Would Haye Dominate the Heavyweight Division If There Were No Klitschko Brothers?
May 29th, 2009
By Jim Slattengren: In looking at the size differences between the 6’3″ 215 pound David Haye and 6’7″ 245 pound IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, it’s hard to see this fight as being anything other than a terrible mismatch on June 20th at the Veltins Arena, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
When you have a heavyweight like the Klitschkos and Dimintrenko who have 30 pounds in weight and five inches in reach over someone like Haye, it puts the smaller fighter at a tremendous disadvantage against them and almost guarantees that Haye will take a lot of serious trauma to the head in the process of fighting them.
Now, the lower weight classes have only four to seven pounds that separates the divisions from each other, whereas with the heavyweight division you can have fighters ranging from as low as 200 up to well over 300 pounds at times.
Yes, I’ve heard the saying about ‘speed is power’ and all that, but more often than not when you have a talented bigger fighter like the Klitschko brothers matched up against a talented fighter who weighs 30 pounds less than them and is shorter in height and reach as well, the Klitschkos are going to win almost every time because of their superior size.
Take away the size from them, and I can’t imagine either of the Klitschko brothers being able to beat a talented fighter with the quickness and speed of David Haye. He’s too fast and too powerful for heavyweights his own size or smaller to beat him unless they have a great chin and a ton of power to fire back on him.
If you remove the bigger heavyweights from the equation, then Haye would absolutely rule the heavyweight division with an iron fist for years to come because of his unnaturally fast hands and great power.
This is perhaps why their needs to be a separate class for the super heavyweights to fight in, because it will never be fair for smaller heavyweights like Haye and Chris Byrd to have to compete with these monstrous sized heavyweights.
At the same time, by making a separate class for heavyweights like the Klitschko brothers it would save smaller heavyweights like Haye from taking unnecessary beatings like the one that Haye will no doubt be suffering on June 20th against Wladimir.
This fight won’t be close because Haye is too short, and too light and not experienced against bigger fighters. If you look back in history, it’s a rare thing for a smaller heavyweight to beat a talented bigger one. Evander Holyfield was only able to beat Riddick Bowe once in their three fights and took terrific punishment in two of the bouts.
Lennox Lewis toyed with smaller heavyweights like David Tua, Francois Botha and Mike Tyson. The same thing will likely happen in the Klitschko vs. Haye bout. Wladimir will go out, hit Haye on the head from long range and Haye will drop for the ten count and the fight will be over.
Tags: 6 Responses to “Would Haye Dominate the Heavyweight Division If There Were No Klitschko Brothers?”
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I think the article is correct in many ways but also the comments as well. Tyson was easily 3 – 4 inches shorter than Berbick and that was a massacre. Tyson against Holmes etc. But Tyson was a different breed of fighter.
I do think Haye has talent but he is not a Tyson by any stretch of the imagination. However a puncher always has a chance, Rahman was shorter than Lennox but got one punch through which floored Lennox and it was over.
I do think the last part of the article made a great point and that is a smaller, peak Holyfield struggled against a peak long distance jab artist in Bowe. Holyfield was brilliant at the time but Bowe kept the distance and jabbed Holyfield all night.
I do think the Heavy weight division needs a shake up, it has been dull and boring for the last 3 to 4 years. The Klitchko’s have been okay, they have dominated but the opposition has been horrific. Tyson would have destroyed all of them in under a couple of rounds. Ali would have played with them like a cat playing with a bug.
Lets hope the heavy weight division gets exciting again..
M
I like the article but im agreeing with the comments more than the article. Its not that these are monsterous freaks in the division its the lack of talent in it.
As pointed out Mike Tyson dished out some big punishment on guys as big as the Klitchkos. And i believe if Haye had a chin like Tyson wed see sometihng similar now.
At the same time i dont want to take anythin away from the Klitchkos, this weight has attracted some real circus acts but the 2 brothers are highly fit, highly trained and highly professional about their work. They are very good world champs and deserve credit. If a better heavyweight comes around that can dethrone them then good.
But we didnt want a new weight class opening when Tyson looked unbeatable.
I think Ali would be fighting at cruiser in this day and age! Luckily for boxing 6ft 7 plus guys were unheard of really in that era. I think Haye stands a good chance against Vladimir as he’s been knocked out before though he is the better skilled boxer of the two Klitschko’s, I think Vitali takes a better shot though. Someone made the point Lennox beat him but I think he lost due to the cut, and though I believe Lennox was a modern great could easily have lost that fight.
Are you saying that Muhammad Ali at 6’3 215 ib
could not have beaten the russians ???
Decent article with some valid points. I don’t see any reason why a smaller Heavyweight can’t beat one of the bigger ones like Wlad.
Tyson is an obvious exception to the rule, Mike not Fury!! When he fought Lewis he was already done, he didn’t have the same killer instinct and was simply out for the money. But in his prime he would likely beat one of the big fighters mentioned.
It just so happens that the division is lacking names and has a far limited pool of fighters in general, so its possible for just one man to dominate, regardless of height and weight, as long as he has the ability and drive, two things Haye has in buckets.
I hope Haye is going to surprise us all.