David Haye Retires

[xerz00]

Fantastic British fighter that brought real excitement to his fights. His “comeback” was really poor but his legacy to me will be that win v mormack and whilst not a great fight taking the title off the giant away from home was a phenomenal accomplishment.

Cracking ring walk music too!

[Kassel]

Done British boxing proud

[lillywhite14]

About time!

Class fighter in his day and one of a few genuine top British fighters at their weight back in his cruiser days. Was also a great addition to the heavyweight ranks when he moved up.

Shame he tarnished his legacy somewhat in recent years, loosing to a man who wouldn’t lace his gloves back in his pomp but he isn’t the first and wont be the last to do that.

Class touch at the end too

[Ruthless-RKO]

[tobyh5]

Am I alone in not wanting to wish him well? I could not give a flying fck about him. I was once a massive fan but lately - how he ran his career, mugged off punters, talked crap and then the stuff about him as a person - a lot of boxing insiders are not fans and they actually know him. But now, just because he is retiring, I am not going to suddenly act like I think he is anything other than a total bellend and to say otherwise would be a massive contradiction.

[Ruthless-RKO]

He didn't force people to fill out the o2 Arena when he returned. He has a big following. Fans were happy he was back. Also, no one had to pay for those 2 fights as they were on DAVE.

[gilgamesh]

Am I alone in not wanting to wish him well? I could not give a flying fck about him. I was once a massive fan but lately - how he ran his career, mugged off punters, talked crap and then the stuff about him as a person - a lot of boxing insiders are not fans and they actually know him. But now, just because he is retiring, I am not going to suddenly act like I think he is anything other than a total bellend and to say otherwise would be a massive contradiction.

No you're not. I never liked the douchebag for a long time, and I don't like him now.

[oogiebe]

Gee what a surprise...

[Stuarty]

He had no option but to retire! He's absolutely shot to shít! If he was a horse he'd be dog meat or glue!

[oogiebe]

He had no option but to retire! He's absolutely shot to shít! If he was a horse he'd be dog meat or glue!

[bigjack]

He had no option but to retire! He's absolutely shot to shít! If he was a horse he'd be dog meat or glue!

You'll be dog meat if 'orse' get his hooves on ya

[handsofstone]

I wish him well, he was blighted by injuries which worsened later in his career but he achieved a lot too and was good value, one of the hardest punchers this county has produced and I doubt there's any other British boxers who can claim to be the 2nd best of their division ever

[SAPFO]

There is a documentary coming it seems.

Did anybody know that In 2015, he had a disc removed from his spine? So to even step in the ring again was an achievement!!

I just read his full statement. He's blunt, he knows what he once was, and now what he's become. He has a lot of experience to pass on, which it seems he's willing to do.

He'll seek his boxing redemption in other ways now, and no doubt he'll succeed with the drive that led him to achieve being a two weight world champion.

Regardless of the last 8 years of injury & pullouts, David Haye is British boxing legend and in his prime, one of the most entertaining fighters this county has produced.

Statement (5 min read)
https://www.hayemaker.com

[Stuarty]

He had no option but to retire! He's absolutely shot to shít! If he was a horse he'd be dog meat or glue!

You'll be dog meat if 'orse' get his hooves on ya

[tobyh5]

I wish him well, he was blighted by injuries which worsened later in his career but he achieved a lot too and was good value, one of the hardest punchers this county has produced and I doubt there's any other British boxers who can claim to be the 2nd best of their division ever

Except Joe Calzaghe you mean?

[jamamb]

best w's of cw record

mormec
enzo
fragomeni
gurov

[Crazyboy]

Enjoyed reading that and I personally thought it was a classy statement.

Complementary to Bellow as well which I thought was nice.

Good luck to him, in the main he has a career to be extremely proud of and I hope he enjoys his next venture.

