Haye be careful !

[Joe G]

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... her_column

David Haye had better be careful.

By the time he finally gets in the ring with a Klitschko, will anyone care anymore?

The will-they-won’t-they saga is already getting boring – and if they’re not prepared to stop the talking and put some gloves on then they’d be doing everyone a favour if they packed their bags and got out of the sport.

How can it do the reputation of boxing any good to see its best fighters continue to avoid each other?

We were told the heavyweight showdowns the world wants to see would finally become a reality in 2011.

They had to. Britain’s own WBA champ, Haye, is retiring before the end of the year.

But we’re not even out of January and it already looks like the chance to prove once and for all who is “the baddest man on the planet” will go by the wayside.

For all the hype after his farce with Audley Harrison at the MEN Arena last November, Haye will not be fighting IBO, IBF and WBO champion, Wladimir Klitschko.

Instead the Ukrainian will take on another Brit in Dereck Chisora.

Now we hear Haye might take on WBC king, Vitali – the older, and in many people’s opinion, better of the brothers.

But is it really worth allowing ourselves to get excited by the prospect of that clash, given how many times we’ve been left disappointed by this sorry saga?

The sport has been good to Haye and the Klitschkos. Now it’s time to give something back. Give the public what they want to see and give the sport a good name.

It should no longer be about money, but about proving yourself the best. It’s not as if these guys are on their last dime. They are very rich men and they will only get richer by fighting each other.

Hagler, Hearns, Leonard, Duran, they all fought each other in a golden age of the sport and their legacies are intact.

Will the same be said of Haye if he doesn’t have that defining fight at heavyweight?

He was a truly great cruiserweight and no one can take that away from him.

He stepped up to become heavyweight champion of the world, just like his idol, Evander Holyfield. But unlike Holyfield, Haye has not proved himself a great heavyweight.

Holyfield fought Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe. He had his wars, while Haye’s last defence was one of the greatest non-fights of all time against Harrison.

Does he really want that to be his legacy?

It’s time TV companies started playing hardball with anyone else who’s ducking the big fights.

We had to sit through Haye-Harrison – now tell him that it’s a Klitschko or nothing.

I don’t know the full story behind the problems over the fight, but I do know if you want it badly enough, you can make it happen.

If Haye really wants to prove he’s the heavyweight king before he retires then simply tell his promoter, Adam Booth, to make it happen.

Forget the talk, the negotiating over petty details, get round a table, take a pen and sign the contract.

If not, get out of the way and let someone else have a chance.

Ricky Hatton might have to live with the fact that he lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao, but at least he knows he took on the best.

He knows where he stands in the sport. He was a great champion, who couldn’t make the next step up against two of the greatest boxers of all time – and there is absolutely no disgrace in that.

For Chisora, it won’t be about the cash, it’ll be about trying to become world champion and building his own legacy.

The smart money says he’ll come up short against Wladimir – but at least he’ll have given it a shot

[stevek3lly]

With you on this one Joe. The excitement keeps coming and going very quickly around Haye.

I love the guy and think he is an amazing boxer, but doesn't fight anywhere near enough for me.

[Tomasino]

I don't think Haye is a great cruiser, very good but not great. As has been noted by many people his body of work is too shallow by far to be considered great. I thought he was outworked (unimaginable before the fight for me) by Valuev, and regularly blows out of his arse after little extended activity. However if he beats both brothers and Adamek I would consider him great and his potential fulfilled. Big ifs though, especially with this retirement rubbish.

[Tomasino]

Sorry Joe G, didn't read you whole post before replying. I agree with all you say apart from cruiser great bit.

[jessi]

Joe G i think your being abit harsh, if anything i believe wlad is avoiding haye, he wont retire this year, the fight will happen this year.
and as for hatton he even said so himself on ringside last week that the floyd fight was being made for around 2 years.
hope murray is still looking good and training hard ? he needs to be, hope the mitchell fight comes off, the essex boy will spank the manc !

[whiskey]

It's like a multi-million pound industry.

When you've got two successful businesses , avoiding each other in the market place and continuing to be highly profitable - then they will try to keep it that way as long as they possibly can.

But when those businesses collide, one could perish or at the very least suddenly becomes far less attractive and profitable.

In boxing, some people are super aggressive and will challenge anyone, anywhere despite what they stand to lose. They almost become a feckin trojan and you kind of actually expect one or two defeats along the way but you don't hold it against them.

Then on the flipside, you have people that become accustomed to their nice car and want an even bigger villa abroad. They like the 'champion' tag, the celebrity status and if they can hang on to it by not fighting a dangerous opponent then they will. And by god if they do have to fight, they will absolutely wring every cent out of the deal because it could be their last 'fat' pay cheque.

Now rewind a couple of years ago, Haye was the former - a man who'd fight the best, a man who'd fight anyone anywhere. When he moved to heavy he declared that the Klitschko's were on his hit list immeadiately and after 1 or 2 fights at the weight, he was gonna knock those two robots out.

But in the time frame, Haye has become extremely rich and recognised on these shores - and Wlad has come to understand that Haye can genuinely beat him, that he's not one of the several ordinary challengers he has knocked over, so often in the past. Hence the difficulties in the fight being processed.

But all of the above becomes irrelevant when the opening bell rings. They will do what is instinctive to them.

But will that bell ever ring ?

[McCannW14]

I don't think Haye is a great cruiser, very good but not great. As has been noted by many people his body of work is too shallow by far to be considered great. I thought he was outworked (unimaginable before the fight for me) by Valuev, and regularly blows out of his arse after little extended activity. However if he beats both brothers and Adamek I would consider him great and his potential fulfilled. Big ifs though, especially with this retirement rubbish.

He isnt a great anything. What has he done, who is the best fighter he has beaten?

Haye needs 3 or 4 more years of beating top fighters in their prime before he can be considered even a good champion.

Its not all his fault, though as the standard of the cruiser and HW divisions in his era is really at an all time low. The standard is woeful