Will Ruiz give Haye a taste of defeat and send him back down to the cruiserweight division?
February 4th, 2010
By Scott Gilfoid: David Haye has been a slugger for most of his career up until recently when he snatched the World Boxing Association heavyweight title with a boring 12 round majority decision over seven foot Nikolay Valuev on November 7th. Haye, showing skills that I’ve never seen from him before, used lateral movement to confound the giant Valuev and keep him from landing his big clubbing shots on him. It worked rather well for Haye, as it kept him from getting knocked out and allowed him to take the title fighting in Germany.
Haye may now have to rely more on his boxing skills and movement to keep some of the hard hitting and larger heavyweights from blasting him out. While Haye has put on weight and gotten slightly bigger since moving to the heavyweight division in late 2008, his chin looks to have remained the same as it was while fighting in the cruiserweight division.
Haye has won all three of his heavyweight bouts in the division beating Tomasz Bonin, Monte Barrett and Valuev, but Haye looked hurt briefly by Barrett in the 5th round. To his credit, Haye was able to come back and take Barrett out, but the questions remain whether Haye has the chin to stand up against the big punchers of the division.
I think Haye really can’t and has little choice but to use his boxing skills to get by his opponents or else he may soon be getting knocked out over and over. Haye may need to use the same lateral movement against Ruiz that he did in his fight with Valuev if he wants to keep from getting taken apart. I’m not so sure that Haye has the wheels to move for 12 rounds against a fighter like Ruiz.
John may not be the youngest fighter in boxing at 38, but he moves well on his feet and is good at cutting off the ring against his opponents. At the same time, Haye doesn’t look exactly light on his feet at 6’3 217. That may not be a lot of weight, but it seemed like a lot for Haye, who moved around like a slow 250 pounder in his fight against Haye.
WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko looked positively smooth on his feet compared to the lead-footed Haye. This leads me to think that Haye might not be able to out-box Ruiz, even if he wants to. Haye might find himself fighting for his life in a fight where he may need to reach deep and try for a knockout to win. It’s sad but I think Haye might be too slow on his feet to be successful as a heavyweight.
It’s a double edged sword. Haye needs to move a lot to prevent the good heavyweights from getting to his fragile chin, but on the other hand, Haye might be too slow moving to be successful against any heavyweight that is quick enough to cut off the ring on him and force him to fight. I think Ruiz is one of those fighters who could end up exposing Haye on April 3rd.
This fight might end up coming down to whether Haye’s power has stayed with him as he’s moved up in weight. Thus far, Haye doesn’t look all that powerful as heavyweight compared to what he looked like as a cruiserweight. Based on what I’ve seen of Haye so far, I’d rate his power about the same as Monte Barrett, perhaps a shade better.
His hand speed isn’t all that good either now that he’s put on 17 pounds. People say it’s all muscle that Haye has put on, but I see some fat around jowls and it looks like he’s starting to sport a little bit of a gut as well. No, I think Haye might be ready to be exposed by Ruiz on April 3rd. A loss to Ruiz would be disastrous for Haye. It would wipe out future fights against Bernard Hopkins and the Klitschko brothers, and very likely send Haye back down to the cruiserweight division. I can’t imagine him staying at heavyweight if Ruiz knocks him out.
Tags: 39 Responses to “Will Ruiz give Haye a taste of defeat and send him back down to the cruiserweight division?”
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jackson says:
February 6, 2010 at 8:59 pm
“.…you guys had lewis and never gave him respect, now you have a poser and fawn all over him…sad really.”
Agree with you 100%. I just hope to see any kind of competition in the hw division, that is why i don´t badmouth anyone right now… but haye could turn out to be a interessting competitor. i think he wins over ruiz easily.
