By Scott Gilfoid: Former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis thinks that World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko would be problems for WBA heavyweight champion David Haye, according to the BBC. Lewis, who struggled to beat Vitali on cuts in a 6th round stoppage in 2003, had this to say about Haye fighting Vitali: “If he [Haye] fights Vitali it will be very difficult for him.”
You can say that again. Lewis is being gentle with Haye by saying it like that. It would be more than difficult for Haye; it would be a knockout loss for Haye unless Haye ran all night and wasn’t looking to win. I seriously doubt that Haye could even run for 12 rounds without Vitali catching him and knocking him cold. There’s a big difference between the soft punching, slow moving Nikolay Valuev and the quicker and much more powerful Vitali Klitschko.
Haye wouldn’t be able to pot shot and win rounds against Vitali, because he would be returning fire with combinations, not single shots, and I doubt that Haye’s brittle chin would hold for more than round or two with big Vitali pounding him. Lewis does, however, think that Haye could possibly beat IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, saying “I would say Wladimir is the easier…I see him beating one” [Klitschko brother].
What Lewis doesn’t say is how much of a chance he feels that Haye would have against Wladimir. It would be interesting if Lewis would give Haye a big shot at beating Wladimir or if he feels that it would be only a puncher’s chance. Personally, I give Haye only a very small chance of stopping Wladimir. I think it’s possible if Haye fights with a lot of aggression. However, if Haye fights the way he did against Valuev, he’ll be easily beaten by Wladimir.
Haye will have big problems as it is just trying to get past Wladimir’s jab. Haye looked kind of short and fat against Valuev, and threw a lot of wild haymaker shots. Most of the time, Haye’s punches missed badly. All it would take is one hard left hook from Wladimir when Haye is throwing one of his wild shots and it will all over for him. Haye will have to take huge risks just to land his shots because Wladimir won’t be standing straight up like Valuev.
Instead, Wladimir will lean back and using his jab and left hook. Haye won’t get any chances to land a pot shot from close range because Wladimir won’t let Haye get near him without clinching him. Wladimir won’t throw any rights hand unless he’s sure that Haye is out of position or blinded by a jab.
Once Wladimir connects with his first right hand, it’s doubtful that Haye will still remain standing. Based on the many fights I’ve seen of Haye, I’d give him a 3% chance of beating Wladimir. Haye has no chance of beating Vitali. This is why I am certain that Wladimir won’t be who Haye goes after.
Haye’s going to try and call Wladimir out and if Wladimir isn’t willing to take the fight, perhaps because of the way Haye pulled out on him last time he tried to fight Haye, then Haye will have no other choice but to fight Vitali if he’s so badly wants to fight one of the Klitschko. But I don’t think he will. Not now, not ever.
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