By Scott Gilfoid: A scraggly looking former two division world champion David Haye (26-2, 24 KOs) told IBF TV today that he hasn’t signed with any promoter yet. There are rumos that Haye plans on signing with American adviser Al Haymon, but Haye says he hasn’t signed with anyone at this time. Further, Haye also failed to address the rumors of him splitting up with Adam Booth, his trainer.
Haye says he’s 2-3 fights away from fighting for a world title against the likes of WBA champ Ruslan Chagaev of WBC champ Bermane Stiverne. Haye realizes that the only way he can get a rematch against IBO/IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko is if he becomes his mandatory challenger, so he’s obviously not on his radar at this time.
“My ultimate goal is to become the undisputed heavyweight champion,” Haye said to IFL TV. “I haven’t signed anything with anybody. When I do start signing stuff, which shouldn’t be too long anyway, I’ll let everyone know. I’ve got to beat some people.”
It doesn’t really matter who trains Haye. It doesn’t matter to me whether Haye is with Booth or not. That’s drama stuff for boxing fans that care about who puts Haye through his paces and who holds the spit bucket. What matters to me is whether Haye’s surgically repaired right arm is the same. If it’s not, he’s not going to go far. He’s been getting injured lately a lot, and the major question is can Haye even get through a training camp without suffering some kind of ailment that prevents him from fighting.
Haye will be turning 34 next month in October, and he’s starting to look a little long in the tooth. You can now see the age on Haye since his last fight in 2012. By the time he does get in the ring again, if he does, it’ll be over 2 ½ years since his last fight. That’s a heck of a long time for a fighter to be out of the ring, and I can’t see Haye doing much given that much time off from the sport.
As for Haye possibly signing with Haymon, I don’t see how it’ll change anything. Haymon isn’t going to get Haye a fight against Klitschko. Maybe Haymon could set Haye up with some soft jobs that will make him look good, but I don’t see how Haye will be any further than he is now. Haye can already fight pretty much anyone he wants to in the heavyweight division apart from Wladimir, so it’s not as if Haymon will be able to change that for him.
Unless the WBA or WBC wants to put Haye automatically as the No.1 contender in their organizations after he beats a scrub or two, Haye will need to hope that he’ll be picked out by the likes of WBA champ Ruslan Chagaev or the winner of the WBC belt between champion Bermane Stiverne and Deontay Wilder for a voluntary defense.
“You’ve got Ruslan Chagaev, the WBA regular title. You’ve got Stiverne with the WBC. Those guys are very beatable and I don’t think I’m too far away physically from beating those guys,” Haye said. “I could beat them straightaway, but I might struggle.”
Haye could probably beat Chagaev, but then again so could likely 15-20 other heavyweights in the division. But I don’t see Haye, with the way he’s looking now, beating Stiverne and I definitely don’t see him beating Deontay.
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