Thanks for the memories David Haye (Though not that night in Hamburg which had the 'pleasure' of attending )

[handsofstone]

I wish him well, he was blighted by injuries which worsened later in his career but he achieved a lot too and was good value, one of the hardest punchers this county has produced and I doubt there's any other British boxers who can claim to be the 2nd best of their division ever

Except Joe Calzaghe you mean?

Oh aye and except Joe I knew there would've been at least one which escaped me

[Heretic]

I dare anyone to try and read the whole retirement statement.

https://fightnews.com/david-haye-retire ... more-23410

That was well worth the read.

Very classy statement.

At hes best he was a great boxer. One of the very few in recent years to rise from CW to HW and actually make something happen there. He was good and exiting to watch in the ring. Great power.

He did retire couple of fights too late but I am glad he did the right choice in the end.

Happy retirement champ

[orbtastic]

I wish him well, he was blighted by injuries which worsened later in his career but he achieved a lot too and was good value, one of the hardest punchers this county has produced and I doubt there's any other British boxers who can claim to be the 2nd best of their division ever

Except Joe Calzaghe you mean?

Oh aye and except Joe I knew there would've been at least one which escaped me

You could make a case for him being the number 1? Jones was probably the best fighter that fought there but he had like what, 5 fights? Most of them fairly undemanding defences too.

[dookus]

Mixed feelings, honestly. Yes - a true elite class talent at cruiserweight (albeit I wish he had stayed around longer to clean up) and a generally underwhelming career at heavyweight; an exciting vulnerable puncher who gave us some great nights. And it's hard not to have a soft spot for those who manage themselves in this filthy game.

That said, his open contempt at times for paying fans (see: deliberately carrying Harrison till round 3 so his mates could cash out at the bookies) and the way he really dragged the tone of boxing through the mud sometimes (see: comments about gang-rape, severed Klitschko heads etc) left a pretty foul taste. There is promotion and there is going all the way to the bottom to get attention. Maybe that's just me forgetting the zeitgeist of the mid-late 2000s (the golden era for utterly tasteless nihilist humour) in which Haye found his voice, but I didn't like it then and can't now.

He will be missed, though. Especially by this old man; all my favourites growing up and in my 20s are gone now.

[jamamb]

i find his cw career a bit glorified, enzo mac was a top 2 win for him and he had 0 longevity there. its a bit funny that ppl treat cunninhgam (who had the other belt) like some nobody at the time when by that time hed already beaten huck, guillermo jones, wlodarzcyk, rothman, and kelvin davis... arguably better wins overall then haye had

i think all the wbss semifinalists at a minimum wouldve beaten enzo, frago, and gurov too. finalists beat mormeck too.

he was very explosive at his best though , excellent speed + power, i still think he wouldve beaten 2011/2012 vitali

[Counter-puncher]

i find his cw career a bit glorified, enzo mac was a top 2 win for him and he had 0 longevity there. its a bit funny that ppl treat cunninhgam (who had the other belt) like some nobody at the time when by that time hed already beaten huck, guillermo jones, wlodarzcyk, rothman, and kelvin davis... arguably better wins overall then haye had

i think all the wbss semifinalists at a minimum wouldve beaten enzo, frago, and gurov too. finalists beat mormeck too.

especially good point on Cunningham

[morm]

Respect David Haye !

[orbtastic]

I think they tried to make the fight, he acknowledges obliquely he didn't hold the IBF belt but when you look back:

Bell picked up the vacant title (Toney vacated after beating long-time holder Jirov)
Unified with a KO over Mormeck who had already added the WBA title to his WBC
Lost in the rematch to Mormeck by which time the IBF belt was vacant again

Think even the Ring threw their belt into the mix with those two so no lineage per se but consensus number one at the point.

I liked Cunningham, he gets unfair stick but has a good record at cruiser:

Rothmann
Jones
Davis (bit of a push but did briefly hold the IBF title and dropped Bell)
Split a brace of bouts with Wlod
Stoppage of Huck
SD loss to Adamek
Braithwaite

I reckon Haye would have KO'd him.