David Haye

[Spud]

I was reading somewhere David Haye is rated as one of the best boxers the UK has produced.

How good do you think he was? And do you place him in the P4P past boxers from the UK?

Did fighting Tony Bellew twice tarnish
His legacy?

For what its worth I really rated Haye but working for him enabled me to see his good and bad points …

Believe it or not although Haye won Cruiserweight & Heavyweight world titles … because he didnt hold onto his heavyweight title for too long and then injuries I place him in the under achievers list.

Finally, the parting of ways with Adam Booth certainly did not help.

Whats your opinion on Haye?

[big lennox]

I used to really enjoy Haye fights. He reminded me of Nigel Benn in a way; always coming to win by knockout. Both destroyers in the ring by instinct as well as through training.

I think parting ways with Booth was the beginning of the end. I felt sorry for him in the Bellew fights. He was a pale imitation of himself in there and nothing can persuade me that Bellew would have beaten Haye in his prime.

I don't think any version of Haye would have beaten Fury or Uysk, though: Fury too big and too skilled, and Uysk too busy for Haye, who never had the best stamina ( although he had huge power and great athleticism).

It must have been a very exciting time to have worked for him. I've never met him and will reserve judgement but have heard very mixed things about Haye on a personal basis. Is he mood dependent, I wonder.

[Nightmare Roy]

Used to love watching Haye, super exciting fighter with amazing power, shame about the injuries he kept getting, he was held together by seller tape by the time he fought Bellew, he would have smoked him at his prime.

[margaret thatcher]

the hype when he moved to hw was huge, he was very very popular during that phase. the saviour , gonna krush the klities

he was obviously very talented, but at hw seemed overly tentative vs the big guys

[Controversial]

I liked Haye, he done what a lot of fighters fail to do and made himself financially setup for life. You could say that was from taking the easier route at HW and milking the comebacks and PPVs but at the end of the day it's a tough sport and the ultimate aim is to have made your money when you retire. He understood the money and business side of the sport and was good at building up interest in fights that weren't really top level. I've heard third hand he can be a bit arsey but I know a couple of people who have met him and they said he was a nice fella and he always seems to come across well on TV. It's a shame he was so injury prone, as Shane said the other day he wasn't fit for the Bellew fights and Shane wanted him to pull out but Haye earned millions from those so whose laughing now.

[Spud]

Hello pal (Big Lennox)

David was a nightmare to work for I was always second guessing what mood he was in.

With regards his abilities sometimes he looked sensational in sparring.

Before the Tyson Fury fights were made I was convinced David would win, but during the first training camp, David hardly sparred and would have got beaten inside 3 rounds if that particular fight took place.

The beginning of the end of his relationship with Adam Booth happened in that particular training camp, David was constantly late. All I used to hear was “Spud, where the **** is David” my reply used to be “In his room Adam” … “well go and get him”. I used to hate having to go to his room.

But imo David was supremely talented on the occasions he sparred there were times he looked
Sensational.

With regards the Bellew fights I had mixed feelings, one hand I wanted him to win then I was reminded the way he treated me having Parkinson’s meant I was delighted he lost, it was my karma.

David had his good points, for example he was extremely generous. He paid me extremely well and when he was in a good mood it was a pleasure working for him.

The sad thing is, I often think what could of been if e fh it were not for injuries.

You mention Fury and Usyk… a fit and prime
David Haye would have caused them nightmares.

Another myth was that David was chinny, not from
What I saw when sparring there were times
He got hit on the button and he merely shook
It off and carried on having a war.

What could have been if he stayed fit

[Controversial]

With regards the Bellew fights I had mixed feelings, one hand I wanted him to win then I was reminded the way he treated me having Parkinson’s meant I was delighted he lost, it was my karma.

Really, that's not good, how did he treat you?

[coneye]

I think in present day , he'll get great kudo's of most who can remember his early carreer , has time goes on it will wither away to his big toes and getting beat by Bellow and certainly start to diminish ,, was a good boxer though , maybee could of gone further in different circumstances , but we'll never know . He never made the heavyweight trancesession that Usyk did , so will never be spoke of in the same breath

[Spud]

With regards the Bellew fights I had mixed feelings, one hand I wanted him to win then I was reminded the way he treated me having Parkinson’s meant I was delighted he lost, it was my karma.