In my opinion Haye has a good chance of winning this coming fight with Ruiz if he can keep the safety distance and he stays constantly on the move.
barrett gets knocked down and out a lot in the last three years, bonin is not even a top 100 heavyweight, and valuev has been rocked often (barrett rocked him and hes not a puncher)…if you want to imagine how good a puncher david just imagine a real heavyweight against this cruisers that went 8-10 rounds with davey….fragy was an even fight until david finally knocked him out late….against vlad, fragy knocked out in 2 without ever landing a clean punch in his own defense. also remember that barrett hurt davey and a much younger, better barrett never dented vlad
haye didnt nearly ko anybody, valuev has been rocked before…hes never gone down. haye did worse than ruiz and holyfield did against a younger, better version of the giant, he just got the decision…i notice hayes fans keep building up valuev to make hayes timid, awkward performance look better..haye didnt both move and hit, he ran, stopped threw a jab, then ran again…it will go down in history as one of the most embarassing fights ever, hence the story about a broken hand which has since proven to be a lie….which puts his previous injury claims in perspective…you guys had lewis and never gave him respect, now you have a poser and fawn all over him…sad really
How can you say David Haye looks like he’s getting fat? He is naturally bigger than most cruiserweights, he struggled to get to that weight. His extra weight is nearer to his natural weight. Also at the Valuev fight he was in great shape, he didnt have a trace of a gut! As for his hand speed, when he did throw punches at Valuev, as little as he did, Valuev couldnt see them coming. The John Ruiz may be a difficult fight for Haye, but he still has the speed and power to beat Ruiz. How can you say you think he’s lost his power when he rocked Valuev and nearly knocked him out in the 12th round, how many big heavyweights have done that?
Send him back down to cruiserweight?? Just be that suggestion shows how little the writer knows about boxing.
Even at his best Ruiz wasnt a great boxer. therefor i cant see him win against Haye. Keep in mind Valuev defeatet Ruiz.
Ruiz would need a lucky punch.
åæø
David Haye by whatever he wants.
Ruiz will smash that arrogant dandy.
I think Haye will outpoint Ruiz in a boring stinker, however, I do think that Haye has just enough to score a points win over Ruiz. Haye is dedicated and trains hard and this may contribute to a hard fought decision win. Ruiz, however, does have a style that may bother Haye, and Ruiz has a style that can be suited for an aging heavyweigth, as it doesn’t require speed, but rather strengt, craft and experience.
Still, I think Haye will get a work-man like decision by jabbing and running.
I live in Vegas & I’ve watched Ruiz spar with smaller, faster guys. Funny, in sparring he’s really light on his feet & cuts off the ring beautifully. I know it’s sparring, not a real fight but you would think more of this would come in to play rather than his standard ’1 punch grab’ thing.
I think the biggest challenge for Ruiz is his inactivity, that and @ 38 against a young guy who can move well it’s going to test his endurance.
Pointing to the Jones fight (I was there, what a night) isn’t an accurate assesment. That was a prime Roy on the best night of his life. Haye doesn’t have any where near the reflexes Jones did in his day.
Looking @ Haye/Valuev I saw Haye in the ring with a guy a foot taller & 100 pounds bigger & he didn’t look scared. It at least tells me Haye is serious about his assault on the HW division.
Maybe this fight is competitve for a few rounds then John wears out. Maybe Haye’s chin will give him away.
Regardless of the outcome it ain’t gonna be Ali / Fraizer.
Haye Is FAT, he’s got a Pot Belly. Ha! Just like all you brits pencil necks.
If you watched the Barrett v Haye fight, Barrett knocked Hay on his kister(ass). But if you watched the beginning of the fight. When Barrett made his grand entrance, he tripped on the top rope and knocked himself on his kister. You brits are blind pencil necks crackers. You write good Scott.
Ruiz can not beat anybody thats why Haye is fighting him
Ruiz is the perfect punching bag for Haye.I hope David streches out the fight a little by giving us all a good spectical,the heaveyweight division needs it.
I think Haye is more of a pot shotter then a slugger i think Haye will beat Ruiz but not the Klitschko’s
To even give Ruiz a chance against Haye is silly.
Haye has very quick hands and feet. He also comes in with one of the best boxing physiques in years. How many heavyweights come in under 10% bodyfat, not many. Granted his chin needs testing however I doubt hes goin out there looking take punches unlike the older of the mechanical brothers who ended up with a face like a burst couch in his last outing. Haye is far too slick and clever for any of these guys!!!
Ruiz will be DQ’d. And Haye still sucks at heavyweight! I would be surprised if either one of these guys could make it past 5 rounds with the current version of David Tua! lol
I was right then.
in a word. “No”
@ …DON@LONDON
“Q: Will Ruiz give Haye a taste of defeat and send him back down to the cruiserweight division?
