It’s not how you say it, but what you say

By Boxing News - 05/24/2016 - Comments

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By Rishad Marquardt: “Most boxers are boxing for respect, they’re boxing because they want to prove they’re the best at whatever they do, at whatever weight category. And if that’s proven not to be the case, I’m not sure how much a big, fat cheque will satisfy his soul.” These words were uttered by David Haye referring to WBO and IBO champion, Tyson Fury, before his second round KO against Arnold Gjergjaj last weekend on May 21, 2016.

As an imagination exercise, read the comment above again but this time imagine Fury saying it in reference to Haye and his next apparent fight against Shannon Briggs. Bearing in mind that Haye is coming of the back of a win against somebody who is embarrassingly far off anyone’s radar, and that Fury is a month away from defending his title against the most decorated heavyweight of the last decade, few would believe these words are more valid coming from Haye than from Fury.

By saying such things, Haye is only undermining his own reputation by trying to discredit a man who – for whatever reasons – was twice spurned by Haye, and who took belts from the man who Haye fought and failed against. These comments bring Haye’s own reputation into further disrepute when considering that he now is considering facing the straight-outta-vaudeville, caricature-esque, 44 year old Shannon Briggs as his next opponent in his bid to becoming heavyweight champ. When Haye says “most boxers are boxing for respect,” surely his planned next fight can not qualify him for such an accolade.

The thing is, despite his off-track comments, David Haye has a rare quality amongst modern sportspeople; the ability to deliver speech in a relatively eloquent manner. People don’t expect their sporting heroes or heroines to speak like leaders or lawyers, but it is refreshing when, like Haye, they can be coherent and precise. He doesn’t stutter, stumble, or mumble – nor does he tirelessly paraphrase and repeat the same old sentences like a jack-in-the-box. This skill is subsequently what onlookers may lament over when listening to his recent inaccurate and overblown promotional tirades.

Most people know the phase ‘It’s not what you say, but how you say it.’ It is a buzz-phrase mantra of PR and marketing professionals who point out that delivery, and not necessarily content, is key. If you can wrap your words in a pretty package, then you can sell an idea, no matter how overvalued, to anyone. This is true, but only for a time. Eventually people become immune to rhetoric being pitched to them, especially when they see the idea they are being sold is actually has little substance to it.

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Like it or not, there is a gulf in terms of the level of challenges Haye and Fury are taking on with Fury at the top end of the spectrum and Haye at the other. If The Hayemaker truly is intent on rising to the top, he would do well to stray away from defacing Fury and giving himself disproportionately good credit where it isn’t due, and instead take on real challenges against worthy fighters. Then, and only then, will boxing fans be able to buy Hayes self-promoted brand of boxing and consider him worthy of their attention.