Haye another Ali?
November 9th, 2009
By Scott Gilfoid: I almost chocked on my cornflakes today when I read that Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer was making comparisons between David Haye and Muhammad Ali after Haye was able to defeat the big slow moving 7-foot Russian WBA heavyweight champion Nikolay Valuev by a 12 round majority decision last Saturday night in Nuremburg, Germany.
If that’s all it takes to be compared to Ali then I’m disappointed in the measuring stick that Schaefer is using to appraise fighters. Haye, however, thankfully doesn’t see himself as in the same league as Ali, saying “Ali was the greatest and I’ve had one heavyweight title win, that’s it, so I can’t come close to even being mentioned in the same way as Ali,” in an article by Reuters.
That’s nice to know, Haye. Of course Haye can’t, because he hasn’t fought anyone with a pulse and Valuev was considered to be a paper champion by many boxing fans a long time ago. Beating him proves nothing and the way that Haye beat him, by hitting and running all night long, was not exactly an Ali like performance in my view.
Ali may have done his fair share of hit and running, but he was never afraid to stand his ground and trade. He would back up against the ropes or stand in the center of the ring and go at it against his opponents, even against the harder punchers like George Foreman, Sonny Liston, and Ken Norton. Haye didn’t show that against Valuev, an arguably weak puncher. Can anyone really picture Ali running from Valuev all night long? I know I can’t. Ali would have used some movement, but he would have stood his ground and hammered Valuev if they had fought.
Haye further says, “As long as I’m talked about in 50 years as a great heavyweight I know that I would have done my job.” Come again? As long as you’re remembered in 50 years as a great heavyweight? How exactly are you going to do that if you’re planning on retiring by 31? Even if Haye beats both Klitschko brothers, which I give him almost zero chance of accomplishing, how would that make Haye a great heavyweight? For me, that doesn’t put Haye into the greatness category.
Wladimir Klitschko has no chin, and Vitali Klitschko is 38, and will likely be 39-years-old by the time that Haye fights him, if he ever does. Vitali has had only a small handful of fights since making a comeback last year following four years of retirement. Beating him at this point wouldn’t be a big deal, not for an Ali-like heavyweight. Ali was beating fighters in their prime, talented fighters most of them. He stuck around for years and did over and over again.
How on earth would Haye be considered great if he was to retire at 31 with wins over the following heavyweights: Monte Barrett, Tomasz Bonin, Nikolay Valuev, John Ruiz, Wladimir Klitschko and Vitali Klitschko. I mean there’s a couple of good names in the bunch with the Klitschko brothers, but I hardly think that would lead to people bestowing the title of greatness on Haye 50 years from now. They might think he was a good heavyweight, but great?
Nah, don’t see it. However, this is all fantasy stuff, because the chances of Haye beating even one of the Klitschko brothers are remote at this point. Unless Wladimir suddenly gets really old overnight, and the same for Vitali, Haye will get knocked out and sent packing his bags to the cruiserweight division when they do fight.
Tags: 30 Responses to “Haye another Ali?”
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SCOTT, you are gooood tooo goood
muhahahaha….scott i thought u promised to stop writing??
M-ali, i can see your point but what im getting at is that Ali was what he was and would be the same fighter in any era!
if somebody ever says to me ‘thats the 1 only scotty g over there in the corner of the bar’ i would come over to him, take him by the earlobe and eject him from the premises, if you know what i mean, plonker.
Not sure what chocking on Cornflakes means, but if it stops you writing any more rubbish it will be appreciated by all.
Have you actually seen any of Haye’s previous fights (other than Valuev) muppet?
i prefer frosties myself like
Oh my word,
this writer is terrible.
This coming from the guy who also slated Freddie Roach for saying that Haye would win. Its just a shame that, while choking on your cornflakes,you didnt somehow injure both your hands to such an extent that you can no longer write this continual flow of rubbish.
i dont get this guy… once he finds a topic its all were going to hear about for like two months…. IF YOU KNOW ANYHING ABOUT BOXING THEN START WRIGHTING ON MORE THEN JUST ONE TOPIC.
when you start off wrighting on a subject a usually like the atricles… but you cant keep on one topic for sooooo long.. your not a bad wrighter.
The problem is the quality of the cornflakes in the states! i found if you leave them to soak in the milk a little longer before eating them its alot better! i would like to talk about boxing but i would be wasting my time.
well maybe now youve choked on your cornflakes, you can’t talk any bulls**t anymore
I must being getting at him they start blocking me aaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr shame.
