chaegev, Valuev and Boytsov. Haye - Boytsov is actually a pretty cool fight to think about and I said above that Haye - Chaegev wouldn't be too bad... but I'm getting chills thinking about Valuev - Haye 2.

And again, considering Haye isn't the most active of heavyweights it probably takes him out for nearly another year...

 

[Anabola]

Jesus, he's getting worse and worse. He's been reduced to making youtube videos explaining why he is bitching out.