Really, that's not good, how did he treat you?

Lets just keep it as I felt he made no effort to understand.

[Spud]

I think in present day , he'll get great kudo's of most who can remember his early carreer , has time goes on it will wither away to his big toes and getting beat by Bellow and certainly start to diminish ,, was a good boxer though , maybee could of gone further in different circumstances , but we'll never know . He never made the heavyweight trancesession that Usyk did , so will never be spoke of in the same breath

Fair summing up

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

With regards the Bellew fights I had mixed feelings, one hand I wanted him to win then I was reminded the way he treated me having Parkinson’s meant I was delighted he lost, it was my karma.

David had his good points, for example he was extremely generous. He paid me extremely well and when he was in a good mood it was a pleasure working for him.

Sorry to hear that but the insight must be interesting. Did you watch the Wilder sparring? I bet David didn't like doing the roadwork, am I right? What work did you do for him?

Unified cruser champion and WBA champ is pretty impressive. A very good el radar defense, loads of speed and power. I'd say he always let down by poor foundamentals and lack of stamina.

People say he didn't have heart against Wlad but he got thoroughly outboxed by a bigger man with superior foundamentals, ie jab/defense. Not much he could of done with the tools he had at his disposal.

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

He never made the heavyweight trancesession that Usyk did , so will never be spoke of in the same breath

You'd have to give a prime Haye a decent shot against AJ. Maybe even lean towards Haye the more I think about it with his speed, superior head movement and AJ really wouldn't react well to the Hayemakers

[Spud]

With regards the Bellew fights I had mixed feelings, one hand I wanted him to win then I was reminded the way he treated me having Parkinson’s meant I was delighted he lost, it was my karma.

David had his good points, for example he was extremely generous. He paid me extremely well and when he was in a good mood it was a pleasure working for him.

Sorry to hear that but the insight must be interesting. Did you watch the Wilder sparring? I bet David didn't like doing the roadwork, am I right? What work did you do for him?

Unified cruser champion and WBA champ is pretty impressive. A very good el radar defense, loads of speed and power. I'd say he always let down by poor foundamentals and lack of stamina.

People say he didn't have heart against Wlad but he got thoroughly outboxed by a bigger man with superior foundamentals, ie jab/defense. Not much he could of done with the tools he had at his disposal.

Yes I watched the Wilder sparring (Fury Fight) but if you compare how long Deontay was in Hayemaker HQ they could have sparred a lot more if it was not for injuries/niggles.

I remember one particular spar they went to war …
It was f*cking awesome.

[margaret thatcher]

haye hardly committed to anything vs wlad or valuev, the big bois spooked him a bit. i totally disagree that he did all he could vs wlad, sure wlad had a good handle on distance and it helped him tame haye, but haye couldve at least put some more punches together to try to unsettle wlad. instead he basically just stood there posturing while losing round after round

[Spud]

haye hardly committed to anything vs wlad or valuev, the big bois spooked him a bit. i totally disagree that he did all he could vs wlad, sure wlad had a good handle on distance and it helped him tame haye, but haye couldve at least put some more punches together to try to unsettle wlad. instead he basically just stood there posturing while losing round after round

I dont think David was spooked.

It was more to do with injuries/niggles meant there wasnt in my view enough sparring

[Noxy]

He was good copy was Haye, proper livened the scene up. He could really fight as well - at heavy and cruiser. A pity the Fury fight never happened.

[jimmystone]

Haye was very good. It's well known his body was broken down quite badly. Some even questioned his and Adam's training practices for their suitability to a long term career.

[Spud]

Haye was very good. It's well known his body was broken down quite badly. Some even questioned his and Adam's training practices for their suitability to a long term career.

You are not the first to say that.

[jimmystone]

Always worth a quick reminder of just how massive Valuev is.

[Spud]

Haye was very good. It's well known his body was broken down quite badly. Some even questioned his and Adam's training practices for their suitability to a long term career.

You are not the first to say that.