Has anyone noticed EVERYTHING Scott says is wrong all the time. Every prediction he makes is wrong and every article he writes know one agrees with or he just contradicts something he said in a previous article. He really is quite thick. I can’t believe the editors on this site still publish his articles when he’s obviously got a much lower than average IQ than the normal person. I’ve never heard of a person that get’s as much wrong as he does. I’m starting to think maybe he’s a child pretending to be an adult, seriously. Somebody can’t honestly be so thick.
More attention seeking, Scott?
Only nearly choked ahh cmon scott go all the way please fella. You really are a tool, you slate haye for hit and run tactics but yet your boy dirrel is a god for doing it. Do us all a favour scott DIE
I REALY WISH YOU WOULD CHOKE SO DOSE A LOT OF POEPLE WHO READ THIS SITEHAYE IS A GREAT FIGHTER IN HIS TIME GET OVER IT YOU TOSSER
Scott how many world heavy weight title holders are there residing on your side of the pond!!!enough said soft lad.PS there’s a hell allot of people on here wish you would choke on your cornflakes.
Scott please live up to your promises and stop writing articles…
you know absolutely nothing about boxing
Scott, you are not man enough to admit you were wrong.
Have you ever got a boxing prediction right?
Its amazing that you get paid for writing this garbage.
Seriously, are you 14? Actually, that’s a bit harsh on 14 year olds. I really think you need to plan what you are going to say and then try and structure your arguement instead of this incoherent nonsense.
Haye is a good fighter, potential to rule the HW Division for the next 5-6 years if not longer.
don@london- i dont think ali would of been as graet in this era. 1st because it was the great rivelries with liston, frazier, forman and norton that made his ara stand out. the fact that Ali came out on top of them is such an unberlievable achievment.
plus personaly im not sure that ali would of definatly beaten vitali klitschko. beacuase unlike forman klitschko is caitous and knows how to box a smaller guy and keep him at the end of his jab.
scot why dont you respond to some of the messages and actually have a debate with some boxing fans. you tediusly write the same s@!#t every day obout the negative aspects of certain boxers. im sure its to wind people up and provoke reactions but your not a sports writer! your like a realy bad tabloid newspaper spouting biased, repetative, monotanous, sensationalist, racist, uninformative, uninspired drivle that turns people off this website!
this was the worst fight i have i have ever seen they should have taken their purse money off both fighters what a disgrase to boxing
Scott, give it up. You are an awful, awful racist. How you can possibly say someone with Haye’s KO percentage is a “runner” is beyond me. You know nothing about boxing. In fact, I would probably say your Mum knows more about boxing. Go and ask her, she’s downstairs making your tea and washing your bed sheets….again.
You bring nothing to this website. Nothing. You churn the same article out again and again. Admit it, you’re just gutted because Haye is British. That’s what it comes down to, isn’t it?
The articles on this site that present a fair and balanced view of boxing (and also an opportunity for the boxing public to contribute to the sport they love) are usually very good. If the editors had any sense, they would realise that your writing style is a short term hit but, in the long run, will drive people away and prove an embaressment. If this site wants to last, and I’m sure it does, it needs to take on a more professional approach to the articles it publishes. Boxing News (which is celebrating its 100th year) is a brilliant example of boxing writing at its best; balanced, interesting, and inciteful.
Think about it.
Hmmm, you choked on your cornflakes?
I had a similar experience when you compared Dirrell to Ali!
I just wish you’d had the decency to do us all a favour and finish yourself off.
He didn’t compare Haye to Ali in terms of boxing skill or anything to do with boxing. He compared his charisma, and how Haye has a bit of personality compared to the other Heavyweights out there.
Also, just a few points.
1. Valuev wasnt a paper champion, the division just isnt strong enough at the minute. (even though you once again predicted wrong by saying he would humiliate Haye)
2. Is this the first fight you have seen of Haye? You keep saying he hits and runs. If you look at every other of his fights, he goes for the knockout and usually gets it. If he went for the knockout against Valuev he would have been KO’d himself.
3. Finally, why wouldnt he get credit for taking both the Klitschko’s out? They’ve dominated the Heavyweight division for a long time now, and pretty much no-one has got near them. It doesnt matter about the flaws or the age of either of them. Haye himself admits he has a dodgy chin, so why can’t you give him credit for going out and trying to take on the best?
Or is too much for you to praise an English fighter?
your such a poor wrighter why wont you stop wrighting you are clearly laughed at my the readers of this site yet you continue, you also said you were going to stop wrighting if froch beat dirrel, well he did so stop wrighting or does your word not mean anything
Its about as funny as you comparing Dirrel to Mayweather…Ha ah ha ah.
please get a life!