A: Nope”
”
King d
ARE you still dreamin.
Haye will destroy ruiz.
No is the answer to the question posed in the title of this thread. Straight up, no.
ruiz is rubbish , roy jones schooled him good and proper. roy jones was smaller and faster and ruiz couldnt get near him. Haye like ive said b4 is a very good boxer and is fast enough, not jones fast, but fast enough to keep ruiz at bay and powerful enough to cause him problems. scott doesnt know what hes talking about as everyone can see.
This Writer Must Have No Boxing Knoledge What So Ever Haye Is A Tech Fighter Not Even Close To A Sluger You May As Well Of Said Rocky Balboa Is The Best Technical Fighter To Ever “EXIST”
scott gilfoid is the worst boxing writer on the planet. he only rates american fighters even though the brits are far superior
Its about time this website, and particulary Scott Gilfoid shared their views on David Haye, his fight against Valuev and his up and coming fight with Ruiz.
And an interesting read it was too, how the hell are you allowed access to the outside world?
Q: Will Ruiz give Haye a taste of defeat and send him back down to the cruiserweight division?
A: Nope
what aload of troffle,uncle ewald,what have u been smoking,lol,hayes the best british heavyweight since lennox,and hes gonna dismantle and nail ruiz to the canvass,haye within 5 rounds to ko ruiz,
Fat? Haye hasn’t eaten any saturated fats since he turned pro, FACT.
Fat around the gowls! I’ve never seen a more finely chisled hard physique in a heavy weight. Haye’s power knocked Barrett down five times and rocked the Russian Giant. How can you say his power is diminished. By being his natural weight he adds more power. The heavies are slow compared to cruisers so Haye had made it no secret he wants to keep his lightning speed and reflexes to expose these fat bums. Ruiz is no easy fight but Haye will measure his man out and eventually ko Ruiz inside 7 rounds.
I look forward to hearing more about Haye from you tomorrow Scott. Gotta laugh at you. I think you do it just to wind people up!
Haye will win because GBP will pay Ruiz to take a fall. Mark my words. Campbell and Marquez will also do something simular.
The spurious mechanical mantra oft repeated that the heavyweight division is at its lowest ebb is actually assumed by the not conversant or the too languid and or those too obtuse to scrutinize any truth or reliability in this farcical presumption as a given. This assumption is erroneous. The cruiserweight division with its walking wounded, over the hill types, and other losers is / was more the proper place to ascribe this wretched state of affairs. These were the exact, until recently, the preferred stomping grounds of one David Haye who was able to make a meagre name for himself in the cruisers primarily for want of adequate competition.
Haye soon will be forced display his skill against boxers that are of world distinction not merely club fighters and the underdeveloped denizens of the cruiser division. Haye will “enjoy” a short lived stretch in the heavies until the not far off day when he meets his match and that could be anytime soon. Possibly not Ruiz but the boxers who know how to dismantle Haye are plentiful in the heavyweights, Haye will never make it to a ring visit with a Klitschko, he will fall much sooner and hard.
ruiz has no chance, guy got knocked out by david ‘tuaman’ tua in 19 seconds in…haye to win by ko 2-4 rounds
“WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko looked positively smooth on his feet compared to the lead-footed Haye”……Seriously WTF??? You’re not wise!!!
Haye was brilliant against valuev, he fought the fight he needed to and I thought he looked quite light on his feet….fair enough he is no Ali but he moves well for a HW
haye doesnt look powerfull?he knocked bonin down 3 times on route to a ko,he knocked down barrett 5 times,and then he also badly rocket valuev,who probably has the best chin in boxing just because his sheer size.i would say haye by total dominent tko inside 5 rounds.
No way Ruiz wins. He’s too flat footed and slow. Roy Jones is/was smaller than Haye and still beat Ruiz.
Ruiz will make it a nasty fight. Ruiz is known to hug and hold a lot. That will be an advantage for Ruiz, which will tire Haye out and he’ll eventually lose his power through the deep rounds. Ruiz will capitalize and destroy Haye’s weak glass chin. KO coming for Haye. Ruiz will be 3rd time Heavy Weight Champ!