But with regards the fitness side of things whilst I was with Haye he had a strength and conditioning coach. Adam used to take care of the boxing aspects

[big lennox]

Hello pal (Big Lennox)

David was a nightmare to work for I was always second guessing what mood he was in.

With regards his abilities sometimes he looked sensational in sparring.

Before the Tyson Fury fights were made I was convinced David would win, but during the first training camp, David hardly sparred and would have got beaten inside 3 rounds if that particular fight took place.

The beginning of the end of his relationship with Adam Booth happened in that particular training camp, David was constantly late. All I used to hear was “Spud, where the **** is David” my reply used to be “In his room Adam” … “well go and get him”. I used to hate having to go to his room.

But imo David was supremely talented on the occasions he sparred there were times he looked
Sensational.

With regards the Bellew fights I had mixed feelings, one hand I wanted him to win then I was reminded the way he treated me having Parkinson’s meant I was delighted he lost, it was my karma.

David had his good points, for example he was extremely generous. He paid me extremely well and when he was in a good mood it was a pleasure working for him.

The sad thing is, I often think what could of been if e fh it were not for injuries.

You mention Fury and Usyk… a fit and prime
David Haye would have caused them nightmares.

Another myth was that David was chinny, not from
What I saw when sparring there were times
He got hit on the button and he merely shook
It off and carried on having a war.

What could have been if he stayed fit

Thank you, Spud; that's a really good window into your working life with Haye. Very insightful.

That's a great point about Haye's chin. I remember Wladimir catching him with a couple of beauties in their fight and he took them well: no mean feat.

I find it very tricky working for mood dependent people, it's leaves one off balance when it comes to developing a relationship, and it also means one is constantly pushing water up a hill in terms of doing the job. I've worked for a couple of people like that and the jobs, which were otherwise really interesting, were stressful in practice as a result.

You might be right about Haye vs Fury. If he had Fury hurt then Haye, who was excellent at jumping on wounded opponents and hitting them with a flurry of shots, might have finished him off.

I would loved to have seen prime Haye vs Uysk. Its a fight that would have got made as both are the type to get in with anyone. I just wonder if Uysk's fitness might have proved decisive. That said, one can never rule out a knockout puncher and Haye had good footwork, too.

Very sorry to hear that he was cold/unsympathetic towards your Parkinsons ( which I hope is manageable). I take a dim view of that sort of behaviour. Can't fathom it, in fact.

[big lennox]

With regards the Bellew fights I had mixed feelings, one hand I wanted him to win then I was reminded the way he treated me having Parkinson’s meant I was delighted he lost, it was my karma.

David had his good points, for example he was extremely generous. He paid me extremely well and when he was in a good mood it was a pleasure working for him.

Sorry to hear that but the insight must be interesting. Did you watch the Wilder sparring? I bet David didn't like doing the roadwork, am I right? What work did you do for him?

Unified cruser champion and WBA champ is pretty impressive. A very good el radar defense, loads of speed and power. I'd say he always let down by poor foundamentals and lack of stamina.

People say he didn't have heart against Wlad but he got thoroughly outboxed by a bigger man with superior foundamentals, ie jab/defense. Not much he could of done with the tools he had at his disposal.

Yes I watched the Wilder sparring (Fury Fight) but if you compare how long Deontay was in Hayemaker HQ they could have sparred a lot more if it was not for injuries/niggles.

I remember one particular spar they went to war …
It was f*cking awesome.

What a privilege to be party to those spars. Wilder vs Haye would have been big box office.

[Frostieballs]

Fast, flashy, KO power, got knocked down himself, gutsy, good talker... what's not to like!

[jimmystone]

Fast, flashy, KO power, got knocked down himself, gutsy, good talker... what's not to like!

His bullshit/state of denial when his body was gone. Before that he was awesome. Should have stayed retired after Chisora.

[Spud]

Fast, flashy, KO power, got knocked down himself, gutsy, good talker... what's not to like!

His bullshit/state of denial when his body was gone. Before that he was awesome. Should have stayed retired after Chisora.

I am willing bet in boxing terms the Chisora fight should have been the last but imo the lure of the £ note meant otherwise